Earthy flavours from Kuttanad
The inhabitants of Kuttanad in Alappuzha district of Kerala are known for their traditional way of cooking in earthenware, that gives special taste and flavour to their cuisine.
By : migrator
Update: 2015-11-15 19:08 GMT
Chennai
Kuttanad is the rice bowl of Kerala, and is resplendent with green paddy fields, coconut groves and water fowl. The place is also known for its unique cuisine featuring some of the best fresh water fish from the Vembanad Lake. You get to buy fresh sea food, sold to you directly by fishermen, who come in their snake boats with their catch for the day.
And then you get to enjoy the fish, prawns, duck and chicken cooked in the traditional Kuttanadan style. Kuttanadan tharavu (duck grown in waters of the lake) is famous among all the eateries. Fresh catch is traditionally cooked using time-honoured recipes and ingredients in earthenware, which gives a special flavour to the dishes. The first is that clay is somewhat porous. Heat and moisture circulate through the pot during cooking, unlike with metal or enamel-lined pots. As a result, the meat gets cooked uniformly and the dish is tender and full of flavours.
The restaurant Ente Keralam is showcasing different specialty dishes recreated to reflect the Kuttanad region’s cuisine at the ongoing ‘Fishes from the Lake & Curries in the Mudpot’ festival. It will feature dishes like chemeen unda (steamed rice dumplings stuffed with spiced prawn mixture), konju ullarthiyathu (prawns sautéed with onions, coconut and tamarind), chemballi pacha kurumulagittathu (chemballi a local fish of Kuttanad cooked in a ground green peppercorn and garlic paste), aattu vaala thenga varutharacha curry (fish Vaala cooked in roasted ground coconut gravy), vatta thenga varatharacha curry (vatta-fish, cooked in a roasted ground coconut gravy) and much more .
KALANCHI FISH CURRY
Sea bass fish – 5-6 fillets
Coconut oil – 1 ½ tsp
Mustard seed – ½ tsp
Fenugreek (whole) – ½ tsp
Sliced sambhar onion – 150gm
Sliced garlic – 25gm
Sliced ginger – 25gm
Curry leaves – 10nos
Green chilly – 2 nos
Chilly powder – ½ tsp
Coconut milk – 350 ml
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Kokum powder- 35gm
- Heat the coconut oil and add mustard and fenugreek.
- Add sambhar onions, garlic, ginger, curry leaves and green chilly. Fry well to a golden brown.
- Add chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt and mixed well. Add some water, kokum powder and cook for 10 min. Add the fish and cook it for 15 min.
- Add the coconut milk and check for seasoning.
- Remove from fire and serve the kalanchi curry
KARIMEEN POLLICHATHU
Pearl spot fish – 5-6 pieces
Small onions (sliced) – 100 gm
Ginger, chopped – 5 gm
Garlic, chopped – 5 gm
Coconut oil – 20 ml
Chilli powder – 5 gm
Coriander powder – 3 gm
Curry leaves – 5 nos
Coconut milk – 50 ml
Tamarind pulp – 10 ml
Salt To taste
Fish stock – 5 tbs
Turmeric powder – a pinch
- Add ginger and garlic (chopped ) and fry till it becomes brownish. Add chopped small onion to it and saute well. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder and salt.
- Add tamarind pulp and coconut milk ,fish stock and sautee well till it becomes a mashy texture. Before removing from the range add the curry leaves.
- Clean pearl spot, apply the prepared masala on both sides of the fish.Take the banana leaf and place the remaining masala on the centre on the leaf. Wrap the fish with the banana leaf.
- Place it in tawa and cook on both sides on a slow fire turning the fish frequently.
- Garnish with sliced cucumber, onion and tomato. Serve hot.
THARAVU MAPPAS
Onion – 350 gm
Coconut oil - 25 ml
Ginger – 25 ml
Green chilly – 3 nos
Pepper powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala – ½ tsp
Crush pepper – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – 5 gm
Salt to taste
Coriander powder – 1 ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Coconut milk (first press) – 1 ½ nos
Coconut milk (second press) – 500 ml
Duck – 1 kg
- Wash and clean the duck well
- Heat the oil , add the sliced onion , ginger, green chilly and curry leaves and fry well to a golden brown
- Add garam masala , coriannder powder, turmeric powder, salt , pepper powder, crush pepper and mix well
- Add 750 ml of water , second milk and duck and cook till done.
- After the duck is cooked well add thick coconut milk.
- Remove from heat and check the seasoning.
- Tharavu mappas is ready
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