Last weekend, Pranav and I spent 3 days in Kumarakom. This tourist village in the Kottayam district is a cluster of little islands on the Vembanad Lake in Kerala. Resting along the Malabar Coast of India, Kerala is a tropical region made up almost entirely of inland waterways, spice plantations and coconut groves, and it is famous for its long history of trading spices - turmeric, black pepper and cardamom to name a few. As I've taught my geography students many times, Kerala has the lowest brith rate, and highest literacy rate among both men and women in all India. Finally, Kerala is the first place in the world to have elected a communist government, though it was voted out less than a decade later. And now for the food.
In a traditional festive Kerala dinner or Kerala Sadhya, the dishes are served on a giant fresh banana leaf. This environmentally friendly platter allows for direct contact with the food - a risky business for the unaccustomed. You eat with your right hand, mixing wet items into dry and incorporating pickles and chutneys as needed. Usually it's rice before roti but in the end, all that matters is that you've eaten both multiple times. Yoghurt is always on hand to cool fiery curries, as well as a selection of crisp savories for added texture. Coconuts grow in abundance in Kerala and consequently, coconut milk and grated coconut are popular and essential ingredients. Bananas also appear in many of the dishes from breakfast through dinner as Kerala has over 250 varieties. The meal is topped off with traditional warm desserts served on, yes you guessed it, the banana leaf.
Our dinner was hosted by the fabulous chefs of the Zuri Kumarakom, Kerala Resort & Spa. For 3 days they delighted us with one culinary masterpiece after the next, but I would have to say that the Kerala Sadhya was by far the meal to remember. And what dishes were served in this fabulous dinner? I'm glad you asked. Here's a breakdown of the largest meal we've eaten (and will eat) in a very long time.
Kerala Sadhya
- Rasam - This thin spicy broth can be enjoyed with rice, but was served to us at the very beginning as a soup. It relies heavily on tomatoes for its tangy flavour.
- Mixed Vegetable Thoran - This dry dish can be made using peas, carrots, cabbage, unripe jackfruit and grated coconut. A traditional component of the sadhya its trademark spices are mustard seeds, curry leaves, and turmeric powder.
- Pineapple Kalan - A popular summer dish, this kalan is made of sweet pineapple cooked in a yoghurt based gravy.
- Kerala Dal Curry - Lentils cooked in ghee.
- Kerala Mezhukkupuratti - This spicy concoction is made up of just about any vegetables you might have on hand. It uses both fresh chilies and chili powder for that extra kick.
- Paal Kootu Curry - Another mixed vegetable dish, this time they are combined with Bengal gram and grated coconut.
- Kerala Parotta - A popular South Indian bread not to be confused with the North Indian parantha. These are typically made from maida, or white flour, and use more ghee than you can imagine but the taste and texture are heavenly.
- Sambar - An essential part of any South Indian breakfast, lunch or dinner, sambar is thicker than rasam and often incorporates vegetables. It is made from toor dal and depends on tamarind for its tangy sweet undertones.
- Avial - A thick mixture of vegetables, yoghurt and coconut prepared in coconut oil with curry leaves. Commonly used veggies include yam, plantain, carrots, beans, pumpkin and eggplant.
- Pazham Pradhaman - Made from ripe plantains cooked with jaggery and coconut milk.
- Payasam - A dessert similar to North Indian Kheer where rice and broken wheat are boiled with milk and sugar. The dish is flavoured with cardamom and saffron, and sometimes garnished with slivered pistachios and almonds.
And yes, believe it or not, Pranav and I ate all of the above.
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