Many flavours of Palmyrah in the heart of the city
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Sizzling panangai paniyaram: A signature delicacy of the Hindu New Year table
Mix Palmyrah fruit pulp and wheat flour in proportionate quantities. Add a bit of sugar and salt for taste and a pinch of baking powder and mix well. Deep fry small globes of this saffron-hued mixture in oil. Offering freshly fried panangai paniyaram, a signature delicacy of the Hindu New Year table, for us to sample is Shanthakumar Kamaleshwari, Production Officer of the Palmyrah Development Board (PDB), joined by her able assistant Chitra, busy before a cauldron of hot oil and the tempting paniyaram mixture.
The PDB’s Colombo District Production Centre in Wellawatte was a hive of activity this week replete with a cocktail of aromas made possible by palmyrah fruit pulp, jaggery, thal wadei and thal pinattu, awaiting their dispatch to Katpaham- the sales outlet of PDB (formerly on Galle Road, Bambalapitiya) now relocated on W.A. Silva Mawatha, Wellawatte. With just a few more days for the dawn of Sinhala and Tamil New Year, the PDB staff is busy loading the Katpaham shelves with palmyrah-based delicacies and other sweets.
While some are made in-house at the Production Centre by PDB staff for the Colombo Katpaham outlet, items such as palmyrah fruit pulp, jaggery, palm chocolate, palm crush (a beverage made out of palmyrah fruit pulp) sourced from palmyrah growing regions including Jaffna, Mannar, Kalpitiya, Trincomalee and Batticaloa are made available at Katpaham for the city dweller. “The demand for these items is more during this festive season,” notes District Manager (Colombo) of PDB, V. Pathipan.
Palmyrah fruit pulp, a much sought after ingredient for many traditional Hindu new year delicacies is available at Katpaham outlets in bottled form. A rich source of Vitamin C, calcium and energy, the colour of the pulp is determined by the region it comes from, explains Pathipan. “While the pulp from Kalpitiya and Mannar is bright yellow in colour, what is obtained from Trincomalee and Jaffna is of a lighter shade,” he explains.
Thal pinattu which is produced by drying of palmyrah fruit pulp in the sun, completely devoid of any artificial heating, is another treat from the Northern Peninsula, synonymous with Palmyrah, panei or thal. A base for many eats, pinattu is dipped in a mixture of palmyrah treacle and sesame/gingelly (thala) sprinkled with chili powder and pepper. Thal pinattu is also a remedy for constipation and is suitable for diabetics and those with high cholesterol levels. Wrapped in woven palmyrah leaves, palmyrah jaggery available in handy packs is ideal with a cup of plain tea or as a sweetener.
Among the fast moving products during the season, are panangai paniyaram (sold in packs), thal wadei which resembles papadam and thal pinattu. “In addition to these traditional edibles, we have also introduced a range of new products including palm chocolate and cake,” points out MarketingManager, PDB, D.G.K. Wahalathantri. All PDB products are reasonably priced and as the Marketing Manager assures, “quality assured by our Palmyrah Research Centre located in Kaithadi, Jaffna.” They are available at Katpaham centres in Colombo (Wellawatte), Jaffna, Mannar, Vavuniya, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Ampara, Puttalam and Tissamaharama.” The Katpaham network is to expand soon to cover Kandy and Gampaha to bring these products to more consumers.
For the lover of palmyrah handicrafts, Katpaham has mats and intricately woven multi-purpose thal kola petti (storage boxes), ideal for jewellery, sewing material, even cosmetics and also perfect for palmyrah jaggery, thal pinattu or panangai paniyaram to gift a friend or relative this festive season, sealed with love from the land of palms!