[NON-HALAL]
Making toddy can be a tedious process: skilled workers traditionally climb coconut trees early in the morning to extract the sap from cut flowers, where containers are attached to the stumps to collect the substance.
When the sap is first collected, it’s sweet. In six to eight hours, it turns murky and sourish as alcoholic fermentation takes place.
Should you crave a glass of this goodness or simply wish to give it a try, one place you should head to is Chelliah Toppu in Banting, Selangor, where the drink has been the pride of the family for over 50 years.
Located in the backyard of the current owner’s home, there are no signboards or official names indicating the place. It’s located in the middle of a plantation with the only landmark being a house in green – once you see it, you’re at the right spot.
Tables and chairs are placed outdoors, while hot food is served from the kitchen. By 12pm, customers can already be seen pouring in, eager to sample the cuisine and sip from short glasses.
The family business is run by Navaretnasinggam Chelliah and his wife Parvathy. The couple took over from Nava’s mother, Ammani, who passed away in 2000.
Old-timers might remember Ammani as “Kuala Langat’s Toddy Queen”, a title bestowed upon her for being a competent toddy distributor following her husband’s death in 1960.
“She would drive to the palm estates to make sure everything was in order,” Parvathy, 65, recalled. “She also had 11 children to raise by herself, making her a tough woman of her time.”
Nava, who was interested in the business even at a young age, remembers helping to bring his mother to the estates in her later years when she was old and weak.
A black-and-white portrait of the family still hangs in the living room, featuring Ammani, her hubby Chelliah, and their children.
When they got married, Nava and Parvathy decided to introduce hot food at lunchtimes so customers could indulge in their toddy while enjoying a slap-up meal.
“I was a teacher before my husband roped me in to be part of the business,” Parvathy, who is fondly known among customers as “Mrs Nava”, told FMT.
“My mother-in-law was an incredible cook. I learnt how to whip up dishes thanks to her guidance.”
Among their specialties? Wild boar peratal (dry curry) – owing to “the many boars roaming in the plantations”, she shared.
And having cooked for many years now, Mrs Nava boasts that she can tell the quality of the food by its fragrance alone!
What makes Chelliah Toppu different from other joints is its three kinds of toddy – single-tree, mixed-tree, and pandan-infused – all served in earthenware pots.
“Single-tree toddy, as the name says, is from one type of tree, while the mixed-tree toddy is tapped from a combination of short and long trees to offer a more enhanced flavour,” Parvathy explained.
As for the pandan-infused, the sap is taken from a pandan coconut tree, which explains the added fragrance.
Interestingly, some of her customers add spices and curry leaves into the pot to boost the flavour of the beverage!
FMT tried all three flavours and decided that the single-tree toddy takes the No. 1 spot: sweet with a slightly sour undertone, extremely refreshing and soothing to the throat.
The pandan-infused toddy is on the stronger side with a bitter aftertaste, while the mixed-tree toddy has a decidedly more sour taste compared with the single-tree variant.
A visit to Chellian Toppu would not be complete without sampling some of the dishes, especially the aforementioned wild boar peratal. Cooked to perfection, the meat is delicious with a rich gravy fragrant with spices. Heavenly!
It’s best paired with toddy as, according to Parvathy, the beverage serves a cooling element to offset the “heatiness” of the red meat.
Meanwhile, adventurous diners should give the monitor lizard peratal a go. Reminiscent of the texture and flavour of chicken, it’s delicious but bony, so watch out while you eat.
Also on the menu is goat’s innards peratal, though some parts of this dish are tougher texture-wise than the rest.
If you’re the type who prefers more conventional offerings, worry not – there’s the less exotic but no less delicious mutton or chicken peratal on the menu.
The mutton is particularly tender, pairing perfectly with your rice, vegetables and, of course, toddy. Bottoms up!
Banting Chelliah Toppu
Telok Datok,
Banting, Selangor
Opening hours: 10am-6pm daily
Contact number: 012-637 2804