Reading Ammini’s “Grains, Greens and Grated Coconuts” has been so inspiring that on an impulse, I decided to cook an entire meal from her book. It was not easy deciding the menu, for I am not yet very familiar with Kerala food. Jigyasa was equally enthusaistic and prodded me on. We debated on what to cook, exchanged a few emails with Ammini and here is the result:
An anticlockwise list of the dishes starting with the sweet dish which is directly on the plate at the left:
- Neyyil Varattiya Pazzam (an amazingly quick and yummy sweet dish with ripe plantains)
- Chethumaangakari (Green mango pickle)
- Puliingi (a spicy dip – ginger and green chillies in a tamarind sauce)
- Kothamallipodi (I made this as a dip rather than powder)
- Varutharacha Sambar (with drumsticks)
- Paavakka Varutharacha Kootan (with Bittergourds)
- Kurukku Kaalan ( a south Indian kadhi with raw plantains)
- Tomato Pachadi (Ammini, it was the way you wrote about how your mother cooked it that tempted me to try this one)
- Urulakizzangu Thoran (a dry side-dish with potatoes)
- Plain buttermilk
I started at 6 a.m when the house was quiet and undisturbed. I put on my favourite music (“India and her Future” from Aurobindo Ashram) and began cooking. Having decided to follow the book meticulously, I cooked slowly, unhurriedly, counting every chilli and measuring every teaspoon of lentils. With a new cuisine, one must follow the instructions perfectly, setting aside any temptations at shortcuts, or even trying to be creative. The time for that will come later, I believe.
Ammini’s writings and instructions were so precise and perfect that I cooked without any hitch. Many things caught my attention – for instance, in the paste for Varutharacha Sambar, the dals are toasted, followed by the coriander and coconut, with fenugreek only towards the end. I wondered for a minute, but did exactly that.
I cooked ponni rice with the meal since I had forgotten to buy the typical Kerala rice the previous evening.
With Andhra food, if it is the number of chillies that constantly surprise me, then with Kerala food, it was the coconut. Knowing that Kerala food is rich in coconut is one thing, but actually measuring cups and cups of coconut (so far, I have added it in teaspoons and tablespoons) is quite an experience. Of course, until the end, I kept checking each recipe to see if I had read the quantities correctly.
I cooked for almost three hours, and I must say that it was a satisfying and pleasurable task. Thank you Ammini for a fabulous cookbook.
A few years ago, I had cooked an entire Tamilian meal from Chandra Padmanabhan’s Dakshin, and the result was rewarding. With Pedatha, Jigyasa and myself were introduced to the delights of Andhra cooking. Ammini’s book brought Kerala flavours into my kitchen. Any cookbook recommendations for a Karnataka cuisine?
Blogger Srivalli of “Cooking for all seasons” fame, a new friend from the web world, joined us for lunch, happily clicking away on her camera. Some friends and relatives came for food tasting during the day – all in all, one of those days which begins and ends on an ‘aha’ note.
POSTED BY PRATIBHA, PHOTOGRAPHS BY SRIVALLI
As I told a Malyali friend in whose house I have Sadya every Vishu and Onam, “I had an additional sadiya this year, as authentic as it gets, but cooked by a marawari!”
Whichever ministry deals with National Integration should consider the food route as well.
Vidya, glad Nancy and you turned up that day. Agree with you – food brings people together.
Recipes Please.
Oh my, thy palate is salivating way up here in the Rocky Mountains. The images of such lusciousness is inducing a craving for foods I long to taste!
The “Neyyil Varattiya Pazzam” photo, ” yes, I adore the sweeter sides of life’s offerings”; just looks so very yummy, and yes I can get Planatains if I search the natural food grocers; thus please share.
Dear Randi. Jigyasa here. Always so good to hear from you! nice to see your comment on Pratibha’s fabulous kerala meal. I cant begin to tell you how absolutely spiritual the food was! How’re your book sales?
It was my pleasure Pratibha…really enjoyed the lunch!
Dear Srivalli, thank you for the pics….it was such fun.
looks beautiful… that’s some fab cooking!!
Dear Arundati. Welcome here. Ammini’s book made the task a real pleasure.
That is a fabulous spread of dishes Pratibha. I envy the gathering though, wish I was one of the ‘tasters’.
I own and use all the three books you mentioned and have enjoyed cooking from them. Will come back to chk on a book recommendation for Karnataka cuisine.
Dear Priya, If you are ever in Chennai, we must surely meet for ‘tasting’.
Thank you so very much Pratibha. I consider it an honor that you have cooked and featured my recipes on your blog. Thank you Srivalli for the beautiful photographs.
You has asked about Karnataka cookbooks. One of my favorites for traditional recipes is Udupi Cuisine by U.B. Rajalakshmi. It is again Karnataka regional cuisine, and the recipes are delicious.
Dear Ammini, looking forward to reading the book you recommend. We have heard about it, but it slipped from memory. Thank you for the lovely comment on sukham ayu at amazon. We are really touched.
That is a Beautiful spread!
Thank you Soma, it was fun cooking the spread.
Lovely Thali Prathibha. Came here from Srivalli’s space.It is only during Sadyas that we come across so many Kerala dishes together. My favourite among this, without doubt the pazham varattiyathu…yummmm:)
“Dear Divya, this sweet dish took us by surprise…amazingly easy and incredibly tasty.
What a delicious spread……everything looks lovely.
“Looked and tasted great Jayashree.
Delicious spread..Must appreciate the fact that u followed each and everything as given in the book as usually we tend to adjust the measurements to our tastes..Regarding Karnataka cuisine, I too suggest Ammini’s choice..I too have that book and its really good although I have tried just a few recipes from it..You can have a look at the contents of the book in my blog where I have posted a review- http://simpleindianfood-blogroll.blogspot.com/2009/06/ubrajalakshmis-udipi-cuisine.html
.
Dear EC, thank you for the suggestion…going there now
Thali is looking really tempting….
Welocme here…nice to make new friends in this space.
Meticulous and loving work!! You cooked so much for one meal:)
Awesome…Have made a similar thing in my home today. Just check it at http://pavithracuisine.wordpress.com/a-traditional-palakkad-iyer-thali/
What a awesome looking meal!! YUM. I need to see a presentation like this from time to time in order to get me to stop slacking and inspire me to cook.
Aww .. thats droolicious! N what a time for this to be featured here
We r gng to Kerala on a vacation next week and I am craving for this traditional food now! Hope we wud be able to get something close to this atleast. Thanks for sharing Pratibha.
I just luved Sukham Ayu too as much as the first book n followed the tradition of gifting it to others. Hope to see many more such works from ur side. Planning to buy the book u have written abt here next.
-Swaram
http://thesongoflife.wordpress.com
This looks awesome and makes me drool (and I need yet another cookbook, *sheepish grin*) – thanks for sharing. I guess I’ll have to go crazy in our local Indian market with little bowls, too .)
that is what I call a great food website…….check out my friend’s work!
Hi there, so happy to discover your blog and your cookbook at the Kare retreat centre. i am a writer and yoga teacher originally from bombay but live in Vancouver and am interested in traditional nutrition – thank you for sharing!
Some very interesting points have been made here, it is refreshing to see that your site gets quality visitors.
Dear Pratibha — what a beautiful meal! My dear uncle Jim (a gifted artist, gardener, and cook) used to say, cooking is a form of art too… surely you have presented a work of art to be enjoyed by your friends and family. Lovely photos by Srivalli, too.
Ammini’s cookbook has been on my wishlist for some time — I think it’s time I treated myself.
Thanks for sharing
Linda
Pratibha,
That’s quite a smorgasbord of delicacies! Lovely pictures too.
Oh jiji, I missed this meal….after seeing the photograph of that lovely, delicious meal i am sure i mised something really spectacular…. anyways you keep throwing such temptations our way…so how do you expect me to loose these inches around my waist?
Kerala tradition and traditional meal which served in banana leaves is the coolest one and have a great smell coming from the leaf and its unique medicinal values makes kerala food rely precious.