New Delhi | A new book shares some well-kept secrets of a traditional Palakkad kitchen with author Jayalakshmi Ramdas, saying she wanted to create a ready reckoner for everyone to recreate the favourite dishes of her family.
"Palakkad Palate" has about 200 recipes categorised under the heads: sambars and kootans, poduthuval, rasams, pachadis, rice, payasams, sweet treats, snacks, vadams and vathals, podis, and pickles and chutneys.
Ramdas says all of her family members have moved out of their village Kalpathy Agraharam in Kerala's Palakkad and now live in different parts of the globe.
"We would still like our children and grandchildren to be connected to their ancestors' taste palette. This book is a way for us to preserve our favourite Palakkad dishes. We don't want these recipes to be forgotten just because all of us have settled in big cities and first-world nations," she says.
Ramdas, fondly known as Jayam (Amma), was born and raised in Palakkad - a lush green region consisting of over 150 villages surrounded by a vast expanse of paddy fields. The town derives its name from the word 'Pala' (referring to Pala trees) and 'Kadu' meaning forest, because the place was once a beautiful stretch of forests covered with the sweet scent of Pala trees.
Known as the 'Rice Bowl of Kerala', Palakkad is one of the most fertile regions at the foothills of the expansive Western Ghats. However, what makes this region truly special is the traditional recipes that explode with exquisite flavours.
The Palakkad cuisine is essentially vegetarian, and hence, makes extensive use of dals, coconut, rice and chilli. The use of special spices and an emphasis on rice-based dishes with a plethora of chutney flavours make it unique.
"Traditionally, the cooking method is steam cooking with minimal use of oil; making this cuisine perfectly nutritious and healthy. A meal in a Palakkad household usually consists of steamed rice with a Kootan, Poduthuval, curd and pickle," the book, published by Invincible Publication, says.
"On special occasions, an elaborate meal called 'Saddi' is prepared - consisting of various courses depending on the occasion and is typically served on a whole plantain leaf. The unique flavours of Palakkad cuisine create an ambrosial and flavourful explosion on your palate," it says.
A majority of the home recipes remain secluded within the family and are passed on from generation to generation, it says.
According to the author, sambar is deemed as the unifying dish of south India.
The interesting thing about sambar recipes is that they tend to be diverse from region to region in the south and can feature one vegetable as the hero ingredient or even a mix of vegetables, she writes.
"For example, in the Palakkad-style Arachuvitta Sambar recipe, freshly-grated coconut is roasted and ground to a paste along with methi seeds, red chillies, coriander seeds, hing and chana dal, and it is seasoned in coconut oil," Ramdas writes.
She also says that crunchy savouries of Palakkad - from sweet chips to savoury chips, vadam, pomapodi, murukku to cheedai - will leave one digging in for more.
"Each snack is to be relished in a unique manner. For example, upma is best for breakfast or your evening snack, however, nendran kai chips can be made and stored for months and enjoyed the next time your stomach is attacked by the snack monster," she writes.
Ramdas says there is nothing better than Palakkad desserts.
"End a traditional Palakkad feast on a sweet note with any one of these Palakkad desserts - coconut burfi, Mysore pak, halwa, elai adai and kozhukattai. Palakkad's sweet treats are sure to leave you drooling," she says.
Koovyo Bector, the author's first grandchild, writes in the editor's note: "This cook book is Amma's life's work. These are all the recipes she learnt and created to be passed down to all of us. It is a treasure trove to say the least."