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Hot from rural kitchens
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The Nadan Thattu at The Metropolitan is a nostalgic culinary trip into rural kitchens
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TASTE OF TRADITION Lip-smacking fare amidst rural settings recreated at The Metropolitan
The Nadan Thattu at The Metropolitan is a step back in time, a nostalgic culinary trip into rural kitchens in the trail of typical traditional food items, once familiar to Kerala and now prevalent only in the rural backyards. The epicurean trip will turn every gourmet into a glutton in no time, the food is just that good.
Like tapioca and Mathi Mulakittathu, the inevitable Christian kitchen favourite. But it is not that alone that distinguishes the Nadan Thattu at the Metropolitan packed as the moon rises, to merge its silvery rays with the light of lanterns hung from tree branches and the brightness emanating from the petromax. The candle at your table is placed in a bamboo piece, cut in half. As you sit down to scrutinise the menu, the bearers, wearing lungis and baniyans wait to take your order, which is placed on plates over banana leaves.
A board, with `toddy' written in large letters is nailed to a tree behind you.
The ambience is also rural, with an illuminated `Oottuvanchi' with seats arranged inside.
The dιcor is woven palm fronds and traditional mats draped over fences. Kalabhavan Mani belts out folk songs (the CDs) as you savour the atmosphere and your mouth salivates as the aromatic smell of dishes perfumes the atmosphere.
Your are greeted with a chef special, the `Elaneer Vismayam' or an exclusive concoction made out of tender coconut water and its pulp, mashed with vanilla icecream, sprite, soda and garnished with mint leaves. The Kuthu parotta is absolutely delicious, filling, with no add-ons like meat or chicken.
Says chef Arun Peethambaran, describing the ingredients which comprise Kerala porotta cut into pieces, and mixed with a dash of ginger, garlic, onion, greenchillies, curry leaves and garnished with fried chicken pieces and egg. Quite sumptuous by itself. Of course you can flavour it with chemmeen ularthiyathu, karimeen pollichatu or pollichathu, varaal( an exclusive
Kuttanadan fish which is transported live from Kuttanand and killed just before cooking; as fresh as you can hope for). There is squid or Koontha fry, duck roast, egg roast, omelette, beef fry, chicken fry and chicken varutharacha curry, apart from Nadan mutton curry. You can also have a thattu dosa with sambar and chutney.
There is chicken biriyani or vegetable biriyani and various other typical Kerala breakfast items which make Kerala one of the 50 great breakfast destinations. There's puttu, idiyappam, aappam noolputta.
To add to the ambience, there is a thattu cart, with rural items like undan poori, vadas. All reasonably priced.
The dessert, predictably, is payasam or bananas laced with honey (Pazham then purattiyathu)
Why this exclusively rural fare?
"There is a craze for traditional cuisine now, with fast food and Chinese and Thai or Vietnamese food losing its flavour. It began with the influx of tourists to Kerala who opted for typically traditional Kerala cuisine and now, with a floating population nostaligic about home food, these are great hits," explains Jijumon, manager.
Adds Anil Nair, the General Manager, "As we are close to the Railway station, we are also catching the pilgrim crowd on their way home after darshan.After their 41 day vrath, they hog on these items.
The festival is on till the end of the month.
LEELA MENON
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