Kerala Food: Recipes from ‘The Suriani Kitchen’

In a casual conversation I heard that ‘The Suriani Kitchen’ by Lathika George has won the Indian nomination for the Best Asian Cuisine Book section in the Gourmand World Cookbooks Awards. I had this confirmed on the Internet. The winners for the different sectors will be announced at the Paris Cookbook Fair next March.

My wife had the book and I took a look at it yesterday. It covers the cuisine of Kerala’s Syrian Christians. Well, Madhur Jaffrey is right in saying that it contains “The best of Kerala’s fine foods…”

Suriani is the Malayalam word for Syriac. The descendants of the high caste families which, it is believed were converted by the Apostle St. Thomas at the beginning of the Christian era and a group of about 400 who came from Syria in the 4c are known as Syrian Christians. The reason is that they followed the Syriac liturgy. They are also known as Nazranis.

Those converted later by the Portuguese and others, are known as Latin Christians because they followed the Latin liturgy. The Latin Christians have some specialties in their cuisine.

Over the centuries the Surianis developed their cuisine. All along, Kerala had a booming international trade. Traders and ship crews from many nations visited the state. Some items of their menus and that of other communities were copied or adapted by the Nazranis. The result is a fine cuisine full of tasty food. What Lathika George has done is to present the recipes for the delectable culinary specialties of an ancient community. However, in different houses the names of some of the dishes may be different and there may also be variations in the recipes of dishes.

Several short articles about Syrian Christians and life in Kerala add to the charm of the book. The photographs and drawings are excellent too. But I wish that to complete the total Suriani scenario, the author had included the recipe for INRI Appam, the Suriani special that is made only on Maundy Thursday. (See Memories: Passion Week, half a century back) It is mentioned in the Glossary but I could not locate the recipe.

‘The Suriani Kitchen’ was first published in 2009 by Hippocrene Books Inc, New York. The Indian publication is by westland ltd. Priced at Rs.450, it is available in bookstalls and with Amazon.

Well, let us wish that ‘The Suriani Kitchen’ wins the award at the world’s culinary centre, Paris.

Related post: Kerala Food: Breakfast range

 

Kerala Food: Jackfruit chips curry, something rarely made

Jackfruits, which grow along the Western Ghats of India and in some parts of South India, are really huge. They have many culinary applications. See Jackfruit, the jumbo

As I have mentioned in my post Gold color chips and a golden hearted Lady

fried chips made from the fruits are common and available in many shops. Properly made, they are an excellent anytime snack.

But curries made with the chips? Well, that is not common. Not only with gravy but sautéed and even ‘puzhuk’. We used to have these at Olavipe occasionally. You know, for a different taste.

The other day my wife, Annie (see photo), made jackfruit chips curry at our Chennai residence after a long time, and everyone liked it. This is something that goes well with rice, chapathis, pooris, appams, puttu and so on. It is quite simple to make. You can serve ‘chakka’ curry anywhere in the world if you have the jackfruit chips with you.

An indicative recipe is given below:

1. Keep one and a half cups of fried jackfruit chips in water till they are well soaked. This may take about an hour.

2. Fry two onions long cut, add to it two tomatoes quartered, one green chilli round cut, two or three flakes of garlic and salt to taste.

3. When the above is cooked, add the powders – coriander, chilli and turmeric – and garam masala to taste. Add curry leaves. Fry well.

4. Add the chips along with the water in which they were soaked, add more water for gravy if required, and bring to boil.

Jackfruit chips

Curried jackfruit chips.
Photos by me.
Click to enlarge.

Jackfruit chips add taste to meat curry as well. Use it instead of potatoes.

Well, if it doesn’t work out, don’t blame me. I can always say that the quality of the jackfruit chips may not have been good. Incidentally, thicker chips are better for use in the curry.

Related post:

Giant fruits from a small tree

Kerala food: Karimeen, The Fish of God’s Own Country

Karimeen (Pearl Spot or Pearlspot), which belongs to the Cichlidae family is a perennial favorite with the fish loving Keralites. It is a brackish water fish found in the lakes, rice fields, canals and ponds of South India and Sri Lanka but can survive in fresh water and highly saline water for short periods.

There are dozens of recipes for cooking karimeen. One interesting factor is that deciding how to prepare karimeen, to a great extent, would depend on the size. Over sized karimeen and the tiny ones are not good for the pan. Ideally, fish that number five to seven per kilogram should be taken for frying. Usually people end up paying more for larger fish which may not be suitable for the recipe in mind.

The photo (copyright reserved) above is a fried karimeen from Olavipe.

What does one do with karimeen that is larger than the one in the photo?

We bake them in the traditional way. Marinated full fish is kept in a chatti (earthen vessel) that is over fire, with banana leaves under and above the fish. The chatti is then covered with its lid and embers are placed over it. Every few minutes the fish is turned over and coconut oil poured on it. Properly done, there is no other karimeen preparation to beat this, according to me.

The size of of a mature karimeen, though it might impress people, is not a yardstick of the taste. Karimeen from the Vembanad Lake and Ashtamudi Lake are much more delicious than the ones from, say, Veli Lake near Trivandrum and Chilka Lake in Orissa. Also, cultured karimeen is less tasty than the ones growing naturally.

Some people confuse karimeen with pomferet and tilapia. The taste and texture of each are different. The pictures given below should help in identifying the different species.

Pomfret (image from Wikimedia Cmmons)

Tilapia (image from Wikimedia Commons)

Karimeen is a healthy food. Traditionally, coconut oil is used for cooking it. Both the fish and coconut oil contain Omega3 Factor which is cardiac friendly according to modern research. However, there is strong opposition to coconut oil from some quarters.

Use whatever cooking medium you prefer, but karimeen will still taste really good.

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Also see: Kerala food: Kappa (cassava or casava, yuca, manioc, Manihot esculenta)

Kerala food: Aviyal, Bhima’s own dish, for Onam

Onam, the most famous festival of Kerala is just around the corner. Thiruonam is on the 12^th of September. Can a Malayalee (Keralite) think of Onasadhya without aviyal? This famous cooked vegetable ‘salad’ is supposed to have been invented by Bhima.

It is believed that the Pandavas spent a considerable time in Kerala during their year of hiding after the vanavasa (living in the forests) of 12 years. (See Travel: Mist covers the mountain tops)

If they were recognized during that period the cycle of vanavasa and hiding had to be repeated. They had to be very careful to remain incognito. While the other Pandavas were satisfied with living on fruits etc., Bhima’s appetite required more solid food.

One day in desperation, he gathered all the edible vegetables available, cut them up, put them in a vessel and poured some water into it. He added grated coconut, curry leaves, salt, turmeric etc and boiled the pot. He took it off the fire when the water had almost dried up. And, aviyal was born! Possibly it looked something like in the picture below:

Bhima loved it and so did the people during the millenniums that followed. I don't think anyone would dispute that aviyal is Kerala’s favorite vegetable dish.

One could possibly write the recipe for aviyal by looking at the photo. There are no hard and fast rules or rigid list of ingredients. The requirements are vegetables on hand, coconut, turmeric, curry leaves and salt. Add something for sourness if you like. May be a little coconut oil or coconut milk, before taking off the fire.

In short, aviyal is a dish that you blend to your taste with available inputs. Or, if you like, there are many recipes available on the Internet.

Aviyal is great, any time.

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Photo by me from Olavipe. Copyright reserved. Click to enlarge.

Also see: Sadhya - a sumptuous Kerala meal

Kerala food: Peechappam, a forgotten item?

How many people make peechappam (it may have other local names) these days? When I asked Velayudhan, our chief cook at Thekkanattu Parayil, Olavipe, to make peechappam, he had to think for a minute to remember the item.

Peechappam is a tender steamed rice cake. The name means squeezed appam. The prepared dough is squeezed in the palm before steaming, and the fingers leave dimples on it. Though easy to make, tasty and versatile, it is lesser known than the other famous Kerala appams like palappam (lace hopper) and idiyappam (string hopper).

Peechappam is an anytime food – breakfast, lunch, dinner. It goes well with pickles, curries, preserves, honey, syrup, and chutney.

A modified version is to make patty shaped stuffed peechappams. There is a large choice of fillings – vegetables, shrimps and other seafood, cheese, corned beef, sliced sausages, chopped bacon rashers or ham and so on. It can be an excellent snack or a full meal.

The basic recipe for peechappam is:
2 cups rice flour
1 cup grated coconut (not too mature). The coconut can be coarse or fine grated, or even ground, according to preference.
Jeera to taste (Powder, crushed or whole)
Salt to taste.

Method:
Mix the ingredients in hot water
Squeeze small portions of the dough with fingers. If stuffing is used, place it inside the dough, roll into balls and shape them.
Steam till done. (Note: Over steaming will make the appam hard.)

I have translated the recipe Velayudhan wrote down for me in Malayalam. Photos (copyright reserved) are by Rijo (top) and me. The first one is the traditional peechappam Velayudhan made yesterday. It was more succulent. The stuffed ones were made by an assistant cook today. They are a bit too hard.

Click on the images to enlarge them.

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Also see Kerala Food: Breakfast range

Indian cuisine: Col. Skinner, Maj. Grey, Chutneys and Southern Railway Lamb Curry

While browsing through the menu to order lunch yesterday (Sunday, 29^th) at a reputed Chennai hotel, I came across the listing ‘Southern Railway Lamb Curry’. It was claimed to be a repast from the Raj days.

What struck me immediately was that during the British rule we didn’t have a Southern Railway. It used to be South Indian Railway. Regardless, I studied the description thinking that it could be one of the famous Anglo-Indian recipes. But somehow it didn’t appeal to me and I opted for the old fashioned fish and chips with tartar sauce and Colonel Skinner’s Chutney.

No comment on the food except that I felt the mango chutney was not Col. Skinner’s but more likely, Maj. Grey’s. I believe this brand, which is milder than Skinners, is better known in the United States than in India. Col. Skinner outranks Maj. Grey.

Col. James Skinner was one of the most famous Anglo-Indians. Born to a Scot father and Rajput mother in 1778, he was affectionately known to his soldiers as ‘Sikandar Sahib’. He raised the legendary army unit, Skinner’ Horse. The St. James Church at Kashmere Gate at Delhi was built by him. In the culinary world his name is perpetuated by the famed pickle.

Major Grey was a Brit who soldiered in India. He is best remembered for his chutney. I have not been able to ascertain whether this Major Grey was related to Earl of Grey who was Prime Mister of England (1830-34) and a connoisseur of tea. Earl Grey brand tea bags are available in the market.

Interestingly, a Gray (note the difference in spelling) commanded Skinner’s Horse from 1935 to 1947. That was Col. Douglas Gray. He came down from England to attend the bicentenary celebrations of the Regiment in 2003. He was 90 then. Whether he relished Skinner’s Chutney is not known.

With due apologies to Col. Skinner and Maj. Grey – the chutneys named after them were probably the creations of their cooks. In my opinion, neither of these famous preparations can match the uppumanga (salt mango) chutney served in some Kerala homes. The mango pickled in brine is mashed or lightly ground with red chilies and certain other ingredients. That is delicious.

How many chefs know about it?

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Also see:

Kerala food: Peechappam, a forgotten item?

Britain strikes back at the Empire

Mango Memories

Giant fruits from small tree

This small tree is already yielding well.

A jackfruit

Cut piece.

Photo credits:
Top two are from Olavipe taken by me. Copyright reserved.
Cut piece is Public Domain from Wikimedia Commons.

Also see:

Jackfruit, the jumbo

Gold color chips and a golden hearted Lady

Kerala kitchen – some implements of the past

Recently, I came across some quaint old kitchen implements in the Archives at Thekkanattu Parayil, Olavipe. Assuming that you too might find them interesting, I am presenting a few photographs below:

This is an old noodles maker which was used for idiyappam (string hoppers). The handle on top is pressed and turned to make the dough into strings.

This too is an idiyappam press, made of wood. Now metal presses and screw extruders are used mostly.

Grated coconut is an essential ingredient in many Kerala recipes. This beautifully carved grater is, I think, made from a single block of wood. Notice how nicely the collection bowl is shaped.

Curry salt used to be kept in the kitchen in wooden boats like this.

This type of curd churner may be still in use in some old houses.

(Photos by me. Copyright reserved. Click on them for enlarged view.)

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Also see:

Kerala Food: Breakfast range

Kerala Cuisine: Manga thera (mango mat) recipe

Papaya, the health fruit

This tropical fruit combines great taste and several medicinal properties. Christopher Columbus is said to have called it ‘fruit of the angels’. Botanical name is Carica papaya. Local names include PEnPe, fruta bomba, lechoza, mamão, papaw, Papol, Guslabu, pawpaw, tree melon, and đu đủ.

The plant is single stem with spiral leaves at the top. It grows up to 10 meters height depending on the specie. The drawing below by Koeh depicts the details.

Strangely it shows a forked tree. That is rather rare at least in Kerala, India, where I come from. The ripe fruit is absolutely delicious. It is an anytime table fruit. The skin which is normally greenish to golden yellow and the seeds are removed and the flesh is cut into pieces. Another way to eat it is to cut the fruit into boats with the skin on, clear the seeds and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. This is a favorite breakfast food.

Green papaya is used for cooking in many countries particularly for salads, stews and curries. In Kerala there is papaya thoran (sautéed with grated coconut), curry with ground coconut or buttermilk, kofta curry in which grated papaya is shaped into small balls and cooked in spicy gravy. My mouth waters when I think of papaya halwa that my grandmother used to make. (See Gold color chips and a golden hearted Lady )

One could write pages about the medicinal properties of papaya. Here is a sample list: aphrodisiac, excellent source of vitamin A & C, improves digestion, useful in high blood pressure management, good for heart health, effective in treating skin disorders and fungal infections. The list goes on. For details you can visit http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=47

Papaya, especially the skin of the raw fruit has latex which contains an enzyme known as papain. It is available in the shops for use as meat tenderizer and for helping digestion. It is also said to have contraceptive properties and to induce abortion. Pregnant ladies are, it seems, advised to keep off papaya.

The photo below from Olavipe shows a male papaya tree with flowers. The male tree also has fruits but they don’t grow big enough to be served ripe on table. The larger ones among them can be used for cooking.

Papaya is certainly one of the healthiest and tastiest fruits in the world.

Click on photos for enlarged view.

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Photo credits:
Top – AK Kepler, believed to be public domain
Center – Wikimedia Commons Public Domain
Bottom – Abraham Tharakan. Can be used freely for non-commercial purposes giving due credit.