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 The
Malayalees have managed to retain the authenticity of their cuisine despite a long history
of influences from the West. Locally grown spices, fruits like the banana, pineapples,
custard apple, cereals like the plentiful coconut, rice and the abundance and variety of
the seafood lend Malayalee cuisine a flavor, which is unique to Kerala.
Kerala grows a variety of cash crops like tea,
rubber, cashews, teak and spices-especially the cardamom and black pepper. This wealth of
Kerala has attracted traders to its shores for nearly 3,000 years but the prominence of
commercial activity has not eroded the love of fine arts and crafts amongst Keralites.
This is evident from the number of dance festival held every year. Even temples organize
cultural festivals. Dances like the vibrant colorful and expressive Kathakkali and the
graceful MOHINI-ATTAM are the gifts of Kerala to the world. Crafts like wood carving,
sculpture (stone), items fashioned from coir and the coconut shells and the delicate
Tanjore paintings are practiced here with great skill.
To sum, Kerala has a culture which is vibrant
and colorful yet not rambunctious. There is sensitivity, a rhythm reflected in the actions
of hundred men having in perfect unison quietly yet steadily. Kerala dances to the tune of
a drum –a drummer who beats a unique beat.
Cuisine of Kerela
Despite being exposed to varied influences, Kerala’s cuisine like the way of life in
Kerala has managed to retain its authentic flavor.
Locally grown spices, the ubiquitous coconut,
bananas, rice and fresh seafood are the main ingredients, which find their way into most
of the dishes. Even beef, which is normally not eaten in any other part of India, is eaten
here.
On festive occasion food is eaten off banana leaves.
Forks and spoons are usually not needed as Keralites like to use their hands for
transferring food from the plantain leaf plates to their mouth Some of the popular dishes
are avial, idli, sambar, rasam, pachadi, thoran and boiled rice, puttu etc. Dishes are
usually cooked in coconut oil and coconut milk. The latter, a popular ingredient finds its
way into all the major, dishes as well as deserts along with the banana.
Recipes:
COCONUT CHUTNEY
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups chopped coconuts, 10-12 green chilies,
2cms ginger piece, 4cloves, garlic 1tbs. Lemon juice, 6tbs. Coriander leaves, 11/4 tbs.
Salt, 2tbs fried channa Dal, Few cashewnuts.
METHOD:
Grind all the above ingredients. For a tapping, fry a little mustard, channa dal,
curry patta leaves (sweet neem) and asafetida in oil.RICE
FLOUR PITTU/PATTU
INGRDIENTS
2 cups raw rice, 2 cups coconut pieces, cut into
1"cubes, 1 cup coconut milk, salt to taste
STEPS
Soak rice in water for about 3 hours. Spread on dry cloth, till water is absorbed.
Grind to a fine powder.
Grate the coconut pieces.
In a pan mix the rice flour, grated coconut and salt. Add a little water.
Fill the alone mixture in a pittu bamboo/pittu mould. Steam.
Remove from fire and while still hot, pour the coconut milk over it.
Unfold the pittu, cut into pieces and serve.
IDLI
INGREDIENTS
2 cups black gram (urad dal), 4 cups rice, 4 tbs. baking powder (optional),
salt to taste
METHOD
Soak rice and urad dal, separately for six hours. Grind urad dal into a fine paste.
Grind urad dal into a fine paste. Grind rice into a coarse paste. Mix the above two
ingredients and keep aside overnight for fermentation Add salt to the fermented dough.
Pour the mixture into idle moulds and steam for 15 to 20 min. Serve hot with chutney or
sambar.
SAMBAR
INGREDIENTS
2 cups tur (Arhar Dal), 1 cup vegetable (brinjal, french beans etc.), 2 onions
chopped, 2 tbs. coriander seeds, a large pinch of fenugreek, asafetida and turmeric, 2
tbs. coconut, 4 tbs. oil, 4 tbs. salt, 1 tsp. mustard seed, 4 springs curry leaves (sweet
neem) a large lemon sized ball of tamarind
METHOD
Cook dal till soft; heat well till grains
break partly, so that a smooth paste is formed. Add vegetables and onions. Boil and keep
aside. Roast coriander seeds, fenugreek and asafetida in half the oil. Grind this masala
with coconut and tamarind with a little water to a smooth paste. Add the turmeric, salt
and a little water to get a pouring consistency to dal. Boil for a minute. Add curry
leaves (reserve a few for the " BAGHAR" or "TADKA"(topping). Heat the
left over oil; add mustard seeds and curry leaves to it when the seeds begin to sputter
add to the dal. Serve hot with idli, vadas or rice. |
COCONUT MILK
INGREDIENTS
1-full coconut (fresh) cut into 1"cubes, 1
cup warm water
Method
Grind the coconut and then extract milk with the help of cheesecloth or through a
strainer. This is the first milk. Then grind it again using 2 cups of water. Extract milk
once again. This is second milk.
STRING HOPPERS WITH RICE FLOUR
INGREDIENTS
500g rice flour, Boiling water, Salt to taste
METHOD
Soak rice in water for about 3 hrs.Drain and roast in a pan till it
turns golden brown. Grind the rice to fine flour. Serve the rice flour into a bowl, and
add enough boiling water to make a soft, non-sticky dough. Fill the string hopper mould
with dough and squeeze on lightly greased string hopper/mats or watties. Steam till water
drops from the sides of the string hopper cover. Remove hopper from the mats and serve.
DOSAS
INGREDIENTS
4 cups rice, 2 cups black gram, 1 tbs. cumin seeds (optional), salt to taste
METHOD
Soak rice and dal separately for six hours.
Grind rice into an even paste. Grind urad dal into a fine paste. Mix the two
ingredients, add some more water and leave it to ferment. Add salt and cumin seed to the
fermented mixture. Spread a little oil on a Tawa. Spread the mixture evenly and serve when
cooled. Serve with sambar, chutney. You can even put stuffing inside e.g. potatoes. |
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