Рецепт Toddy Tales
A kallu shaap is usually a dirty, dingy hut and not a welcome place for a woman. Though these days there are a few family kallu shaaps where you can sit down with the whole family and drink kallu (toddy) and enjoy wonderful spicy seafood.
However, anything in excess is bad for health, especially addictive things like alcohol. Sadly, many lives are ruined due to alcohol addiction. So, in order to battle the alcohol addiction in the state, the government plans to brings about a ban on the sale of alcohol in Kerala. This could mean that kallu shaaps and will soon be a thing of history.
A few years back, we had visited a family kallu shaap in Kumarakom R block.While most of the other women with us were feeling uncomfortable about being in a kallu shaap, I found myself walking ahead of them right into the kitchen and asking for some kallu. I kinda surprised myself too.
That was the first time that I tasted kallu. It looked cloudy and tasted sour and slightly sweet with a little gas. It had an almost pungent sour smell.
Yes, the taste was one of a kind and it was awesome. You really have to try it at least once.
The other day while I was going about some mundane activity, the idea struck me - why not make toddy by fermenting coconut water.
When I checked with mom, she said that she had already tried it long back and that it will work.
It was really easy but we need to keep checking every day. It took a total of 4 days for toddy to form from a mixture of coconut water and sugar. Here's how you make it at home.
HOMEMADE TODDY FROM COCONUT WATER
Recipe source: Mom
Ingredients
Coconut water from one coconut - You can also use tender coconut water. In that case, you might need very less sugar or sometimes none at all esp if the the tender coconut water is v sweet
- Sugar - I used 2 tsp of sugar for 1/2 cup of coconut water (I didn't use tender coconut water)
- Optionally you can use 1 or 2 grains of yeast to quicken the fermentation (I didn't use it)
Method:
Check the sweetness of coconut water (or tender coconut water). If the coconut water not very sweet, mix some sugar to it and keep it in a warm place preferrably near the stove. Keep checking every day. It took 4 days for me.
If you want toddy in a day, then add 1 or 2 grains of yeast right away and keep it in a warm place. Toddy will form in 24 hours.
Additional tips:
1. After 3 days if the coconut water is still very sweet and there is no fermented smell then put 1 or 2 grains of yeast, mix well and keep it back in the warm place for another day. It will quicken the fermentation process and you will get good toddy in another day. I didn't add any yeast as mine had a light fermented smell in 2 days and even had a slight sour taste.
2. Temperature plays a big role. In warmer
climates, toddy will form faster. Though it took 4 days for toddy to form without any added yeast when kept near my stove. I must mention that it
is very cold in my kitchen in bangalore, esp at late afternoons and night times when there is not much cooking happening.
3. The end product will look cloudy and taste sour and slightly sweet and it will be a little gassy as well. In fact when you pour it, it will foam up almost like sparkling water.
4. After toddy is formed, it needs to be used or refrigerated immediately else it will turn into vinegar.
Whether it's for a quick swig to refresh a tired mother
or for fermenting batter, toddy is a wonderful thing to
have in the kitchen.