NO BAKE COORGI COFFEE BROWNIES
(Coffee-flavoured brownies prepared without an oven.)
Ingredients
¼ cup water
1¼ tsp coffee powder from Coorg
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
2 cups cracker (biscuit) crumbs or around 20 whole crackers
¼ cup finely chopped roasted hazelnuts or almonds
¼ cup cocoa powder
½ tsp salt
100 gm dark chocolate, melted
Method
1. Make a coffee concoction by boiling ¼ cup of water and mixing the coffee powder in it. Strain after 10 minutes. Mix this with the condensed milk.
2. Line an eight-inch square baking dish with two crossed strips of parchment paper, letting the long ends hang over the sides of the dish. Grease lightly with butter.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the crackers, hazelnuts or almonds, cocoa, and salt. Pour in the coffeecondensed milk mixture. Pour in the melted chocolate and stir firmly to combine.
4. Empty this into the baking dish. Spread it evenly; if needed, cover it with a plastic wrap and press slightly with a pan or any heavy tool.
5. Chill it for an hour or until firm enough to cut. Remove the brownies from the pan. Cut the brownies into small squares. The brownies are ready!
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After I left Coorg, and as I was entering the land of Ayurveda, Kerala, I decided to make a short detour to Calicut. I took some time off to visit the Kadavu Resort, an Ayurvedic retreat owned by a popular hotel chain. The resort is a gateway to the Malabar region, lush green palm hills flanked by bright blue water of the Chaliyar River. The general manager explained that it took a week to identify the body type of a guest who came for a healing treatment at the spa. After the assessment, the spa and Ayurveda treatment began. There was a unique diet pattern attuned to your body along with which you had to do various forms of yoga. All this was done alongside the river, to ease the pain.
This kind of spa treatment involved the use of essential oils, which were therapeutic in nature. With the abundance of spices and diverse medicinal plants in the area, this made sense. I opted for the abhiyangam, the full body massage, using clove oil. As much as I love travel, after being on the road for so long, this massage was just what I needed and two very strong masseurs did the needful. The humour of the situation wasn’t lost on me, neither was the relief that the massage brought.
After the massage I found myself in Shavakar, Kerala. I have lately become a fan of strength training and regional martial arts. So my next destination was Valabhatta Kalari Academy, known for teaching the ancient martial art kalaripayattu. I saw young boys and girls of different age groups among the students practicing. The youngest was six! The guru here explained that the basic requirements were dedication, focus and time. The training stage was divided into four categories. First was physical exercise (maithari), second was wooden weapons (kolthari), third was the metal weapons (ankathari) and the last was unarmed combat (verumkai). I saw them practising and I tried my hand at kolthari. I felt an immediate rush of adrenaline and I was filled with respect for all the students and their guru. There was one student, blindfolded, and he used a sword to slice targets—attached to other students—in half. Such was the precision of the training. Born and brought up in a devout Hindu family, I always like to seek blessings from my elders. I took a minute to touch the guru’s feet and carry his blessings with me through the rest of the journey.
As I took leave from the academy, I took a moment to think about my journey. I had covered more than 9000 km by road and I was almost at the southern tip of my beautiful country. In retrospect, I had grown each day and learnt new things that I could write an additional journal! Having said this before, I must reiterate my amazement at the diversity in nature, people, landscape, traditions and cultures in India. It might take more than a lifetime to experience and explore our very own brand ‘India.’
DAY 47
21 September / Allappuzha
It was afternoon as I arrived at God’s Own Country. I was amazed, stunned, and in shock. For me, what I saw in the panoramic scene in front of me, surpassed my feelings that I had when I encountered Kashmir’s beauty. This was ethereal!
My first stop was an eco-houseboat on the backwaters. Kerala had recently overtook the Taj Mahal in Agra as the number one travel destination on Google search trends. Now, after coming here, I realised that this piece of information just had to be true because of the beautiful beaches, backwaters, the mountain ranges, the wildlife sanctuaries, and of course, the spice trails. One of the main reasons for Kerala being so popular was the encouraging support of their government. They were the first to declare tourism as an industry in India. Kerala is widely known for its ecotourism initiatives and I wanted to experience it first-hand. This was my first experience on the backwaters, an extensive network of 41 interlocking rivers, lakes and canals. I got aboard Pride Eco-houseboat run by Mr. Johnson. What was especially cool was that the houseboat had its own elaborate number plate. The houseboat was constructed with natural materials like wood, bamboo, coconut shells, husk and rods. Even the chair that I was swinging on was a cane chain. Mr. Johnson believed that when you are in the tourism business in Allappuzha you have to own a houseboat.
He made me observe the banks of the river and provided an insight into the lives of the people who were living along the river bank. There was a reason this area was called the Rice Bowl of India. The water level of the river was higher than the level of the fields along the banks, making it easier to irrigate and grow the rice, which actually required a lot of water to grow. Life along the backwaters was completely dependent on the river water. Even the foundation of the houses, of people living here, was built using sandstone from the riverbed. They worked on the rice fields and ate the fish they caught from the river. It was almost a self-contained environment. To take it a notch higher, they had ensured that tourists like me, not only got to enjoy the landscape, but also experience the culture and lifestyle of people living here. If you were of the creative kinds, you could use local ingredients, from the market on the backwaters, to cook for yourself, your family or friends. If you have the soul of a traveller, it is a must to spend a few days here enjoying the backwaters. Mr. Johnson was kind enough to lend his boat to me for the entire day and it was on the boat that I cooked Kerala Bhindi Curry for him.
KERALA BHINDI CURRY
(Okra cooked in tamarind and tomato curry.)
Ingredients
4-5 tamarind (imli) pieces
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard (sarson) seeds
8-10 curry leaves (kari patta)
¼ tsp fenugreek (methi) seeds, crushed
2 dry red chillies
8-10 shallots, chopped
8-10 garlic (lasun) cloves, pounded
200 gm okra (bhindi), chopped
3 tomatoes, puréed
¼ tsp turmeric (haldi) powder
1½ tsp chilly powder
2 tsp coriander (dhania) powder
Salt to taste
Method
1. Soak tamarind in warm water and squeeze. About ¼ cup thick tamarind water is needed.
2. Heat the coconut oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Now add curry leaves, fenugreek seeds and dry red chillies. Then add the shallots and garlic. sauté everything well till the shallots are translucent.
3. Add the chopped okra to this and sauté it for three to four minutes. Then add the tomato purée, turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder. sauté well.
4. Add the tamarind water, salt to taste and mix well. Add ½ cup of water and let it come to a boil. Simmer it for another 10-12 minutes with the lid on.
4. Add the tamarind water, salt to taste and mix well. Add ½ cup of water and let it come to a boil. Simmer it for another 10-12 minutes with the lid on.
5. Once the okra is fully cooked, take it off the heat and serve with steamed rice.
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After cooking, rest of my day was spent gazing into the horizon, watching the people in the paddy fields and wishing I had a boat of my own.
DAY 48
22 September / Allappuzha
I woke up early to go to the local vegetable and spice market. I saw fresh beans, lemon, garlic, ginger, and different types of banana. An interesting ingredient that is a staple in Kerala is ‘tapioca.’ Seen in other parts of India mostly in the form of chips, I discovered its popularity here as an everyday vegetable. Also called cassava, it is made into chips along with bitter gourd and banana.
Continuing with my Allappuzha adventure, after the houseboat experience, I went to one of the most beautiful heritage houses I had ever seen. Built in the late 1800s, Pooppally’s has been around for a long time. It is a family run eco-homestay, with large cottages spread out over a large plot of land on the banks and turns of the river. Therefore, you could enjoy the river on both sides of the property. Originally, trade and business took place on the river; it was the only way traders and merchants travelled, I was told. The original entrance to the homestay was through the ‘back’ of the river. For those of you who want to get married in a romantic South Indian destination, this is the place where you can plan your destination wedding.
This ancestral house was built by Mr. Pooppally Vavachen between 1892 and 1895. The bricks of the house still have the logo of the British Empire. Also, Sir Edmund Hillary visited the homestay many years ago. The cottages here are old wooden Kerala houses that were bought and restructured. The home stands secluded in a property of about three acres with varieties of fruit yielding trees and medicinal plants and herbs. It was home to more than 30 species of birds during the season.
I met with another member of the family who cooked with me in the afternoon. Lisa, the sister of Dr. Paul Pooppally, grandchild of Mr. Vavachen, told me how to go about the cooking. Before I explain what the food was all about, I want to give a little backdrop to Kerala cuisine. An essential ingredient of the cuisine is coconut. It is one plant which is used in all its forms. Rice and fish are also staples. Kerala’s culinary history is tightly wound around the spice trail. Pepper, cardamom, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and chillies are found aplenty here. Interestingly, there’s a large variety of meat on the menu like beef, rabbit, duck, seafood, and pork; these are common features on local menus.
Back to Lisa, a post graduate in the field of Food and Nutrition; she decided to teach me how to make a karimeen pollichathu. This was pearl spot fish, fried whole and finished in a banana leaf with a mix of spices. The recipe was her grandmother’s. Gashes were first made on the fish so that the marinade seeped in. Then the marinade was applied; it had salt, pepper, turmeric, red chilli, nutmeg vinegar, and ginger-garlic paste. It was marinated for an hour after which the fish was shallow fried and prepared to be wrapped in the banana leaf. Once the fish had been removed from the pan, we used the same pan to cook the onions, shallots, ginger, garlic, and tomato, with a whole bunch of spices (coriander powder, turmeric, chilli powder, black pepper and garam masala) sprinkled generously into the pan. This masala was coarsely ground thereafter. After this mix was done, the fish was placed in the banana leaf and covered with this spice mix. The tightly sealed banana leaf was then placed in another pan with coconut oil. This was cooked for another four to five minutes.
The above mentioned activity done, she went onto speak about few other dishes of the region like avial, a thick mixture of vegetables, yoghurt and coconut that went very well with appams, a type of pancake made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk; thoran, almost like a cabbage stir-fry with grated coconut and mustard seeds; pachchadi, is made of any vegetable dish that is slightly pickled. While she prepared the fish, I decided to do a take on the classic thoran. I used raw papaya and served it as canapés on tapioca chips. I named it Papaya Thoran Canapés.
PAPAYA THORAN CANAPÉS
(Raw papaya stir-fry served on a bed of thin crackers.)
Ingredients
3 cups raw papaya, grated
2 tbsp coconut oil
½ tsp mustard (sarson) seeds
1 tsp cumin (jeera) seeds
8 shallots, finely chopped
2 dry red chillies
4 cloves garlic (lasun), finely chopped
3 green chillies, chopped
6-8 curry leaves (kari patta)
½ cup coconut, scraped
¼ tsp turmeric (haldi) powder
12 tapioca chips
1 tbsp nutmeg (jaiphal) pickle, ground into a paste
Salt
Method
1. Clean the papaya and grate it to get at least three cups.
2. Heat the coconut oil. Once hot, add the mustard and cumin seeds together. After they start to splutter, add shallots, dry red chillies, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves. Fry till shallots are translucent.
3. Add the grated coconut, salt and turmeric powder. Stir for two to three minutes.
4. Then, add the grated papaya and mix well. Sprinkle some water to avoid the spices from sticking. Cover and cook on a low flame for five to seven minutes. Give a stir in between. The papaya thoran is ready.
5. Now, spread some pickle paste on the tapioca chips. Mount a heap of papaya thoran on the tapioca, the canapé is ready. You can garnish with a bit of grated coconut.
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I had the lovely opportunity to eat lunch with the entire family. We shared experiences, food and stories about our travels. I had been missing the company of friends and family and this little meal made me feel at home again. The dishes were extensive: the pearl spot fish, beetroot pachchadi and bhindi and cheru parippu, the name for moong dal (green gram), all served with steaming rice. We then ate the fish that Lisa had prepared. I unwrapped the banana leaf and inhaled the beautiful aroma. It was soft, had soaked up all the goodness of the spices, and tasted delicious. Not to forget, the nutmeg vinegar did wonders. It was definitely one of the most memorable meetings. I took my blessings and walked away into the sunset, only to climb a coconut tree!
Helping me do my ‘monkey’ act were Pravin and Ravi. Ravi was nimble and agile. He climbed the tree like it was the easiest thing to do. His official designation was Toddy Tapper. Pravin was around for translation and ease of communication. Toddy is a natural alcoholic sap of some kinds of palm, used as a beverage in tropical countries. It is very potent and can easily make you feel light in the head. It is sweet, white and cloudy, similar to what milk looks like. I looked at Ravi and noticed that he had a well-armoured outfit, with many tools and equipment attached to his body. The knife, which looked like a cleaver, helped to cut the coconut flower, and he carried a bag called labu katey to collect the toddy. Then there was the thalanya, a wooden stick resembling a rounded hammer to pound the flower. At the risk of sounding pompous, I did actually manage to climb the tree and trust me, it is not easy.
DAY 49
23 September / Munnar
After the backwaters, we headed for the Munnar plantations. This hill station is situated at the confluence of three mountain rivers: Muthirapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala. The name Munnar, in Malayalam, is believed to mean three rivers. During the colonial rule, many British officials used Munnar as a summer retreat. It has several tea plantations, winding roads, and boasts of exotic species of flora and fauna. I have been to Mussoorie and Nainital, and a few other hill stations in the north, but they would have to struggle hard to compete with the beauty of Munnar. There is a constant scent of spice and tea that follows you around. It is an area where the density of sandalwood trees is very high. A visit to a tea plantation, that allows you to stay in for a few days, is also a must.
Another must-visit are the elephant camps abounding near the place. Just before entering Munnar, I went to one where I met an elephant, face-to-face, for the first time. There were options to ride the elephants and bathe them or take a shower with them. I opted for the last option, with an elephant called Saji. The whole experience made me feel like a li
ttle child once again.
Munnar was also where I was exposed to the art of Kathakali. It is the most stylised version of Indian classical dance and was developed in the seventeenth century. Kathakali is based on songs in Malayalam and Sanskrit from the tales of Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The movements of the body and the hands subtly convey the story and the emotions through the music. There are five elements in Kathakali: song, expression, dance, enactment and instrumental accompaniment. It takes seven years to study and become a dancer. The artiste’s face is elaborately painted; the good characters have a green face, the ladies have a beige face, and the evil characters have red beards and black faces. Traditionally, a Kathakali performance is usually conducted at night and ends in the wee hours of the morning. Nowadays, it isn’t difficult to see performances as short as three hours or less. Kathakali is usually performed in front of the huge Kalivilakku (kali meaning dance and vilakku meaning lamp) with its thick wick sunk till its neck in coconut oil. Traditionally, this lamp used to be the only source of light around the area where the performance happened. Enactment of a play takes place along with the accompaniment of music (sangeet) and instruments (vadya).
The regimented training of a Kathakali artiste makes him focussed, and increases his skill and physical stamina, to prepare for his demanding role. The training can often last for eight to 10 years and is intensive. The story is enacted by the movements of the hands (mudras), facial expressions (rasas) and body movements. The expressions are derived from Natyashastra (the tome that deals with the science of expressions) and are classified into nine sects in most Indian classical art forms. Dancers also undergo special practice sessions to learn control of their eye movements. After watching this performance, I spent the rest of the evening exploring a tea estate.
India on My Platter Page 11
