1

Done by Late Kunhikutty Amma

 Contents

1. ‘Scents’ and Sensibility Bindu Menon 9

2. Count Memories Not Calories Chandraprabha 11
3. Straight from Amma’s Heart.... Jayashree Ambat 14
4. A Confluence of Blessed Inheritance Maya Ambat 17
5. A Culinary Tribute Meenakshi Kutty 19
6. Food Spells Love Padmaja Menon 21
7. A Taste bud Tickler Padmini Balaram 24
8. Window To Palakkad Pramila Menon 26
9. Simply Soulful Qingdi Huang 28
10. Ubiquitous yet Unique Reshmi Rajish Nathan 30
11. A Crunchy Curry Sarita Sudhish 33
12. It Takes Two to Tango Smitha Adhyam 35
13. The Twist in the Dish Sreekala Mohanan 38
14. A Tale of Two Dishes Sudha G Menon 41
15. Bliss in a Bowl Suma Nandakumar 45
16. South Meets West Suparna Gopal TK 47
17. Cook and Serve with Love and Care Tripura Sundari Menon 50
18. A Rabbit out of her Hat Usha Menon 53
19. A Slice of Heaven Vasanthi Aravind 56
20. A Melting Pot Of Flavors Vidya Variath 59
21. My Tryst with Culinary Art Vinita Panicker 61
 Mother’s handwritten recipe

from Padmaja Menon from Padmini Balaram

from Suma Nandakumar

 5

EDITORIAL

A peek into a mother’s or grandmother’s kitchen...

A leaf out of her handwritten recipe book...
Fond memories associated with her ...
are what you can expect in this little handbook.
Inspiring new generations to recreate the same magic in their kitchens,
keeping the tradition of culinary art going... are what we have humbly
attempted..
We thank all of you, dear family, for sharing some soulful memories,
interesting tidbits and special recipes of your loved ones with great elan
and passion. Thanks also to the brilliant illustrators who breathed life
and beauty into our little book of Culinary Memoirs. A special salute to
the ‘Master Chef ’ behind this delectable spread - Rathi Menon. Hers
was an initiative that proved to be a great way to connect with each
other as well.
We hope you enjoy reading this as much as we did compiling it. Honoured
to be part of this culinary journey, our thoughts often went up to our
Elders, the true protagonists of this book. We couldn’t resist trying out
some of the mouthwatering recipes too, in the process, much to the
delight of our families.. !
So read on and cook your way to the hearts of your near and dear ones..!
Dedicating this to our great matriarch of Janaki Vilas, Smt. Ambat
Kunhikutty Amma ....
Editors
Sudha Prabhakar
Usha Menon
 6

Ambat Kunhikutty Amma

 7

FOREWORD

N
O ONE WHO COOKS, cooks alone”, goes a popular saying.
A wealth of memories keep company, making it into a
wholesome experience. This triggered the thought of a family
recipe book.
‘Kaipunyam’ is not just a culinary book, it’s a work of art, owing to the
fact that cooking by itself is an art, mastered by just a few. Every single
recipe is like a concoction of flavor, food and memories. The ambrosial
aroma that wafted from our grandma’s kitchen in our early years seems
to be indelible in our minds. They say that “Scent is the most powerful
memory trigger.” No wonder why these dishes have the power to weave
such intricate yet strong associations with our elders.
Acting as a link across generations ‘Kaipuniam’ is much like a family
heirloom; with every flip of the page it will make us “taste” nostalgia.
This culinary reminiscence has given us the chance to innovate and
infuse these time-tested recipes with the flavours of the modern world!
So,
Happy reading
Happy cooking
Bon Appetit...

– Jyothika Jayaram
 8

Grown by grandmother in her garden, with love,

Cooked to perfection in her kitchen with care,
She introduced us early to these...

OUR DAILY DOSE OF VITAMINS..!!

Front cover Back cover Illustrations

Bharathi Rohit Anjali Narendran Kamala Pillai
 9

‘Scents’ and Sensibility

Bindu Menon

S
OME SMELLS DON’T leave you. Of unniappams sizzling in
coconut oil, or the steamed goodness of eleyada. The ghee-
infused sweetness of the Seven Cup cake, or the aroma of
coconut and onion frying in perfect jugalbandi for that perfect theeyal.
Or simply, the smell of roasted rice flour before its final avatar into
puttu or idiappam.
To me, these smells trigger memories of a happy, carefree childhood,
and they take me back to my Amma.
And so, whenever I want to smell those smells again, I try to recreate
them, to go back to a good ol’ time. To cook like Amma is still
impossible. But to be that child again is still possible, as I scrape the
bottom of the pan for the Mysore Pak crumbs, or polish off the rich
jaggery sweetness from the parippu pradhaman vessel.
In the end, you may not fully bring back the taste. But you certainly
bring back the memories. And that’s what matters.
Amma is an excellent cook. In between her umpteen phone calls and
art work, she finds time to whip up wonderful dishes and try out new
recipes. I remember once when Ammamma was hospitalized for a
brief illness in Kochi, the hospital canteen had served a tasty fish curry.
Amma was curious to know the recipe and quickly went into the kitchen,
met the cook, and voila came back with the recipe.
 10

It’s difficult to pick one favourite dish of Amma. But here’s one simple
chicken curry we all love.
CHICKEN CURRY
Marinate 750 g chicken with turmeric, salt, slit green
chillies and julienned ginger.
Tomato 3, Coconut milk (optional)
Ingredients for masala
Onion (3 big or 15-20 small ones)
Coriander seeds , Peppercorn
Saunf , Cinnamon 1 piece
Garlic, Curry leaves
To make masala, fry onion with coriander seeds, garlic,
pepper, saunf, curry leaves and cinnamon. Fry till onion
becomes light brown. Grind to a fine paste.
Cook marinated chicken.
When half cooked, add
diced tomatoes. Later, add
the ground masala and cook
till done. Towards the end,
one can also add coconut
milk to enhance taste.
Garnish with fried onion and
curry leaves.
Glossary
Elayada – rice cakes with a coconut jaggery filling ,
wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.
Theeyal – a tangy and spicy curry , similar to sambar
but minus the dal.
Puttu – roasted rice flour steamed in a cylindrical mould
Idiappam – String hoppers
Parippu Pradhaman – a sweet dish (payasam) made
with yellow split lentils in a coconut jaggery base.
 11

Count Memories
Not Calories
Chandraprabha

M
Y CHILDHOOD MEMORIES Start from Kottayi, a small
village near Palghat. There we used to live with Kottayiachan
(Dr. Balan Menon, a beloved person of Kottayi people)
Kottayi Amma (Achan’s sister) and their six children. When I was in
5th standard Achan bought a house in Yakkara and we, Achan, Amma,
me and my brother Prakash shifted to that house. But the house was
always full of people. Achan’s brother Kuttimama, achan’s nephews
studying and working, all used to stay with us. Although there were
maids to help, Amma had great responsibility of managing the house at
that time. She had to make breakfast for all the members and get the
lunch ready for Achan before he leaves for his clinic in Parli. Apart
from Sambar, and different types of Mulakoshyam with coconut and
without coconut too. Her Mooroothikoottan was very delicious. It is
a typical valluvanadan butter milk dish which she learned from my
grandfather’s tharavadu. Her Rasam was also different. The different
types of curries she made for chapatti were unique. She used to make
ordinary masala curry. But a different type of stew seasoned with
onion and tomato was her signature dish. Even her Dal curry was
different and its taste still lingers in my mouth.
To run a house with so many people is not an easy joke. Apart from
people we had four dogs, twenty four cats, a parrot, one cow and calf
and also oxen used for agriculture! She sort to it that neither the people
nor the animals missed their food. One great thing I learned from that
phase of life is the joy one gets by living together harmoniously. All
were treated equally including the animals. Everybody participated in
 12

the household work. When Amma made chappathi dough either me or

Guru ettan will roll chappathies. Kutti Mamma or Santhettan will make
chappathies. This sort of co-operation and love made things easier.
Amma’s days used to start very early at 5 o’clock in the morning. She
worked without any grumbling or anger. She loved cooking and feeding
people. All these things she did when there was no facility of mixie and
grinder. It was often my duty to make batter for Idli. After coming
back from school or college I used to help her with grinding uzhunnu
dal and rice.
During vacation more people used to be at home. From my paternal
and maternal side families used to come to our place to stay. More the
merrier was our belief at that time. All those who stayed with us whole
heartedly participated in the household chores. The satisfaction and
joy of sharing and caring, I learned from my household.
When my grandparents came to stay with us Ammamma took charge
of bed coffee making. My grandfather lovingly addressing me ‘Kutty’
still resonance in my ears.
Every day Amma used to make snacks in the evening. She used to
make two types of Aval Nanachathu (beaten rice mixed with jaggery).
which were different in taste. Cooked green gram with Jaggery and
coconut was another favourite item. Mysore Pak, Mixture nothing
was impossible for her. She even used to make sandwich with an old
type toaster. The filling she used to make with mashed potatoes and
some other simple vegetables. But it used to taste fantastic.
I grew up seeing my Amma doing all the kitchen work with a smile.
She encouraged me to help her and thus I got initiated to cooking.
Learning to cook is not a great thing, but learning to cook with joy and
with a caring and sharing attitude is a more valuable lesson that I learned
from my mother. She never complained about physical strain and
financial constraints. I wonder whether she ever lived for herself at any
point of time in her life. She did everything with a smile on her face.
Her life is an open book for coming generation to learn from – of the
joy we get by being together and caring for others. I am indeed blessed
 13

to have a mother like her. I don’t think I have half of her qualities.
Salutes to you Amma.
Dedicating this to you Amma.
One of your masterpieces – the ever so delicious-

MYSORE PAK
This is the crunchy Mysore ‘pak’ of the bygone times and
not the soft Mysore pa which is nowadays more
popular...Easy to make with just 3 ingredients -makes it
all the more special.
Ingredients:
Gram flour, sugar, ghee in the ratio of 1:2:1
Preparation:(on low flame)
Make sugar syrup in a heavy bottom kadai/pan (use 1/
2 to 3/4 glass of water for syrup) .To the syrup, add gram
flour slowly while stirring constantly so as not to form lumps.
To this add 1/3 of the measured ghee. stir continuously
until the ghee is absorbed completely. Likewise, add
the remaining 2 parts of ghee. Continue this until the mixture
starts leaving sides of the pan and loses its
glossiness. Transfer this to a greased plate. Cut it
immediately using a knife. Once it cools down the
Mysore pak is ready to serve.
 14

Straight from
Amma’s Heart....
Jayashree Ambat

I
AM ONE AMONG the few of our generation who had missed
out on the fun and frolic of being in a joint family and the different
flavours and tastes of a bigger kitchen. We grew up on Amma’s
trial and error methods! Having seen her cook or rather tasted her
food, I definitely followed her ways once I started off on my own. On
normal days it was like a ‘molakushiam‘ ‘Moru ozhicha kuttan ‘and
the like... mostly simple preparations done in a casual way with little
effort. .She was quite active in the Chandranagar Ladies Club where
the ladies met once a week. Apart from playing cards and Tambola
they grouped themselves and each group came out with something
special with a live demonstration. One has to bear in mind that those
are the times one had heard or known only about our Nadan or
traditional snacks ! Thanks to her club sessions, we got to taste some
exotic snacks like doughnuts and bread pakoras for the first time. And
just like her I too am fond of trying out new evening snacks.
Wondering what to share from Amma’s kitchen! She’ s more of the eat
to live type. Again as achan, my father was not a foodie, on a daily
basis she used to cook only simple dishes -all mostly familiar to all.She
used to spend the least possible time in the kitchen ,and so quite often,
the kitchen used to be a messy one too! On occasions like Onam,
Vishu and our Birthdays , she used to make a delicious ‘sadhya’ showing
off her culinary skills.
 15

What I loved most were her snack items though - her Thengavada,
Bonda, Bhajji and soft Neyappams, to name a few . I remember my
cousins and aunts all praise for her bonda when we had served it at an
evening tea party along with bakery bought stuff ,for my nephew’s
Naming Ceremony.
I loved her crispy Thengavada the most and I do try to make it too,
but sadly have never managed to get the same taste. Probably what’s
missing is the Sneham(love) element which was the trademark of her
dishes . And yet another thing - she had no proper measurements for
any of her recipes! Just as in ‘Annie’s kitchen‘where she says ‘athokke
Ammachi marude kaivakallayoo...’,
(all of that is our mothers’ and grandmothers’ abilities) my Amma just
cooked straight from her heart.
Never seen THENGAVADA in bakeries here.
A few who have the time and patience can try this...

THENGAVADA
Boiled rice 1 measure, Raw rice 1/2 measure
Grated coconut 3 to 4 cups, Jeerakam 1 tsp
Salt to taste, Oil for frying
Soak the rice for 4 hrs and grind it using minimum water. When
half done add the coconut, a pinch of turmeric and a spoonful
of whole pepper and grind further to a fine paste. Mix jeera
and salt to it and make small balls. Take a clean cloth and roll
out the balls with fingers to make small size pooris and deep
fry in hot oil. When one side is done
make sure to turn and fry other side
until golden brown. Enjoy the crispies
& store the rest in airtight containers!
Incase of excess water content, you
may add some powdered puffed dal
 16

(Pottukadala podi)although I haven’t seen Amma add this...I

did it once.
Glossary
Molakushiam – a simple watery curry with or without dal,
cooked with a vegetable, seasoned with curry leaves and
coconut oil.
Moru ozhicha kootan – a curd and coconut based curry
cooked with a vegetable.
 17

A Confluence of
Blessed Inheritance
Maya Ambat

M
Y MEMORY OF culinary experiences starts while I was
staying with my ammamma in Parli. While Achan was working
in Lakshwadweep they had left me with ammamma for three
years. Ammamma was a pious lady doing daily Thulasi pooja and
prayers meticulously......
I started cooking when was 14 years old. She taught me how to make
Mulaku varutha puli, manga puli, simple dish with raw tender mango
and coconut and many more. One of her special side dishes was
pappada chammanthi. She made this with red chilli, shallots, tamarind.
The ingredients are squeezed well and fried pappads are mixed with it.
It used to be very tasty.
During Karkkadaka month she was very particular of making Pathila
curry (dish with ten leafy vegetables). During mandala kala she used to
make different snacks for pooja.
I learned non vegetarian dishes from Amma. I still use her chicken curry
recipe. My dear Meera chechi taught me her special north Indian dishes.
For my culinary experiences and experiments I owe a lot to them. They
imparted to me knowledge of three generations.
 18

Goodness in a Berry
NELLIKKA ARACHU KALAKKI
Ingredients:
Gooseberry kept in brine 6 nos
Green chilly 3 nos
Coconut 1/4th cup
Salt as required
Curry leaves.
Method:
Grind all ingredients to a fine paste and keep aside.
Heat a pan. Pour oil. When it becomes hot add mustard
seeds, red chilly and curry leaves. Pour in the ground
paste. Add water to get required consistency. When it
starts boiling put off the flame. Lo! A healthful, flavorful
curry ready in a jiffy!
Mulaku Varutha Puli
Cut 3 shallots, 2 green chillies .... and a small piece of
ginger finely.
Soak tamarind (size of a gooseberry) in two cups of
water.
Heat oil in a pan
Put mustard and red chilly. When mustard splutters add
little fenugreek and curry leaves. To this, add cut
shallots, green chilly and ginger. Saute well. When it
becomes brown, add tamarind extract. When it starts
boiling, add salt and turmeric powder. Allow it to boil
for a few minutes, remove from the stove.
A delicious, simple curry to add flavour to your rice!
 19

A Culinary Tribute
Meenakshi Kutty

M
Y MOTHER, THE elixir of my life, is behind what I am
now. (I am equally influenced by my father too)She took
utmost care in preparing not only tasty snacks but also all
items of our traditional Sadya. Variety of curries like Pachadi, Olen,
Kaalan, Avial and also other curries that could be packed with rice in
our tiffin carriers. Achan used to help her in making laddus, mixture,
Poruvalankai etc.
Apart from cooking, she also used to crochet lace borders for our
chemises. I have also seen her making yarn from cotton.( using
Ratta).Pranam to my parents for exposing us to efficient home care. I
am lucky to have imbibed a few of their qualities.
When I got married, my sweet mother in law became a role model for
me - I admired the way she was very particular in keeping home tidy
and artistic and also admired her wonderful cooking. I also learnt cross
stitch from her.She and I shared a very special bond. I learnt the
preparation of Kuruma from her which both my son Sachin and
husband Aniyettan relish. I am deeply indebted to both Achan and
Amma for taking me to their heart. I felt very proud and secure with
them. Apart from them, I connected well with the rest of the family too
- The taste of their specialities like Shantha cheriyamma’s Chappathy,
loving Hemopa’s vegetable biryani, our Meera’s carrot halwa - all still
linger in my mouth.
 20

Bowing in the memory of my elders and as a tribute to them, is this

simple, yet tasty and crispy tea time snack. Inspired by my cousin
Pappa Chechi’s memoir, I share this recipe with you.

PAPPADA VADA
Ingredients:
1. 4 table spoons roasted rice powder
2. 1/2 table spoon maida
3. 1/2 table spoon corn flour
4. 1/4 teaspoon chillipowder
5.pinch of asafoetida
6. salt to taste
7. 1/2 tea spoon sesame
8. coconut oil
9. Pappadams
Use thava/oven /sunlight to make Pappadams stiff.
Mix all the other ingredients using water into a thick
consistency.
Immerse Pappadams in the batter. Let the excess batter
drip down. Fry in low flame turning both sides frequently.
Aniettan suggested to fry bread pieces
dipped in the batter. Oh! it turned out to
be yummy.
A Simple snack for tea.
 21

Food brings people together on many levels. It is

nourishment of the soul and body. It is truly Love.
– Giada de Laurentis

Food Spells Love

Padmaja Menon

I
N MY OPINION, cooking is a divine art. The soulful feeling we
get when we watch people eat the food we have sincerely made,
is beyond words.
During my childhood, there were many servants in the tharavadu and
I was used to eating the food they made. They used to make tharavadu
sambar, molakoshyam (with coconut and without coconut), tharavattu
puli and other ordinary curries. Also dry vegetable upperi with
amarakka(broad beans) cabbage, potato, chena (elephant yam) and
kaya (plantain). Oh, how can I forget kadachakka (bread fruit ) one of
the main ‘characters’ in the story of our life. Used to make upperi with
it adding crushed shallots and red chilly. Fresh ones and those fallen
early were used for this. Sometimes jack fruit along with seeds were
used for puzhukku. Erisseri was another dish. Non veg was not there
in the menu. Even eggs were rarely made.
When uncles came with family, or guests landed, Amma used to
make some special curries. Vegetable kurma appeared like that. For
palates used to traditional cooking of our super chef Ravunni Nayar,
it was different and delicious. Simply out of the world, I must say!
Hence, it still remains as one of my favourite dishes even now.
My liking for cooking was initiated by reading recipes from Femina.
We used to borrow the magazine from Sukumari chechi and before it
 22

was returned, I used to meticulously copy

down the recipes. Some of them I even
experimented with. Some were successful,
but some were utter flops.
Actually, it was after marriage that I
learned non veg dishes. Sankaran kutty
ettan, my loving husband, was a great
cook. I consider him my guru in cooking.
He taught me even custard and egg
pudding. He was a fabulous host and with
him by my side, I could invite many to
lunch and dinners. By then, my cooking
talent showed remarkable improvement.
Still, the vastness of cooking domain I really understood when I stayed
in Perumbavoor for 2 years. Under my mother in law’s supervision, I
became a better cook. She taught me different dishes with jack fruit,
diverse versions of avial, theeyal, pulissery, and umpteen types of thoran
( dry vegetable with coconut) mezhukkuperatty (dry vegetable without
coconut, but with shallots and red chilly), porala kuzhumbu and many
more. It’s from her I learned the art of tasty cooking.
However, I mastered the recipes of sweets and snacks from my Amma,
specially mysore pak, laddu, appam, coconut burfi and other
mouthwatering delicacies. Cookery books and youtube have also
come to my aid in my culinary experiments.
Although I love to cook and feed people, advancing age and physical
problems hinder my efficiency; the way I actually want to do. But still,
if somebody comes home to eat I will forget everything. Offering a
good lunch or dinner involves immense satisfaction! And of course a
good lunch, for me, is not complete without Amma’s Vegetable Kurma!
Here’s the recipe –
 23

AMMA’S VEGETABLE KORMA

Required ingredients
Potato 250 gms, Peas, carrot, beans 150 gms each
Tomato 2, Onion 4 finely cut, Grated coconut 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste 1 teaspoon, Cinnamon 1 small strip
Clove 3, Fennel seeds a pinch, Garam
masala powder 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice 1 tsp, Coriander leaves
1/4 bunch
Cook the vegetables with salt.
Grind coconut well with green chili
and fennel seeds and keep aside. In
a pan heat oil. Add cinnamon, cloves
and onion. saute well. Then add ginger
garlic paste. When the raw smell goes
add vegetables and tomato. Mix well
and cook for some time. To this add ground coconut mixture. Heat.
Add lemon juice and garam masala powder. Adjust salt. Garnish with
cut coriander leaves.
Perumbavoor Amma’s quick Ila Ada
Take 2 cups of tapioca powder. Add required salt and some ghee.
Mix well and by adding water make a dough. Keep aside.
Take 1 and half cups grated coconut. Add powdered jaggery and
cinnamon powder and mix well.
Take plantain leaf and singe (vaattuka).
In a piece of leaf place a small ball size dough and spread well. In
the middle place coconut jaggery mixture and fold the leaf.
Keep a pan on stove. when hot sprinkle some water and place ila
ada
Change side and cook. Sprinkle water when required so that
the leaf doesnt get burned.
 24

A Taste bud Tickler

Padmini Balaram

M
Y MEMORIES OF grandma’s culinary skills are nil, since
according to amma she has never cooked anything herself
apart from occasional bed coffee. Amma also tried her skill
in cooking only after her marriage. I still remember an incident which
amma narrated about her trying to make uppma for the first time and it
turned out to be a total flop. Over the years, she mastered the art of
cooking and her masterpiece was ghee payasam. Pappad irrisery was
another dish she prepared with ease. Even though I have tried making
the same, never managed to match her standard. The taste of her
payasam still lingers in my mouth. Amma..... I really miss you..... Sharing
the recipe yet another of her speciality – Mulaku Pachdi.
The spicy tangy and mildly sweet flavours blend beautifully together in
this simple dish making it the perfect taste bud tickler and an appetite
booster.

Mulaku Pachadi
Ingredients:
Green chilly 6 nos
Tamarind 100 gms
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder 1 tsp
 25

Salt according to taste

Mustard 1 tsp“Urud dal 3 tsp
Fenugreek 1 tsp
Jaggery 100 gms
Preparation:
Soak tamarind. Squeeze out extract and
boil it with turmeric powder, chilly powder,
salt and jaggery. Keep it aside. Roast urud
dal and fenugreek. Powder them and add
to the tamarind mixture. In a pan heat co-
conut oil and saute splitted green chillies.
Add this into the tamarind mixture and blend
well. In coconut oil put crushed mustard,
red chilly and curry leaves. When mustard
splutters pour into the tamarind chilly mix-
ture.
 26

Window To
Palakkad
Pramila Menon

S
INCE MY FATHER hailed from Pallavur, we settled in Palakkad
in 1979, when I joined Victoria College for graduation.

During schooling days, my vacation was spent in Thirunnavaya, my

maternal ancestral home. Palakkad besides its typical slang is best known
for its array of cuisines which tickled the taste buds. It is here that I
was initiated to the taste of Mulaguvarthapuly, Sundari Malagoshyam,
Sugiyan, Payatappam and the likes. Kalpathy Mami’s Veppilakatti (a
chutney made out of curry leaves and lemon leaves.) and vadakams (a
cousin of Pappadam) are other mouth watering delicacies which I got
hooked on to.
Due to the influence of Tamil culture, Palakkad can boast of an endless
range of cuisines. A visit to Palakkad is something I always look forward
to. Feel blessed and privileged to be associated and to be a part of
this family and to have this opportunity to add my bit to this culinary
journey.
From Veppilla katti to GORKHALI CHUTNEY my journey as an
Army wife was very interesting.
My role as an Army wife exposed me to different corners of India,
different languages, culture, cuisines,...list is endless.
 27

A dish that caught my fancy was–

GORKHALI CHUTNEY
As we know people of Nepal are
Gorkha. This so called Chutney is an
integral part of their cuisine.
Recipe:
Two medium size potatoes
Two tbsp of white til or gingely (Ellu)
Lemon juice as per taste
Salt
Two green chillies
Two red chillies
Few Fenugreek seeds
Boil and peel potatoes. Cube them. Dry roast the til till
aromatic. Grind it to paste using very little water. Heat a
teaspoon of any cooking oil, Gorkhalis use mustard oil. I
use sunflower oil. Slit green chillies, fry them and keep aside.
Add Fenugreek seeds, red chillies and mix everything
together with your hand.
Happy chutneying...
Gorkhalis have this with Sail roti, which is chapati dough rolled
out in RING shape and deep fried.
 28

Simply Soulful
Qingdi Huang

I
AM NOT SURE if I can call this a culinary journey, haha! but,
whatever I have learned is mostly from my grand- parents. It was
after I met Sandeep, my husband that I tried my hand at Indian
cooking, which is mainly picking up from online recipes, and of course,
a few choice items that Amma lovingly taught me.
We went home to China last year. Although there was the shadow of
grief of my grandma passing away a short time ago, the reunion with
the rest of the family was a solace. We went to see her at the cemetery
and bow before her pictures - My heart tells me she was very happy
to see Sandeep!
My grandpa was eagerly waiting to meet Sandeep. He was very excited,
kept on telling me to keep Sandeep happy. My mother’s mom had
passed away long time ago, before I was 3, so I have hardly any
 29

memory. It’s sad that Fate denied me an opportunity to learn anything

from her!
However, the first thing that I ever learnt to cook was tomato fried egg.
My paternal grandma used to show me how to crack an egg, fry it into
an omlette in a wok and then blend it with tomato. She made a lot of
simple dishes that were my favorite things to eat, and taught me all of
them before I left home for the US. I would give anything now to eat
her fried rice again, which is just egg, salt and white rice but nothing can
beat its taste in my memory!

TOMATO FRIED EGG

Ingredients:
2-4 eggs, 2 tomatoes, green scallion
garlic, salt, oil, a pinch of sugar, soy sauce
or salt
Method:
1. Heat the wok or any non stick cooking
pan and beat the egg. When the pan is hot,
add oil, and then right after that, add eggs. Wait for the
egg to harden a little at the bottom; then swirl to spread all
the egg so that it gets cooked evenly. When the egg is
mostly done, but not brown, cut the egg into large chunks,
and then take them out into a bowl and leave aside.
2. Add oil into the wok again, now add chopped garlic
and half the scallion. Wait until the aroma comes out, then
add chopped tomato. When the tomato is half cooked,
add salt or soy sauce, and a pinch of sugar. Wait for it to
be almost cooked, then add eggs, and stir to combine.
3. Turn off the heat after the tomato and egg are
harmonized, then add the other half of chopped scallion
on top. Viola! There is your easy and yummy grub. And it
looks good too!
PS – You can also salt the egg while beating.
 30

Ubiquitous yet Unique

Reshmi Rajish Nathan

W
HEN I WAS YOUNG, the kitchen had an invisible ‘stop’
sign put there by my mom. Mom never taught me cooking
per se but I watched her, and then experimented out of
necessity.
My first cooking experience was about a month after my marriage
which turned out to be a disaster and I just got the taste of my own
medicine. Guess what did I make.. scrambled eggs!
But I was happy with my accomplishment, even if the onions were a bit
burnt.
However, at the risk of sounding clichéd, in our case too, time did a
decent job of ‘healing’.
I was introduced to Padang and Javanese food during my stay in
Bandung. Nasi goreng, gado-gado, tempeh goreng, tofu and satay are
some of my personal favorites.
Yes, Indonesia is a foodie’s heaven! The food is delicious, cheap and
as diverse as the culture.If the French pair their meals with wine, you’ll
learn that dishes in Indonesia go with sambal and krupuk to make it
complete.
Saudi Arabia was altogether a different experience for me. There were
lots of big and small Indian (malayali to be more specific) restaurants,
hence never really ventured out on Saudi cuisine. Though the food
available in the Saudi restaurants were sumptuous and not overly pricy
 31

but the taste I found to be insipid and bland and did not tickle my taste
buds much. Once I happened to taste labneh and found it luscious. I
soon located the bakery that served the best labneh. I found their zaatar
and veg falafel also quite tasty. My boys love shawarma, but I can’t
vouch on it because I became a vegetarian soon after I moved to Saudi.
Hence didn’t get an opportunity to taste shawarma.
The best fish curry that I ever had is the one that my mom in-law cooks
which no restaurant can match up to.
Ammuma’s potato fry was yummy. Let me share with you the secret
ingredient that made ammuma’s potato fry so delicious- love!
Out of all the different cuisines I have tried, I always long for my MOM’s
SAMBAR ..it’s lip smacking.
MOM’s SAMBAR
Even though there are lots of sambar powders in the
market,nothing can replace the freshly ground one. Sambar
has an enigmatic quality about it - although it may be a common
dish on the menu in most homes ,no two sambars taste alike!
Every family lends its own touch to it thus giving it a unique
character! My favourite is my Mom’s Sambar. This is the recipe..
nothing can beat it!!
Masala for the sambar:
To 2 spoons of oil add asafoetida,
red chillies, coriander seeds,
fenugreek seeds. Fry it till they are
light brown. Then add grated
coconut and fry for about 1 to 2
minutes. Grind this to a smooth
paste.
1. Pressure cook the dhal
2. In a small bowl take small half
lemon sized tamarind and soak in
water
 32

Then strain the liquid using a strainer.

3.In a pan, add the vegetables like drumsticks or ladies finger
and shallots.( ladies fingers should be fried lightly in oil)and a
cup of water. Add salt and turmeric to this.Cook for about 10-
12 minutes.
4. Now add the tamarind strained pulp. Boil for another 2
minutes and then add the ground masala. Bring it to boil.Close
the flame when all the ingredients in the sambar have nicely
infused with one another and you have a lovely sambar aroma
pervading all around in your kitchen.
Tampering/Tadka:
In a pan or the tadka utensil, heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil.
Add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and let them pop.
Then add 1 to 2 dry red chilies and 1 sprig curry leaves and
a pinch of asafoetida. Once the tadka is ready, directly pour
the hot tadka on the hot sambar.
Can add coriander leaves (optional). Yea, I haven’t seen mom
adding tomatoes!!!
Happy cooking!!
 33

A Crunchy Curry
Sarita Sudhish

M
Y AMMA BEING a college lecturer was always busy and
didn’t have much time to explore the field of cooking. She is
an extremely hard working, career - oriented and dedicated
woman. So I couldn’t inherit any of her cooking skills...
It was only after my marriage that I got an opportunity to learn,
experiment and hone my culinary skills. My mother -in-law was a
fantastic cook. She truly had what we call “Kaipunyam”- anything
made by her was really delicious. Not only was she a great cook, she
was also an extremely generous and kind person... Every person who
entered the house left only after enjoying her tasty meal. No matter
what time of the day it was, even if it was very late, she would quickly
whip up something delicious. I really admired her for that. It was through
observing her and making a note of all her tips that I learnt to cook all
the ‘Naadan’ dishes... And I’m going to share one such recipe of hers,
one of my personal favourites too..A crackling , crunchy curry !
 34

PAPPADA KOOTA N
INGREDIENTS:
• Pappadam (Uncooked, cut into small pieces)- 4
• Coriander seeds- 3 to 4 tbsps
• Coconut (Grated) - 3/4 Cup
• Dry red chillies- 4 to 5
• Asafoetida (Kayam)- 1 small piece
• Fenugreek seeds-1/4 tsp
• Shallots ( Sliced into halves)- 15 nos
• Curry leaves- 2 sprigs
• Tamarind- 1 gooseberry sized ball soaked in water
• Coconut oil
• Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
METHOD:
Take a pan. Add oil, Coriander seeds, dried red chillies and fry till
the coriander seeds start crackling. Then add fenugreek seeds,
asofoetida and the coconut. Fry until the coconut loses its moisture.
Cool the mixture and grind it to a fine paste.
Take a pan. Add oil and fry the shallots and curry leaves. Fry the
shallots until they are pinkish and soft. Now add the ground paste.
Fry the same for 2 to 3 minutes. Add some water and boil the mixture.
Once it starts boiling, add the tamarind water and let the curry boil
for another 5 minutes and switch off the flame.
TEMPERING:
To the oil add Mustard seeds, Curry leaves, dried
red chillies and fry until the mustard crackles. Then
add the cut Pappadam pieces to this and fry till the
Pappadam puffs up.
Add this tempering to the curry. Mix well..
Tasty, Pappada Kootan is ready!!
Glossary – Naadan - traditional
 35

It Takes Two to Tango

Smitha Adhyam

O
NE OF MY favourite meals, from my earliest memory till today,
is a bowl of curd rice. It is my ultimate comfort food. Recently,
during the lockdown, I had a craving for curd rice and I whipped
some up quickly. But something wasn’t right. The meal felt somewhat
incomplete. Then it hit me. It was missing the most important ingredient
- Limbehannu Uppinakaye or Lemon pickle. And not just any lemon
pickle, but my mother’s recipe.
As a kid, I’d come home from a tiring day at school and whatever the
meal would be, the addition of a little bit of lemon pickle would make
my day. The tangy icing on any comfort food.
I love different pickle recipes but the simple lemon pickle tops my list.
Unfortunately, both Balu (my husband) and I share a ‘tangy tooth’ (I’m
not sure that this is a technically correct term), a liking for all pickles in
general. So when I checked on our stock of my mother’s lemon pickle,
I realised that we were all out.
So I got my hands on my mother’s recipe and here it is.
 36

The Lipsmacking Lemon Treat

Ingredients:
10-15 small/medium lemons
5 teaspoons of chilli powder (Byadagi chilli powder if possible)
10-12 teaspoons of salt (adjust to your taste)
4 teaspoons of oil (gingelly oil preferably)
3/4th cup of water
1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon of methi/fenugreek seeds
2 teaspoons of chopped ginger
2 teaspoons of chopped green chillies
8-10 curry leaves
1/4 teaspoon hing/asafoetida
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 cup of water
Steps:
Wash, wipe and slice the lemons. The lemon should be
completely dry. Remove all the lemon seeds.
Add the salt to the water in a large pan and bring it to a boil.
Once the water starts to boil, add the lemon pieces and turn
off the heat.
Cover the pan and let it rest till the pan is warm to the touch.
While you wait, take another kadhai/wok and heat it up.
Add the oil, mustard seeds and methi seeds to it.
When the mustard seeds begin to crackle, add the green
chillies, curry leaves and ginger. Fry them all for about a minute
or so.
Add the hing and turmeric powders and mix them up well.
Then turn off the stove.
 37

Now add the red chilli powder into the kadhai and mix it well.
Add the lemon-salt mix into the kadhai. You can control the
thickness of the lemon pickle with the amount of salt water
you add.
Transfer the mixture into an airtight container and store. Storing
in a refrigerator will give it a longer shelf life.
Note: You could, if you had the time, add another step after
step 1. You could put the lemons in a glass jar, along with
some salt (crystal salt preferred) and store them for 10 days.
This shrinks the lemons and turns them brown but overall helps
the shelf life.
Pro Tip: Dryness in this case is your friend. Ensure all utensils
are dry because moisture really ruins the pickle. Even when
you serve the pickle, ensure your spoons are completely
dry.
 38

The Twist in the Dish

Sreekala Mohanan

G
ROWING UP IN a household where there was no dearth of
servants, be it for cooking or for cleaning, it might not come as
a surprise to you that Amma had little to no experience venturing
into the unchartered territory of the culinary world. Since the reins of
their kitchen had been so ably secured by Saakshaal Govindan himself
(and Narayan, Raman... to name a few of the rest) her culinary skills
were limited to making tea and pulinga thirimbiyathu till her marriage.
Foraying into her married life with next to no knowledge of cooking
was difficult especially in an era where women were taught that the
way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and at a time where men
firmly believed that their wives had some magical skill to conjure tasty
dishes from thin air. As good luck would have it she got married to a
person who remained extremely content with her pulinga thirimbiyathu.
Ohh and he had this cook and the only thing he could make was a
potato sabzi and perfectly round chapatis (the credit for which, they
eventually figured, could be attributed to the perfectly round plates in
their kitchen)
What started as an experiment to take away the monotony of their
cook’s potato sabzi became something of a quest for Amma. With
each passing day a new dish was added to the crisp pages of her
cookbook. Once Achan joined Defence administration, we became
nomads travelling across the country allowing her to pick up new dishes
at every sojourn.
 39

Her enthusiasm and passion for cooking was definitely my biggest

motivation for entering the kitchen. Even now I maintain the position of
the Sous chef. Ranging from traditional dishes like Sambhar, Avial,
Thorans to dishes from other cuisines including puran poli and aloo
parantha I still follow Amma’s recipes for everything. Looking forward
to learning more under the able guidance of the Chief Chef.
A recipe out of Amma’s (Sathi Chechi) cook book, one of our personal
favourites among all the traditional dishes we make.
Our Great Grandmother (Kunjikutty Amma) had been admitted in
Trivandrum Medical College owing to some ailment. So Grandmother
(Janakikutty Amma) along with her sister (Bai Cheriyamma) had gone
to stay with her. This was roughly around 1958. They had been staying
with their Uncle (Dr A R Menon) and their cook taught them how to
make –

PACHA SAMBHAR :
Ingredients:
Tuar Dal
Green chilli
Vegetables - Lady’s finger, Drumstick, Tomato, shallots
Salt, Turmeric
Lemon juice
Coriander leaves
Water
For Tadka:
Curry leaves
Mustard
Asafoetida
Fenugreek
Dry red chillies (whole)
 40

Preparation:
Boil thuvar Dal and vegetables as per the normal sambhar
preparation. It would be better to sauté the lady’s finger before
adding it to the vegetables. Since green chillies are the sole
source of spice, you may be require to add a lot of them.
Add turmeric powder, salt and lemon juice to taste. Followed
by freshly chopped coriander leaves. Simmer oil in another
pan and add mustard, red dried chillies, asafoetida, fenugreek
and Curry leaves for tadka. Mix it well with the sambhar.
Coriander leaves can be used again for garnishing.
Since we are all caught up in the hustle and bustle of day to
day activities here is a Sambhar dish which can be prepared
with relative ease without compromising on the taste. Hope
you all enjoy!
‘Pacha’ in Malayalam literally means green. The generous
measure of green chillies tossed in, lends a unique twist to
the taste and colour of this sambhar and rightly gives it the
name - Pacha Sambhar!
 41

A Tale of Two Dishes

Sudha G Menon

A
LTHOUGH I LOVE cooking and do get fascinated by recipe
books, am penning this note not as a list of recipes, but as a
memoir in which food is a central motif. Through food I would
like to share some stories behind a few preparations and of the bonding
that comes from sharing meals.
Coming from a large household in Kannur with lots of land, we never
had to buy any vegetables for our daily needs... Coconut, rice,
arecanut, pepper, cashewnut were all there in abundance. During the
mango and jack fruits season, these were available to us in plenty too.
Being a large family there were people to take care of these aspects as
well.
I lost my mother when I was two years old. My younger sister was
only six months old then. My father, to me, was both a mother and a
father. He took great care of us. Although we did have help for cooking,
on occasions they went on leave, we had to cook ourselves. We
children then, together, used to make kanji and chammanthi. I
remember my elder brother, Rtd Rear Admiral Mohan, once make a
 42

Kaya Olan. He just went into the back yard

and got a few plantains from a ‘mysore
poovan’ plantain tree, cut it into pieces and
boiled them with salt. Into it he added some
crushed garlic and red chilly sauted in oil. Oh,
I still cherish its taste. These home grown
vegetables were relished over the more
common onions and potatoes which
surprisingly we got to see much later in life!
During our vacations, we used to go to my
mother’s house in Iringannur, Kadathanadu.
People here are known for their great cooking
skills and hospitality. I have heard from my cousins that my mother was
a great cook. I may have inherited that a bit with her blessing. I learned
to make good tea at my mother’s place. When I got married and
came to Palakkad, once amma (my mother in law) wanted me to
make tea. After that, whenever I was there, it was my duty- to make
tea!
In Kannur, non vegetarian dishes are a part and parcel of life. During
festive seasons tenants bring kazhcha -bunches of plantains,
vegetables, betel leaves etc. along with fish and even mutton. In return
the land lords used to give them Onapudava (new cloth for onam) and
Kaineetam (money for vishu). Along with this they had to be given a
feast. They cherish non vegetarian feast. Thus this became a custom.
I mastered vegetarian dishes after my marriage. When Amma came
to stay with us she taught me almost all vegetarian dishes. I consider
her my Guru in this domain .. Now I can make a full Sadya with ease.
Home science was an optional subject during my Pre degree course.
Perhaps that triggered in me a liking for cooking which in turn must
have helped me to become a better person. Over the years I have
learned that cooking nourishes affection. It is not a hassle. It is a
reminder of God’s sustaining grace as evidenced in the food we prepare
and eat. A mindful cooking can spark gratitude and I feel the spirituality
of food.
 43

KOOTUKARRI
....as it is known in Kannur and neighbouring districts is
one of my favourite dishes .. it is a variant of the well
known Erissery ... and is an integral part of a Sadya.
Here’s how we make this delicious curry ...
Soak one cup kadala over night, cook it in a pressure
cooker along with Ellavan, Raw banana, Chena and
Mathan with 1 tsp crushed pepper.
After about 3 or 4 whistles let it simmer it for 5 minutes.
Open the cooker and add salt and little turmuric powder,
and boil.
Now grind coarsely 1/4 coconut, jeera and red whole
chillies, add this to the cooker, bring to boil, it should
not be watery but in a little dried form.
Then in a little oil splutter mustard seeds, broken red
chillies, curry leaves. Add 1 cup grated coconut and
fry till the coconut turns brown and add this to the
vegetables.
The vegetables should be cut into small square pieces
to match with the kadala.
Glossary
Kadala - black channa, black chickpeas
Ellavan - white pumpkin
Chena- yam , suran
Mathan - yellow pumpkin
For Non-vegetarian dishes I was told by Amma to follow
my style of cooking as she preferred the way I was
taught! My mother hails from Kadathanadu and here’s a
specialty from this region.
 44

EASY FISH CURRY - KADATHANADAN STYLE

Ingredients:
1/2 Kg fish (Mackerel)
[This can be made with any fish. Puzha-meen will taste
better.]
[Preferably use earthenware to cook]
Salt, haldi (Turmeric powder), chilli-powder,
raw mango (finely chopped), coconut (half, grated),
red whole chillies 4-5, some oil,
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds, some curry leaves
Preparation:
Wash the fish.
Apply salt, haldi, chilli powder and marinate for half an hour.
In a Manchatti (earthen pot), add fish and mango pieces
and cook together till the mangoes
are soft and fish is cooked.
Meanwhile grind the red chillies and
coconut to a fine paste.
Add this paste to the fish once
mangoes are soft and boil the
mixture. Add curry leaves and swirl
the vessel (do not use spoon to stir
as the fish may break)
Heat oil separately for tempering
and add fenugreek seeds till they
are brown, then pour the oil mixture
over the fish curry.
 45

Bliss in a Bowl
Suma Nandakumar

S
TANDING ON THE threshold of this part of my life, as I look
back over the past,memories of Amma come flooding into my
mind. She symbolized all the goddesses on earth, she was an
embodiment of love and care. Hers was a multifaceted personality
with a Midas Touch in everything she did, which still has me and my
Ettans in awe of her. Her areas of excellence knew no bounds, ranging
from pencil sketches, stitching, knitting, crochet, writing articles ..to
what not.. Despite the household chores and dozens of responsibilities,
she would find time to make a few delicacies too. I have very vivid and
warm memories of her standing in the kitchen wearing her spotlessly
clean Mundu and Veshti, with the smells of her sambar,
mulakuvaruthapuli, afternoon snacks such as Kesari, Neiyyappam,
Mysorepak and such innumerable items wafting through the room.
She used to love making snacks more than the everyday food items.
She would wake up from her siesta to prepare something just in time
for our evening tea.
As far as Desserts were concerned, her mastery over it was no less -
her Biscuit Payasam stands out amidst the rest and is simply the best .
It is sheer bliss in a bowl! Now a few words to my Amma... yes...
Amma.... you are in a distant land, very very far away from us... but I
 46

want you to know that every moment, every day, my thoughts are drifting
to you, dear Amma.

AMMA’S BISCUIT PAYASAM

Milk 1 litre
Sugar 2 cups
Cashew nuts 20
Cardamom 10nos
Soak the cashew in milk for 30 mts and grind it into a
paste. Add the paste to the milk and cook it till it becomes
thick. Add sugar to it,then add biscuit pieces which are cut
into small pieces and cardamom.
Glossary
Ettans - older brothers
Kesari - Semolina Halwa
Neiyappam - a sweet made out of rice flour and jaggery,
fried in ghee, in a special pan with round moulds.
Mulaguvarthapuli - a traditional tangy spicy curry.
 47

South Meets West

Suparna Gopal TK

I
T IS SAID that no other senses relate to memory just like taste and
smell does. Thinking and writing about food brings back a lot of
memories. Having spent my childhood in Kerala and teenage years
in Mumbai my food memories and taste are equally influenced by these
two diverse places.
If I love Kerala food for its simplicity, it is the aroma and spices that
make North Indian dishes special. I grew up in my maternal ancestral
home in Sulthanpet, Palakkad. My ammamma (grandmother ) was the
main chef and my amma and aunts would assist her.Ammamma made
sure that all dishes are prepared with utmost precision.She made the
authentic and traditional Palakkad /Valuvanad dishes like Erisseries,
Mulakoshyams, Thorens etc. She could make the simplest dishes taste
delicious.
Our vacation time was always at my paternal home in Vandazhi ,a serene
beautiful village in the suburbs of Palakkad. There my muthassi
(grandmother) would welcome us with a non vegetarian platter ranging
from fish fry,chicken varatiyathu and the n number of evening snacks
like Unniappam,Manoharam ,Sukiyan ,Poralan kaya and the like.She
too was a blessed cook who loved to cook and feed.After shifting to
Mumbai, I fondly recall the days my amma learnt to make Punjabi
parathas, Pav baji and sabzi on my insistence.
But my guru in cooking is none other than my mother in law (since I
started entering kitchen only after marriage). She has this super knack
 48

of making the recipe of the most complicated dish look simple.

I am thankful for this opportunity to jot down my food memories, to
walk down memory lane, cherish the good old days and thank whole
heartedly those who fed me and taught me to feed.
One of my favourites - popular Mumbai Street Food.

PAV BHAJI
Ingredients:
Butter, Onion 2 medium sized
Tomato 1 small, Carrot 200 gm
French beans 200 gm, Green peas 100 gm
Cauliflower 200 gm, Potatoes 4-5 medium sized
Pav baji masala 2-3 tablespoons
Garam masala 1 table spoon
Kashmiri chili powder 1 teaspoon
Salt, Corainder leaves
Fresh lime and onion for garnishing
Preparation:
Cook all the vegetables except onion and tomatoes in
cooker (1 whistle would suffice)
Saute in a pan sliced onion till they
turn pinkish,to this add sliced
tomatoes. Add pav baji masala, chilli
powder, garam masala and salt.
Once the masala leaves the raw
odour add the cooked vegetables
and mash it well.
 49

Keep it on low flame for 5 minutes for the vegetables to

absorb all the masala.
Turn off the flame and add butter and corainder leaves
(both should be generously added)
While serving add fresh lime juice and onion (cut in
small pieces)
Enjoy this with pav toasted in butter.
I replace pav with bread toasted in butter as pav is not
easily available here.
 50

Cook and Serve with Love and Care

Tripura Sundari Menon

M
Y GRAND MOTHER didn’t have much inclination for
cooking. My mother Visalakshy Amma’s cooking talents
bloomed after she married my father Govinda Menon. He
hailed from Pattanchery near Chittur in Palghat district. The whole family
relished cooking. They were experts in making Ramasseri Pittu. Amma
became an expert in that. That has been handed over to me and my
daughter Priya has also mastered it.
At home amma used to make very ordinary curries like sambar,
pulinkary with tuar dal. Shallots fried well in coconut oil gives great
taste to the curry. Amma was more proficient in making Kozhukkatta,
ediyappam, thenga vada and the likes.
My mother got sick when I was 18 years old. My elder sister got
married and me and my younger sister had to manage the household
work. I used to do the kitchen work and younger sister did other
household chores. This gave me great opportunity to refine my culinary
knowledge. Practice over time improved it.
 51

I love cooking and making people eat. When I got married the Janaki
Vilas tharavadu was a new experience for me. There they had servants
to cook. So there was no need for me to try my hands at cooking. But
the tharavadu taught me the joy of eating together, sharing and caring. I
learned a great lesson in my life that cooking is not adding proper
ingredients but also a bit of love and concern which gives one joy and
satisfaction.

Subtle Flavors of Life

KOZHUKKATTA
Ingredients:
Boiled rice ( ponni / kuruva) 3/4 kg
Coconut 1
Method:
Soak rice overnight. Grind rice and scraped coconut
along with salt.
Grind coarsely, without much water. Keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pan. Once it is hot add mustard seeds and
chilly. When mustard splutter add tuar dal and curry
leaves. Blend it well with the ground paste. Heat until
water evaporates so that we can form balls. Keep it
aside. Once it is cool make small balls and steam them.
Ghee or milk along with it will add to the taste.
 52

ULLI (SHALLOT) CHAMMANTHI

This is an appetising side dish with kozhukkatta.
Method:
In a warm pan, heat red chilly and salt. Cool it and grind
it. Once powdered add shallots and grind coarsely
with a little water. Shallots should not be ground
much. Too much grinding of shallots will give a
bitter taste.
Once grinding is over, transfer it to a vessel.
Pour fresh coconut oil. It’s now ready to tickle
your taste buds.
(Roasted chammanthi can be made by sauteing
red chilli, shallots, tomato, curry leaves and salt
in oil and grinding once it is cooled.
Good for idli, dosa and kozhukkatta)
Idli podi
Boiled rice 1/4 kg
Urad dal (white) 1/4 k; Tuar dal 1/4 kg
Red chilli 200 gms; Pepper 150 gm
Jeera 100 gm; Asafatoda 100 gm
Curry leaves almost 1/4 kg
Method:
Roast rice, urad dal and tuar dal in a low flame separately
and keep aside. Roast all these together along with
jeera, salt and curry leaves. When cooled grind well.
This can be mixed with oil and can be used for idli,
dosa and even for rice.
 53

A Rabbit out of her Hat

Usha Menon

W
HETHER COOKING SHOULD be done adhering to a
recipe or whether just from the heart I’ve always wondered!
Having watched my Amma cook, I think, the latter worked
well too.. with ‘ekadesham’ and ‘kurachu’ or ‘lesham’ as her
measurements she created magic!
She never spent endless hours in the kitchen and never believed in
cooking elaborate dishes. Short cuts and easy dishes were her
forte: ‘kaipunyam’ was her strength.. and we grew up on her
kaipunyam..
Growing up, we woke up to the aroma of her filter coffee every morning
... for many many years until the time she was physically able to .. since
then Chechi and I have tried to replicate the same taste but no such
luck!! Followed by Idli/dosa with a fiery Mulagu podi .. red chillies
lightly roasted in coconut oil and crushed with just salt and asafoetida.
Idlies would just vanish in seconds. Another appetite booster was
ullichammandi, (shallots and red chillies sauted in coconut oil and made
into a paste) and there would be a queue for crisp, thin Dosas served
straight from the pan!
 54

The gently flavoured errissery was my dad’s favourite. Little wonder

that this dish sometimes with drumstick, sometimes with cheera,
sometimes with beans.. you name any vegetable ,found its way to our
dining table every other day. To appease us kids, a disgruntled lot,
Amma the magician would pull from under her hat, the most delicious.....
what for the longest time she fooled us into believing was Vindaloo until
we grew up and realised what actual Vindaloo was!
Perhaps an attempt to get an otherwise uninteresting vegetable like
brinjal into three fussy mouths and what a treat it was!
Here’s the magic!

BRINJAL PICKLE
Ingredients
Brinjal 1/2 k (long green or purple variety) cut lengthwise
Garlic 2 tbsp chopped roughly
Ginger 2 tbsp chopped roughly
Fenugreek seeds 2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 2 tsp
White vinegar 3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder 1 tsp
Cooking oil (any)
Lightly roast fenugreek mustard and cumin.
Now grind together ginger garlic and roasted spices
coarsely with a bit of vinegar.
Meanwhile you could start sautéing the brinjal in oil.
Add salt.
In another pan sauté the ground masala in oil till lightly
cooked, do not let it turn colour.
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Now add half cooked brinjal to it.

Cover and cook for a bit till brinjal absorbs the masala.
Now add turmeric powder, chilli powder, sugar to your liking.
Stir gently occasionally till cooked through making sure
brinjal doesn’t turn mushy.
Now add remaining vinegar.
Turn off gas, refrigerate when cooled.
Use next day onwards for best results.
Goes well with chappathi rice idli etc ..
Enjoy....

Glossery
Egadesham, kurachu - lesham - approcimate litttle.
Cheera - greens -
 56

A Slice of Heaven
Vasanthi Aravind

“Mother is a person not to be leaned on,

but one who makes leaning unnecessary”
– Dorothy Fischer

T
RUE TO THESE words, my mother wanted her children to be
independent and bold. She herself was courageous, who tried
to make everything possible with her grit and determination. As
regards her cooking, nothing was tough for her - removing the coconut
husk, drawing water from the well, tilling the soil for her kitchen garden,
daring to pluck a fruit standing on a ladder. All of this she did with ease.
She had a green finger and cultivated almost all vegetables. Day to day
cooking was always very casual. For festivals like Onam, Vishu and
also for our birthdays she cooked a nice feast. The milk payasam for
Asthami Rohini was superb.
However her forte was tea time snacks. Murukku, pakoda, chakka
chips, thengavada, appam, rava ladoo, coconut barfi - What an array!
She enjoyed treating her guests. After a very short afternoon nap, she
rushed to the kitchen to satiate our hunger after returning from school.
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She had a magic wand in the rebirth of many dishes. Morning’s idlis
became idli upma, thayir idli (a distant cousin of thayir vada), podi idli
etc. Afternoon rice often turned to ‘sakara payasam,’ chottu mutta,
‘onion fried rice and whatnot!
Another area of her culinary skills was in the preparation of Arripapadam
kondatoms, which came to the rescue of many novices. She firmly
believed that the bounties of nature are to be shared - the fragrance
and taste of her garden jack fruit and mango reached not only the
neighbours but also all the relatives in and around Palakkad town.
A very affectionate person, she was always ready to help others in their
hours of need in all possible ways. She used to tell Achan that he was
immersed in his bhaktiyoga while she was in her karmayoga. Amma
you are truly a karmayogi who found pleasure in seeing the smile light
up on the faces of your loved ones. Here’s a slice of heaven.

AMMA’S COCONUT BURFI

Grated coconut - 2 cups
Sugar - 1 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/4tsp
Food color - Optional or a pinch of any of your choice.
Amma loved using the light pink & orange colors Kamala
Chechi’ s Unniettan (my cousin’s husband) gave her while
he was in Cochin.
Take a heavy bottmed pan ,add the grated coconut & sugar
& stir it continuously until the sugar melts. Once the sugar
is melted simmer the flame & continue stirring till it leaves
the sides of the vessel. In the mean time add the cardamom
powder & when it’ s almost done the food color too. Transfer
to a greased plate & cut to desired shapes.
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Glossary
Murukku, pakavada - savoury snacks
Chakka chips - jackfruit chips
Thengavada - a crispy poori like snack with coconut
Thayir idli - curd idli
Aripappadum - rice papad
Kondattom-sun dried and fried items
Chottu mutta - rice mixed with onion - red chilli chutney and
drizzled with coconut oil.
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A MELTING POT
OF FLAVORS
Vidya Variath

“Food is the symbol of love

when words are inadequate.”
– Alan D. Wolfelt

M
Y INSPIRATION AND love for food came from my
Ammama and my mother. My Ammama being the daughter
of a Brahmin, her style of cooking was much inclined to the
Brahmin vegetarian style. But my real interest in cooking had to come
from my mother who is one of the best cooks I have ever seen in my
life. She also runs a small unit wherein she prepares pickles,
aripappadams and kondattoms which is quite popular. From an early
age, I would spend time with my mother in the kitchen and observe her
keenly, her style of cooking which I remember had its own pace and
rhythm. I used to savour the taste of her delicacies which I still carry in
my mind with fondness.
My real initiation into cooking was during my teenage when I started
helping my mother in the kitchen. One day when my mother and father
were away, I did my first independent experiment in cooking when I
made a sambar. It was anything but perfect. I still remember how my
mother explained in detail where I went wrong and what need to be
corrected after she returned and tasted my culinary experiment. But I
had developed a deep interest in cooking. I now cook all the North
 60

Indian and South Indian dishes but my taste and inclination is towards
non vegetarian as I am a foodie in the true sense of the term. Still, there
are days when I’m gripped with ‘Pumpkin Pangs’. Today being such a
day, I am going to share my Ammama’s recipe.

Ammama’s recipe -
KOTTUMULAKUSHYAM
Potato
Yellow pumpkin
Long beans
Green brinjal
Raw banana (All equal portions)
For grinding:-
Grated coconut-1cup
Shallots-5nos.
Jeera-1tsp
Coriander pdr-1tsp
Grind it into a smooth paste
Cut the vegetables into small cubes.
Boil the veggies along with chilli powder, turmeric and salt.
Once the veggies are cooked, add the ground paste and
boil it for few more minutes.
Season it with mustards,chopped
shallots and curry leaves. Pour coconut
oil over the cooked curry for that raw
flavour.
 61

My Tryst with
Culinary Art
Vinita Panicker

I
STARTED ENTERING the kitchen at the young age of 8 out of
necessity. Anybody who has working parents (both) would know
the despair of coming home to an empty house after a difficult day
at school. This and the hunger, forced me into the kitchen and I started
out with making Horlicks for myself. Slowly I graduated to making tea
for others and soon realised that cooking could be a powerful tool to
make others smile.
Initially I used a recipe book titled “Tried out recipes” which belonged
to my mother and which my father jokingly called “Tired out recipes.”
My tryst with cooking really took off after I was introduced to non-
vegetarian cuisine. When I was young I used to be so fond of non -
vegetarian food that my Dad used to tease me saying “\o Ign™
P∑w F¥m-bn-cp-s∂∂v Ct∏mƒ a\- n-em-bn.” (now I know what
you were in your previous birth) My mother too had to learn non-
vegetarian cooking to appease me and one of the dishes she cooked
for me was pepper chicken and this has remained my favourite over
the years. Today I have matured into a cook who is comfortable with
any type of cuisine -African, European or South East Asian, thanks to
my husband Rajesh and children Anurag and Anagha who are all
foodies, and have been encouraging me at all times.
Both my grandmothers had a positive influence on my life. They were
the ones who brought me up when I was very young. Both of them
were wonderful cooks and maybe that’s the reason I also love to cook.
 62

Ammamma’s Coconut burfis, Pakkavada, Ari unda, Unni appams were

all delicious.
When I grew up I spent more time in Angadipuram with my Achamma
and that’s the time she introduced me to cooking. Dedicating this memoir
to both my grandmothers.
Sharing one of Achamma’s favourite recipes, on her centenary year,as
she was born in 1920.

NADAN MORINGA ELLA KOOTAN

(Drumstick leaves Curry )
Moringa ella 2 handful
Kanji vellam 3 cups(rice
Porridge water)
Shallots 10 nos
Dry red chillies 4 (broken into small pieces)
Salt to taste
Method:
Boil kanji vellam with salt, add the moringa leaves and
cook. (tender leaves are used for this recipe). In another
pan heat little coconut oil,fry the red chillies and the cut
shallots until golden brown & add to the curry.
She was also very fond of making this dish with
Matthande Ella (pumpkin leaves) and in 1985
when she went to Kashi on a pilgrimage this
dish is what she gave up, because I believe
when you go to Kashi on a pilgrimage.
you have to foresake something close to you.
Incidentally I had tasted this, when we visited
her for a last time, just a few months before
she left us all...
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“Vegetables are something god invented

to let women get even with their children.”
– PJ O’Rourke

But the women who raised us were smart. They connived with Nature,
blended its colours, fragrances, flavours beautifully into healthy, hearty,
wholesome meals, spiced it with their love and seasoned it with lasting
memories.....
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