While cold-pressed coconut oil has received a fair amount of attention in recent years, Pūrvīṇa is bringing light to the dimming awareness of ventha velichenna, or hot-processed coconut oil. Based in Malappuram, nestling in the Western Ghats, their aim is to bring back into the spotlight the essence of Kerala’s oil-making traditions and techniques.
Parvathy Avanoor founded Pūrvīṇa with her mother, Jaya, in the early half of 2020. Literally translating to ‘traditional’ in Sanskrit, Pūrvīṇa’s operations are anchored by practices passed down for several generations. They also sell naturally grown turmeric powder, black peppercorns, tamarind paste, and hot-processed coconut oil suitable for multiple uses.
While their farm yields close to 3,000 coconuts a quarter, they source produce from neighboring farms based on demand. They make oil by boiling the milk, extracted from fresh coconuts, at a constant temperature in an uruli (large bronze vessel), while stirring it continuously. In time, the oil separates from the solids, and is then decanted and filtered. The result is flavourful coconut oil, rich in antioxidants.
Why We Love Pūrvīṇa
- Multipurpose – Pūrvīṇa highlights the uses of this low-cholesterol variant of coconut oil beyond the kitchen: its anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties.
- Organic and flavourful – The oil has nutty roasted coconut-like notes, and works well in dressings or as a finishing oil for dals, curries, stir-fries or rice dishes, much like how extra virgin olive oil is used.
- Anchored in traditional practices – Pūrvīṇa’s ethos revolves around bringing back traditional practices that are fast vanishing, from cultivation of coconuts to its processing and consumption.
Note from the Producer
‘Pūrvīṇa’ means traditional. Pūrvīṇa was born with the idea of sharing rural Kerala goodness, which we relish, with the rest of the world. Our products tell stories of ancient wisdom, age-old traditions, bronze vessels, blessed soil, and monsoons. We believe in making 100% pure and authentic farm-fresh products in the most natural and traditional manner, providing enhanced satisfaction to discerning customers. All the produce is earthy, directly sourced from the farm, and nurtured on the slopes of the Western Ghats in Kerala, amicably blessed by the southwest monsoon.
— Parvathy Avanoor, Founder of Pūrvīṇa
The Locavore Bite
TL Bite offers a glimpse into how a partner producer runs their operations, and reflects their core principles and values. The idea is to provide insights into their practices and highlight their positive efforts descriptively. We have identified seven key areas of assessment – origin and source of ingredients, composition and integrity of the products, workforce policies, production practices, community-related initiatives, approach towards preserving or celebrating traditional knowledge and the materials used in packaging. While this assessment may not be entirely comprehensive, we hope it helps you make an informed decision about why you might want to support them, and the ways in which to.
The information below offers you a snapshot of where Pūrvīṇa stands on these parameters. We have put this together based on several rounds of conversation with Parvathy Avanoor, the founder of Pūrvīṇa. Click on a piece of the pie below to find out more.
If you’re interested in finding out more about Pūrvīṇa, read our interview with them here.
Products We Recommend
HOT PROCESSED COCONUT OIL
While Pūrvīṇa’s hot processed coconut oil also fulfils needs that go beyond cooking, we love them most in salads as dressing oil, and in stews and avials as the raw garnish.
How to Buy
If you would like to learn more about Pūrvīṇa, or try different types of flours and sweeteners, check out their website. If you’re interested in supporting them in other ways, please contact us at connect@thelocavore.in.
This is a paid partnership with Pūrvīṇa. At the Locavore, we strive to keep the practices of a producer transparent and honest across all forms of partnerships.
