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Kerala's gravy trail

A platter that wonderfully showcased traditional and contemporary Kerala cuisine at KTM 2006

BIG HELPING The dinner for the delegates of Kerala Travel Mart showcased the variety and depth of Kerala cuisine

A travel agent was seen very intently listening, not to client's woes, not to changes in airline schedules, not to a volley of complains about bad roads or about missing the spotted leopard in Wyanad, or the friendly elephant in Thekkady but to a chef on how to use the second milk from coconut extract. That's where cuisine ranks in the minds of travellers and so the obvious interest. Showcasing Kerala cuisine to the guests at the Kerala Travel Mart 2006, was a culinary journey put together by hotel group cgh earth that left guests literally tongue-tied. So stunning was the effect from the variety and sumptuousness of the menu that guests will relish the hangover.

The food fiesta opened a window to foods from the different regions of Kerala and to the variety possible. With changing times and tastes traditional Kerala cuisine had morphed to a contemporary, hip, and healthier version. So spice takes on a new meaning as chilly, pepper levels go down, fish fry turns healthier with the braised and broiled versions, veggies go organic and stir-fried, garnish remains the traditional desiccated coconut, meats too are tempered to subtler marinades and red rice goes haute. No it was not a fashion show but yes very much a food parade that made everyone sit up and EAT. Showcasing Kerala food to a mammoth delegation of travellers is a tall order. But not for the chefs and managers of the hotel group who put the food on the table. The food framework was simple: clean food, green food and healthy food.

Tribal trait

Chef Subin Michael heading the Spice Village kitchen roped in the tribal influence from Idukki. He explained, "For everyone spice means chillies, hot, hot chillies but that's just one spice of the other 120 or so. I wanted to show the guests that spice means so much more." And so he cooked mincemeat en papilotte( in parchment) in cinnamon leaves . The sweet, delicate flavours of the woody spice permeated the succulent meat, a sample of jungle cookery or junglee maas right out of the days of shikar. Betel leaf kababs was another interesting experiment in the same style with bite-size chicken cubes wrapped in medicinal betel leaf. Juices oozing from the curative paan leaf wrapping flavoured the meat differently.

Chai was served in varied, spicy concoctions as cinnamon, cardamom and basil tea. Salads found very novel expression. "Every traveller is warned against the poor salad. I want to set this notion right," said Michael by serving organically grown gourds, radish, drumstick, jackfruit, tapioca, and beans stir-fried with coconut garnish. "For dressing I used lemon, fresh coriander, salt and sugar." Keeping it simple was his secret. With forty varieties of pickles made by the hotel, from gooseberry to sweet coconut pickle sweetened with jaggery, it was really a feast for vegans. Thrilled at the spread for vegetarians, said Deepika Ahuja, Director, Holiday Maker, "What a fantastic presentation of food and that too for us vegetarians."

If the veggies had their mouths full, the meat eaters were indulging in epicurean experience, hand over fist. Seafood of course is the consistent big draw but fish, fresh, almost live, right out of the ponds and backwaters were cooked Kerala style. Dhiraj Vijayan, Executive chef, Marari Beach delved out a local recipe, `varal kolil chuttathu'. It is fish skewered on bamboo sticks and cooked on coconut shell charcoal, basted by creamy coconut milk, pounded green pepper corns and shallots.

History cuisine

Brunton Boatyard, standing witness to the waves of history that its shoreline has seen, laid out history cuisine. Here Jewish food flavours, danced along with Portuguese and colonial aromas burnished with Arabic richness. City hotel, Casino with its high on experimentation, crossover cuisine had fantastic mix and match platters. So it was duck with puttu, assorted dosas and improvised kothu paratha. Came pristine foods from the aquamarine deeps of Bangaram Resort. Fish cooked in hot earth, rice made in thin coconut gravy and sautéed raw green papaya were the island food. Going more on the spartan was curative cuisine from Kalari Kovilakom, Kollengode. Kerala's famous kanji or rice gruel served as njhavara kanji or medicinal gruel with detoxifying properties, cheera olathu or sautéed spinach and vazhapindi (banana stem) pachadi or fibrous cleanser was Ayurveda inspired. The essential Kerala menu of grilled tiger prawns, the famous Moplah Biryani and snacks that you will find in every Kerala household was served. Kerala's king of fruits, banana had a formidable presence with its 12 varieties. Desserts were strictly traditional with halwas from Kozhikode. Festive and delicious payasams or milk pudding left that lingering sweetness to a spectacular presentation and preparation of Kerala cuisine.

And if you're wondering if it was possible to gorge on all this in one grand alfresco dining by the seaside at Marari Beach then here's the answer. Very well thought out, the over 70 dishes were served as finger-foods and the sampling was the elaborate culinary journey for the over 1,500 guests. Not to forget that it ended with a wholesome buffet for those who wished to indulge more in this great epicurean experience.

Burp!

PRIYADARSSHINI SHARMA

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