Native East Indian Communities Traditional Indigenous Living Habits & Food Practises

By  :  Teddie J Rodrigues

Posted By ; Ashley D'souza

Author Of The Book   ( TRACES )

To the native East Indian Christians the kitchen is the most important room in the house this was so but in todays accommodations it seems the main room of the house is the Hall or Salla the people of the olden days practiced the old axiom a clearly evident truth that your house was your home and not a show place , They built large kitchens in the olden days that were their heart and their home where the family found comfort inspiration and foundation of family bonds that lasted a life time

The room was large and served also as dining room and sitting room of the family  , all decisions concerning the family were taken here ,

The fire place having 2 or 3 chulas was built on a raised platform  ( Tappa ) having storage for firewood under this platform below the fire place , This place example :  the whole kitchen was regularly cleaned and the mud floor cow dung or (  Sar- aved ) every week . Most floors of the house were mud floors and these to were also regularly  Sar-aved  , The use of cow dung was and is considered hygienic and is backed by science as it is found that it killed bacteria , repelled radiation and Russian scientist even found that it repelled atomic or nuclear radiation

In the kitchen were kept all the necessary implements , instruments and vessels required for cooking  , at the fire place was a pair of tongs , a copper or brass tube used to blow up or enlive a fire called the Phuknee , The earthern  khapdi / kapri or earthen Tava and all small and large clay vessels called  ( Thi Zals )  and Fo-Rums large clay vessels to roast piglings or bake cakes and biscuits were stored at its side ,

All food was prepared in these earthern clay vessels which were kept on circular palm leaf rings woven stands called Ay-ras the palm leaf used was of the Date or Khazri tree for its stiffness

Handbreads were roasted on the circular flat Khapdis there was the Thala a large round copper or brass vessel or tray in which the bread dough was kneaded and the bread itself prepared by hand the Thala tray was also used for preparing dough for Worias and Fugias and when basting and stitching up a pigling before roasting it in the Forum to keep masala and mix it before bottling it etc etc

It is very important that the fire place be built on the east side of the room , so that when cooking the person faces east always , This comes from the science of ( Ghra-ha-Vastu ) , When the house is first built a crucifix or plain wooden cross or metal cross was  imbedded into one of the pillars or walls of the house also the ground floor should be on a raised Dais since one does not step down into the house one stepped into and onto level floors as it is considered that one step down into depression and one step up into light and happiness

Back to the kitchen we find the drinking water Thaman’s  or vessel neatly kept also on a raised platform and a single drinking water Gourd or dipper called the Doug Made from coconut shell from which all the family members drank their water , Besides this all the spoons large and small were of coconut shell with bamboo stick handles , others were enameled iron and tin spoons and cups , mugs and plates , there was also the grinding stone the Pata and the Voranta to grind wet and dry masala’s ,

The Ukli and Muss-sel were used for pounding large quantities of masalas there was also the Aman Dusta or Khal-Batta of brass to pound spices into powder , some kitchens had these stones ones in the floor itself , this was called  The ( Ukhal )  , The Pata and Voranta’s stone had to be regularly pitted or Furred this was called to put Tanki and a small chisel and hammer and women tanki wallas went around different villages to do this work for a compensation of 4 to 8 annas , water drawn from the house well or the village well was stored in brass or copper vessels called Thaman’s ,

The Morli and Khaw-ni were an integral part of the kitchen implements , in the bedroom the beds were placed in the east , west direction but never to the north south as the magnetic poles can cause havoc to ones health  , most of the beds and other furnitures in the house were of teak wood made by the village carpenters , Onions from gorai and other places are mostly hung on bamboo poles placed horizontally in the kitchen , Dry Bombay ducks or bombils were stored in hay and kept nearby

The East Indians houses in the latter part of the Portuguese rule were constructed  in the  Indo - Portuguese design prior to this was the (  Peshwa )  type design preferred by everyone , These traditional East Indian houses   was essentially a family dwelling built of bricks and wood and instead of cement , Chunam and jaggery mix was used as mortar , These houses were perfectly suited for these tropical climates that kept the interiors shaded and cool they have sloping roofs of clay Spanish or Moorish design  tiles or are the famous Mangalorean  tiles , tiles were semi circular long Spanish or Moorish designed tiles interlocking with each other , a perfect leak proof arrangement , this type of roofing ensured quick draining of rain water as monsoon were usually very heavy and unlike the ones we experience today

There were always attics below the roof that provided storage space and also protection during the hot summer , most houses had twin shuttered double windows that reached down

To about a foot and a half from the floor where one could also sit , The shutters had wooden Louvers on the top half that could be adjusted to cut out the Sun’s glare and let the breeze  in , Staircase in or out of the house allowed access to the first floor which few houses had , There was no need of electric Fan or air conditioner  , In the hot weather palm leaf fans were used mostly round in shape , These were obtained from the tender leaf of the Thar Trees , Most houses were built close to each other in the villages especially in Bombay island and the Suburbs of Salsette

This was because in the very early days these places had bandits and robbers infesting them , Being close together had the advantage of getting help in any type of emergency and one was always aware of the goings on in the other houses and verandahs served to sit out of an evening and gossip or chit chat with the neighbours or passerbys , All verandha is called ONTLA

The earliest houses of the natives were those made of wood , supports , Wattle walls  ( Ka-rau-ee-sticks ) held secure by sumb or coir ropes daubed with cow dung and mud , Walls that had to be repaired  every year but nevertheless kept the house cool