The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : For a delectable rural fare

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 05, 2005

Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

For a delectable rural fare

Fast food used to be the right choice for many people. A number of fast food outlets had come up, responding to the need of the customers. But these fail to enthuse many people who are constantly on the lookout for something new. In this pursuit, they have come across the typical village cuisine. It is time for a `naadan' for several people now. To cater to this demand, hotels offering village cuisine have sprung up in different parts of the city. The hotels offering rural cuisine have been well received by the public, says Wilson D. Neernal, a partner of the Grameena hotel on the TD Road. The taste of the dish is most important, he says. Even the water served conforms to the `naadan' style here. The hotel serves medicated boiled water. No artificial colours are used in the water though it has a violet tinge. This sort of customer care has resulted in a good response from the public, Mr.Wilson says. The Gopuram Grameena hotel on the SA Road offers a variety rural menu. These include `Chirattaputtu' ( `puttu' prepared in the coconut shell), `Marayur Grameena dosa' (the dosa made with chutney spread) and tapioca biryani. Some of the names such as `vattayappam', `ilayappam', `sukhiyan' and `avalos podi' may sound strange to the new generation. Items made on special occasions in the erstwhile `tharavadus' such as `Thiruvathira puzhukku' and `avil vilayichathu' are also available. Chukku coffee (coffee boiled with dried ginger), lemon tea and coconut juice are some of the special drinks on offer. For the non-vegetarian palate, the fare includes some of the conventional dishes like `chicken unakkiyathu', a dry dish which contains the minimum of oil unlike the fried ones.

The interiors have a rural design with the walls depicting village frames while old melodies rend the air.

The very concept was tried in Ernakulam after establishing a few hotels in Thodupuzha, Pala and Kothamangalam, according to the proprietor Mani K. Kottaram, a qualified Ayurvedic doctor.

R.R.P

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