Dr Minnie Mathew is a globally renowned nutritionist who has served extensively as Senior Advisor, Trainer and Programmer to the United Nations World Food Programme. She has also been a facilitator for the United Nations Development Action Framework (UNDAF) and been a member of various international missions to evaluate and suggest development strategies. She has prepared a strategy to address micronutrient malnutrition in South America, as well as developed an initiative to build entrepreneurship skills for managing small scale production. For this, she was presented the International Women’s Day Award in 1999. Minnie has served on various Govt. of India and State Government committees dealing with issues of hunger and malnutrition. She is also an adviser and evaluator for PhD students. Minnie has authored several books in her professional domain and also writes for popular women’s magazines. This is her first attempt at documenting the cuisine of her native Kerala and her mother’s traditional recipes.

Suhita Mitra was born in Kohima, Nagaland – a region of untouched, natural beauty. Wherever the eye travelled, there were hills, trees, flowers and wildlife. Television was still unknown and all that young children had to amuse themselves was the enchantment offered by the gardens, the playing fields and books…lots of story books. Such an environment was a natural nursery for the imagination. Suhita joined the National Institute Of Design, Ahmedabad, where the untrammeled imagination fostered by her childhood environment, suddenly found meaningful channels through art appreciation, photography, freehand drawing, animation and typography. With her love of nature, she feels inspired to give back through her work as an illustrator and designer. Suhita can be reached at: suhita.mitra@gmail.com

With guidance from her mother, Saramma Mulk, Minnie ventured to cook an authentic Syrian Christian dinner, actually a feast – to which I was invited with my family.

WFP Representative & Country Director, Egypt

Overhauling our cooking and eating patterns is not an easy task. There are tastes and flavours individuals are conditioned to or which they simply prefer. Despite this, there are universal favourites as well – the result of unique processing techniques which have been adopted by certain chefs and which remain secrets. Cooking is an art. It is a symphony of taste, aroma and colours that attracts the senses. Everyone loves delicious food. The same dish prepared by two people can taste quite different. To help us follow recipes uniformly, we need to know the unique processing that should be adopted. The uniqueness of this recipe book is that Saramma Mulk, my mother, revealed the processes that made the dishes delicious. Some of these processes may sound very simple but they make a huge difference to the way the food eventually tastes. I have documented some of those legendary processes along with Saramma’s own nuances, that can excite your tastebuds.

Kerala is a small strip of land lying in the south-western corner of India. Bordered by land on three sides and the Arabian sea in the west, Kerala is divided into three geographical regions – the highlands, the midlands, and the lowlands. The highlands slope down from the Western Ghats. This area has large plantations of tea, coffee, rubber and various spices and is often known as the Cardamom Hills. The region is one of the largest producers of spices, especially cardamom, from which it earns its name. The Midlands, lying between the mountains and the lowlands, is made up of undulating hills and valleys. This is an area of intensive cultivation. Cashew, coconut, arecanut, tapioca, banana, and different vegetables, are grown. The lowlands are also known as the coastal area, and covers almost 4000 sq.kms. It is made up of numerous shallow lagoons, known locally as kayels, river deltas, backwaters, and the shore of the Arabian Sea. It is essentially a land of coconuts and rice. This area is very fertile and most of the paddy cultivation happens here. The large number of waterbodies are home to a vast variety of fish.

The cuisine of Kerala is linked to the richness of the history and culture of this land. The spice, fish and varieties of vegetables, have had great influence on the food preferences and recipes of the state. Spices such as black pepper, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon, are essential ingredients in Kerala cuisine, which includes both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Since coconuts grow in abundance here, it is widely used in most dishes. Kerala’s long coastline, numerous rivers and backwaters, combined with a strong fishing industry, have made fish preparations popular. Fish and prawns are dried and used when fresh fish is not readily available. Rice and tapioca form the staple food. Kerala cuisine also has the influence of other countries. For over 2000 years, Kerala has been visited by ocean-travellers including traders from Greece, Rome, the Mediterranean, the Arab countries, as well as Europeans. Today, Kerala is a favourite tourist destination. Thus Kerala cuisine is a blend of different dishes adapted to the local palate.

The recipes include both vegetarian and non-vegetarian traditional dishes. Before they are forgotten and become extinct, I would like to capture some of the authentic recipes, which can be passed on to future generations. This book will be useful to those Keralites who have not had the opportunity to live in traditional Kerala households but would like to enjoy their own cuisine or showcase it to a cosmopolitan crowd.

While many people practise contemporary cooking, there is a continued interest in traditional dishes. Traditional cooking is perceived to be complicated and not practical in a modern kitchen. Here, Saramma demystifies traditional cooking and adapts some of the traditional processes to the modern kitchen. For example, cooking in the traditional hearth is today’s electric oven or live coals in a barbecue. These recipes are simple, making it possible for beginners to learn this culinary art.

The overwhelming appreciation expressed by my mother’s guests, was my inspiration for writing this book. I have presented some of these dishes to international guests, who have shown a keen interest in knowing more about traditional and authentic Kerala cuisine. We have a great variety and there are dishes suited to every occasion.

Christians in Kerala observe the austerities of Lent before celebrating Easter and Christmas. In addition, there are several Lents observed during the year. During this period people eat only vegetarian food. All animal food is strictly forbidden, although some people include dairy products in their diet. From Ash Wednesday to Easter, particularly on Good Friday, conjee (rice gruel) with payar thoran (whole pulses seasoned with spices and coconut), is eaten. Also, Kerala residents have easy access to jackfruit. The raw jackfruit is cooked mashed and seasoned with spices and coconut and accompanied by papads and pickles.

This day commemmorates Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday) and the last supper, Jesus had with his Apostles. In Kerala, Maundy Thursday is called Pesaha, a Malayalam word derived from the Aramaic or Hebrew word for Passover – Pasha/Pesah. The tradition of consuming Pesaha appam or Indariyappam, after the church service, is followed by the Nasrani people to this day and is always a collective, family meal. The head of the family cuts the appam and shares it with everyone at the table.

After Lent, meat and fish make their appearance in all homes. After the church service, Lent is broken. The traditional breakfast includes appam/ idiappam (rice hoppers) and meat curry, meat stews, egg curry or egg roast. Lunch and dinner invariably include meat dishes like duck, turkey roasts or biriyanis. Bread and caramel puddings are very popular and cakes and puddings are very much a part of modern Kerala cuisine.