Pastina Majella from Thoothukudi Self help group (SHG) member showing Srilankan food Cutlies at the food festival, Besant Nagar in Chennai on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM
Pastina Majella from Thoothukudi is busy explaining which curry goes best with cutlees or chicken lappa. “We usually serve sodhi but salna (non-vegetarian gravy) is also served, if asked. People are very interested in trying Sri Lankan food,” said Pastina, a Sri Lankan Tamil refugee from the Mapillaiyurani camp.
The 34-year-old was in Chennai as part of the State’s Unavu Thiruvizha organised by the Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women. The festival saw women self help groups from across the State serve food from their respective districts.
Ms. Pastina juggles between serving poricha parotta, fish fry and idiyappam.
“We have food from my roots which is Sri Lankan food such as cutlees, dodol, sambol and from the district where I grew up which is poricha parotta and salna. A mix of both worlds,” she said.
Ms. Pastina is part of the Pournami Women Self Help Group back at her refugee camp. “We are a group of 12 women. There are three other self help groups from the camp, though we are the only ones that ventured out to set up food stalls,” she added.
Running between the kitchen and directing her customers, Pastina notes that many women back home are afraid of venturing out. “Fear exists regarding struggles with our identity. They don’t want trouble. Some of us decided we want to do more and approached the Collectorate five years ago to set up a stall,” she said.
The government was only more than happy to give an opportunity. It was at a Minister’s event that Ms. Pastina and seven others first set up a stall. “We didn’t make much profit. But we came out feeling great, like we just conquered the world. We got so much confidence that we can pull anything off,” she laughed.
She said that her stall is also making big news back home. “A lot of women are now interested in finding such opportunities. Many are now hoping to set up more such stalls and become financially independent,” she said.
Looking forward, Ms. Pastina hopes to run a shop of her own one day, but notes that there just isn’t enough to run the entire operation. “My mother is a cancer patient, and father is a heart patient. My salary is enough to help them and run my small family. I know I’ll run it really well and give it my 100%. But right now, these stalls give me a lot of happiness,” she said.
Published – December 29, 2025 06:35 am IST
