Mild, just like a Carnatic tune

BRAHMINS OF PALAKKAD IN KERALA BOAST OF A UNIQUE VEGETARIAN FARE, BUT MANY CULINARY GEMS ARE VANISHING

Palakkad in Kerala is famous for churning out some of the finest civil servants, its Carnatic musicians and the variety of vegetarian food on offer. Influenced by neighbouring Tamil Nadu, the region has evolved a distinct style of preparing food that stands out from the rest of Kerala. The agraharams of Brahmins find a prominent place in history and are known for their distinct culture, lifestyle and food. The food is largely vegetarian with a mind boggling variety of sambar and rasams. The sambar in this region has rice added to it instead of tur dal which is again a hallmark of this community. There is also a sambar made out of raw jackfruit, the recipe of which was gladly shared by some grannies.

My fascination with Palakkad cuisine started while working at a star hotel when two of my colleagues — both Palakkad Iyers — spoke at length about the variety of vegetarian fare available in the region. I noticed that most of the preparations tended to stay away from an over use of chilly, ginger and garlic rendering the preparations a mild flavour. For example, the Avial prepared in other regions is yellow in colour because of turmeric but here turmeric is completely avoided as also garlic rendering the avial white in colour. Also the extensive use of leafy greens ensures that the food has multiple health benefits.

Being a chef in search of novel fare, the Palakkad Iyer food piqued my interest and the next break I got, I reached Palakkad to taste and learn first hand the food I had heard so much about.

I was not disappointed — I found that the people of the community made use of seasonal fruits in every way they could in addition to preserving them in brine for use later. I visited some agraharams and unearthed recipes that had vanished over time. The grannies were only too ready to part with the recipes of these dishes.