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Pic no 5: InKeralait isalmosta sin to cookfoodin anythingbutcoconutoil. Traditionally,the oil tobe
usedforhousehold cookingathome wasextractedfromcoconuts grownat home and isconsideredto
be symbol of purity. Most of the modernshopkeepersstartedsubstitutingcoconutoil withother oils
perceivedtobe inferior,such asmustard or gingelly.Hence the needfor apromise.Some shopsgoone
stepfurther.Coconutoil chips- Certifiedbynone otherthanGod!!
Pic no 6: ‘Puttukutti’ -The instrumentusedtomake puttu,one of the favourite breakfastsin Kerala. The
puttumix isfedintothe hollowcylinderthatismountedon a potfilledwithboilingwaterandcookedby
risingsteam. Before the inventionof metal peopleusedhollow bamboostalkstocookthe dish.The
entire instrumentcanbe purchasedas a setfrom utensil stores. ‘Puttukuttis’ usedathomesgenerally
have onlya single stalk, howeverinbusyrestaurantssuchasthisone you will be able tospot ‘kuttis’
withupto4 stalks.
Pic no 7: Saythe word ‘grape’and we automaticallyassociateitwithwine andalcohol. A straywineglass
will somehow creepintothe picture asisthe case here. The conceptof ball grapeswas broughtto
Keralafromemigrants toUAE –a thickerpulpiersweeterversionof the regulargrape juice .The regular
grape juice isall but extinct.
Pic no 8: True to the name MAHA chipsisone of the biggest ‘bananachipsshowroom’ inKerala. Here
you’ll find bananachips,sharkkaraupperi (chunksof raw bananacoatedinjaggery) andjackfruitchips.
Apart fromthe classicvarieties,here yougetaboutsevenvarietiesof chipsflavouredwithchillipowder,
chaat powder,pepperormasalas,fingerchips(asthinstripsof banana),chipscoatedinonionpaste.
Pic no 9: A boardseenoutside abakeryin Kerala.People generallyharborfeelings of distrusttowards
outside food.People findithardto trust whattheydo notsee. “Do theyuse freshingredients, how
cleanisthe kitchen,isthe food adulterated”-theseare some of the questionsthatplague the mindsof
anyone whoeversetsfootin a bakeryor restaurantin Kerala. Several incidentshave come tolight
where pesticidesorotherforeignagentswere discoveredinfood,andthisisnotat all reassuringtothe
consumer. Hence the needforsuch‘authenticcertifications’.
Pic no 10: ‘ArabianParadise’sounds likesomethingfrom anArabianfable.The name isstylizedafterthe
Arabicscript andthe logoresembles Alladin’smysticlamp. Forthe Keralite there isalwaysanelementof
mysteryandmagic surroundingthe Arabiccountries. Evenaftersomanyyears,the UAE,or ‘the gulf’as
it isreferredtoinKerala,remainsthe mostpopulardestinationforKeralitestomove to.Forthose who
didnot have the meansor opportunity tovisitthe gulf, restaurantssuchasthese provide the nearest
experience.
Pic no 11: The ubiquitousgreenchilli.Comesinrange of shapesandsizesand isa powerful flavouring
agent. It is saidthat the flavourandtone of a dishcan be changedby carefullyregulatingthe quantityof
chillythatgoesin. There isa scientificside toittoo.While cookingfoodthatisalkaline innature ,the
acid inthe greenchillywill helpneutralizethe alkalismakingfoodeasierfordigestion.
Pic no 12: Mango Festival underwayatThiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Mangoisnotjusta fruit.Itis
nostalgia- itevokesmemoriesof summerandhome. Butto a youngergenerationsummermeansdays

at home,watchingcartoons. A verydiscernable generationgapexists.Andhow dowe transcendthat?
By takingimagesof summerfrombothgenerationsandplacingthemnexttoeach other, of course. Here
we see the popularcartooncharacters dancingundera fruitladenmangotree fromthe 90s summer.
Pic no 13: Althoughthe popularityof pizzahasgrowntremendouslyoverthe pastfew years, a sizeable
sectionof the populationhasresistedthe influence.The ideaof pizzaisstill toforeigntothem. Theywill
neverventure farbeyondfamiliarterritory.Theywill neverbe boldenoughgotoa dominoesstore an
ordera large cheese burstpizza.Howeveritispossible tobringthe pizzatothem.The elite Pizza Ruskis
new,yettreadsthe realmof familiar. Some of the more adventurousonesmightjust pickitupwhen
theysee itin a store.A fleetingfadora breakthroughinvention?Onlytimewill tell.
Pic no 14: A spice traderin Calicutlaysouthismerchandise onthe table. Each silverbowl containsa
differentfragrance,adifferent color. Howevertheyseemtobe vaguelyfamiliar.Laidoutina similar
fashiontothe Thali,I feel Ican almostcall thisarrangementa meta-thali,witheachbowl remindingme
of at leasthalf a dozendishesthatinclude the spice.Nomatterhow hardyou try youwill notbe able to
identifyall of them. The veryingredientsthatlendadishits character remainanonymous.

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