(From right) Vellayammal, Manimaren and their children Tinesh, Gaautham and Shrivel making ‘chittu urundai’ at their home in Pantai Jerejak, Bayan Lepas. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
The chittu urundai is more than just a festive sweet for Dr S. Vellayammal.
It is a flavourful link to the past.
The 51-year-old first learnt to make chittu urundai and kallu urundai from her godmother, S. Thanaletchumi who is now 88, when she was a young girl.
One of the reasons Vellayammal continues to make the sweet at home is because her godmother once told her it signified unity and strong family bonds.
Another reason is its unforgettable taste – a balance of crunch and chewiness, with a deep caramel flavour from the jaggery.
These days, Vellayammal gets plenty of help rolling the tiny delights by hand at her home in Pantai Jerejak, Bayan Lepas in Penang.
She is assisted by her businessman husband K. Manimaren, 52, and their three sons – M. Gaautham, 25, M. Shrivel, 19, and M. Tinesh, 17.
The couple also have a two-year-old daughter M. Leelashire.
Vellayammal said the recipe called for roasted and powdered green gram flour, grated coconut, sesame seeds, cardamom and dried ginger (sukku), all mixed with warm jaggery syrup stirred over a slow fire until it reaches the right sticky consistency.
“The most crucial and challenging part is forming the small balls quickly before the mixture hardens.
“If you wait too long, it becomes too hard to shape.
“Three small balls are then pinched together, coated in rice and cornflour and deep-fried until golden brown and crispy,” she said.
While the ingredients were simple, she said the preparation was intricate and time-consuming.
“I may not have had the confidence to continue if not for my godmother’s encouragement,” she said.
Another recipe passed down from her godmother is kallu urundai, also known as ketti urundai or “stone ball”.
This treat is slowly disappearing as few people want to undertake this labour-intensive process.
“These days, not many people know how to make it.
“Back then, they were made so hard that sometimes you needed a hammer to break them into bite-sized pieces,” said Manimaren.
While ready-made mixes are available today, he believes nothing compares to the authentic homemade version.
“The deep caramel sweetness of the jaggery and the nutty, earthy undertone of the roasted gram – you just cannot find that in store-bought ones,” he said.
According to Vellayammal, the recipe uses rice flour, green gram flour, groundnuts, sesame seeds, grated coconut, cardamom and dried ginger (sukku).
“Just like chittu urundai, once the jaggery syrup is ready, the roasted gram and other optional ingredients are quickly stirred in.
“The mixture must be handled fast, as it sets almost immediately.”
The balls were rolled out before the mixture cools and hardens completely, she said.
“My godmother told me that this treat is a hidden gem because although it is hard to bite, once you start, you will never stop.
“She also told me that the sweetness of the ball represents love while the hard exterior symbolises strength and unity,” said Vellayammal.
She said these traditional bites were not only symbolic of heritage but also packed with natural goodness.
“Chittu urundai provides energy, aids digestion and is rich in iron and protein, while kallu urundai offers antioxidants and sustained energy,” she shared.
For Vellayammal, making these sweets is not only a labour of love, but a way of keeping her godmother’s legacy alive while ensuring tradition, legacy and sweetness of unity continues in her family.
