Coorg or Kodagu, which is tucked up high in the Western Ghats, has been a tourist attraction for long. Perhaps a lesser-known facet of this land of pungent greenery and winding roads is its exquisite cuisine, which, despite its patronage among the connoisseurs of food, have largely flown under the popular radar.
What stands out when it comes to Coorgi cuisine is their unabashed embrace of non-vegetarian food, which they serve for their weddings and other festivities. The cooking ingredients are all home-grown and limited by provincial availability. Maybe this explains why the cuisine does not enjoy a widespread popularity.
Kochiites can get a taste of the delectable cuisine this coming week at the Coorgi food festival hosted by Casino Hotel’s Tharavadu Restaurant.
The hotel staff say the festival was long overdue as the customers have long been demanding Coorgi varieties on the restaurant’s menu. “All the dishes are made with authentic Coorgi ingredients, which are sourced from Thankamma Monappa of Berries and Leaves in Coorg. They send us the ingredients as dried powder so that it does not get spoiled,” says Dinuj Viswanathan, the restaurant manager. “The Coorgi cuisine shares a lot with the Kerala style, especially in their generous use of coconut in many of their dishes. But they do not use coconut oil to cook, which is a major departure. We have made changes to the way the dishes are prepared to cater to local taste buds,” say executive chef Asif Ali.
A major highlight is the Pandi Curry (pork curry), which is made by using sliced pork pieces and is cooked in its fat. “The preparation uses kachampuli (a dark vinegar and a mainstay of many Coorgi dishes) and pepper paste,” says assistant chef Mehboob. Another major attraction is Kaime Unde Barthada, which is poached and fried meatballs (mutton).
The other dishes include the Coorgi Spicy Fried Pork (Pandi Barthad), Puthari Curry (Stewed Kidney Beans with bitter gourd and salted fish), Spicy Coorg Crab Curry, Coorg Chicken Fry, Kaad Mange Curry (made using ‘kartha masala’, the typical dark, dry roasted spice mix of Coorg cuisine) and desserts like Karjikais (puffs with a vanilla flavoured coconut filling). Also featured are some favorites like Kadamputtu (round, steamed rice puttus, faintly glossy on the outside, firm and moist in texture), Paputtu (creamy cardamom-scented rice cakes) and the ever-so-famous Bella Kappi (traditional Coorg coffee sweetened with jaggery).
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Saumesh Thimbath / October 24th, 2015
