India SE


August 7, 2007

F O O D


Coconuts and curry leaves

There’s a world of Kerala food beyond ‘ishtoo’ and it’s a delicious
one, discovers Vidya Heble.

What does a financial analyst do when she misses the taste of home, far away in the United States? She writes to her mother, of course. When Ammini Ramachandran first came to the US in 1971, she taught herself to cook by referring to recipes that her mother sent every week with her letters.

“The letters were my only source of south Indian vegetarian cooking,” says Ammini, who is a direct descendant of the Cochin royal family. “They never mentioned any measurements – ‘a pinch’, ‘a handful’, ‘some’ and the infamous ‘cook until it looks done’ were her most prominent adjectives. More than that, they were all written in Malayalam; a language the younger generation in my family can only speak, not read.”

The dying of tradition was what spurred Ammini on to write Grains… “My cousin and I used to complain about the lack of vegetarian options in Kerala cookbooks. Unfortunately, recipes for many of our traditional vegetarian dishes are today alive only in the memory of an older generation. My husband got tired to listening to us and asked us to stop complaining and think of doing something about it. My cousin offered to help collect recipes and left the writing to me,” she says.

A chemistry graduate from Kerala University, Ammini studied finance in the US and got her MBA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She was a financial analyst in international banking until she took early retirement after 9/11 to pursue her hobby, writing.

Originally begun as a family journal for the younger generation growing up in the US, the book has gone through “many incarnations” over the past seven years, says Ammini. “In 2000, I made a new resolution to translate Mom’s recipes into English. Once in a while I sent my writings to my sons, nephews and nieces. To my surprise they not only loved my memories and grandma’s recipes, they shared them with their friends in college. With more requests for copies for their friends, by 2002 the journal evolved into a website (www.peppertrail.com). As I began to write for my site I was fascinated by the history of the Indian Ocean spice trade and Kerala’s part in it.”

Already an acclaimed food writer, Ammini has carved a new notch with Grains… Excerpts from the book were featured, ahead of publication, on the South Asian website www.anothersubcontinent.com, and received a roaring welcome. The response on the website’s discussion forum was so enthusiastic that members started a thread devoted to ‘Cooking with Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts’. With photographs from diehard fans, the thread has evolved into an online full-colour pictorial companion to the book’s recipes.

One of the main contributors in terms of response and photographs is Kavitha Ravi, originally from Karur in South India, who now lives in Selangor, Malaysia. She helps in her husband’s business and has been so taken with the book that Grains… recipes regularly form part of the daily fare on the joint-family dining table. She has made about 40 dishes from the book so far (at the time of printing, that is). “My family is partly from Kerala and we all like the cuisine,” she says. “I wanted to cook authentic Kerala food and I really like the book. The recipes are simple and delicious. I have to cook every day and so I cook from this book.”

There can’t be a much better endorsement than that.

F O O D


Book of Flavours
Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts: Recipes and Remembrances of a Vegetarian Legacy
By Ammini Ramachandran
Published by: iUniverse
Available at: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble New York, Barnesandnoble.com, iUniverse.com
Price: US$23.95
Review by: Vidya Heble

Well-known chef Suvir Saran sums it up when he says in the foreword: “In this richly flavoured book … Ammini Ramachandran takes us into a journey that even tour guides driving you through Kerala’s many vistas would be unable to share.”
You wouldn’t imagine that a purely vegetarian cookbook from Kerala would go into 350 pages, but Grains… has done just that, and without being in the least onerous about it.

The book has a solid feel in the hand, and its contents live up to the first impression. This is no lightweight coffee-table-style publication – it contains excellent information, a richness of experience about life in a traditional Kerala household, and brilliant recipes. As experience shows, anything one makes following a recipe from this book is bound to turn out delicious – be it a deceptively simple potato stew or a medley of vegetables in the classic dish, aviyal.
At the outset, Ammini writes about life in a Nayar joint family in Chittur, where she grew up. The unparalleled charm of that world envelops one, page after page. Ammini talks about culinary and cultural traditions – the importance of food-related rituals in daily life and at festival times, the social structure and the ceremonies that are held to celebrate various events in both personal and social life.

Ammini also explains, briefly, the history of food – inevitably related to the history of trade – and the different foreign influences on society, agriculture and cuisine. She moves on to talk about ingredients, procedures and has an entire chapter on rice and rituals.

When she arrives at the recipes it is almost an anti-climax, but happily this is a short-lived feeling.The recipes are ordered into sections, each with an introduction that is again a delight to read. From seasonal curries to monsoon specials to hotplate dishes to pickles, chutneys, snacks and sweets – there is something for everyone here.

Finding what one wants is also incredibly easy. Besides a glossary of terms, there is also an index of recipes and a series of useful appendices – plus a comprehensive bibliography and a selection of online reference sources.

The book is written mainly for an American audience, so the ingredients and methods are thus easy to follow. The best part is that though the recipes are traditional, one is not put into harness and made to wear blinkers. As Ammini writes: “Cooking is an expression of the cook’s personal tastes and preferences. The joy of it is in experimenting. The delight in cooking is not necessarily derived from the end product alone, but from the endless possibilities available for flavouring a dish. I urge you to use these recipes for ideas and suggestions. Improvise, but never let a cookbook order you around.”

Photos: Courtesy www.indianfoodrocks.blogspot.com

Going Green




For those who automatically think ‘palak paneer’ – here’s something very different to make with spinach.

Cheera Udachathu – Spicy Mashed Spinach

Literally, “mashed spinach”, the simple yet yummy cheera udachathu gets a pleasant aroma from toasted fenugreek seeds and is excellent as a side dish with rice or chapatis.

Ingredients:

2 large bunches of fresh spinach leaves or 2 10-ounce packages of frozen chopped spinach
½ tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
For seasoning and garnish:
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
2 dried red chillies, halved
12 to 15 fresh curry leaves

Method:
Wash the spinach leaves and cut them into fine strips. Bring a quarter cup of water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce the heat and add the spinach to the pan. Sprinkle it with salt and turmeric, and cook over medium heat. Spinach leaves contain a lot of water. When cooked, it should be a thick mass. Drain the excess water and let the spinach cool, then run it through a food processor to make a thick, smooth puree.

In a skillet, toast the fenugreek seeds over medium heat. Dry roasting enhances the flavour and reduces bitterness – but watch the seeds closely, as they should not turn reddish brown, but should be just golden. Crush the toasted seeds with a mortar and pestle.

Heat the oil in a skillet, and add the mustard seeds When they sputter, add the urad dal, the chilli and the curry leaves, and fry until the dal turns golden. Transfer the mashed spinach to the skillet. Sprinkle the toasted fenugreek powder on top, mix well and cook for another minute or two. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to blend. Serve hot.