The Malabar Muslim Cookery

The New Indian Express Group
newindpress.com
Friday March 28 2008 12:55 IST

Fit for an epicure
Malavika

UMMI Abdullah, along with Taj Executive Chef Naren Thimmaiah, has brought a whole lot of Maplah delicacies to the city. Maplah is the Malayam speaking Muslim community of North Kerala.

Ummi has surely come a long way. From a young girl who left a pappad on hot coal to see it burn to cinders, to a grandmother with a few cookery books to her credit.

Her love for culinary is such that she was chanting recipes, while on partial sedation for a bone grafting surgery, to bear the excruciating pain!

Mouth-watering would be an understatement to sum up Ummi’s Maplah platter. And in the same breath, one has to admit that it would make the nose water too, as the food is as hot and spicy as it can get.

From the chena(yam) cutlet to the prawn biriyani, Ummi makes it a culinary journey worth every penny.

Ari Kadukka (snack made of rice flour and mussels), Kozhi ada (fried malabari dumplings with minced chicken), chemeen varattiyathu (prawn fry) and podi pathiri (rice pancakes) are the chef’s favourite from the special Maplah menu.

Except for those with a delicate stomach, Ummi’s pickles - fish, prawns, chillies, onions, dates, lemon and salted mangoes — prepared at her residence in Kozhikode, Kerala, are a musthave. Remember to keep a jug of water and a couple tissues by your side.

Though Thenga chammandi (dry coconut chutney) cannot be tagged as Maplah, it is delicious. Same goes with a couple of other dishes like the meen varutharacha curry (fish curry).

Ummi’s desserts are definite Maplah delights. Mutta mala(sweet made of egg yolk), Chatti pathiri (layers of flour stuffed with sugar, nuts and grated cocunut) and kaya nerachiyatu (stuffed banana) can be a meal by itself if you look at the calorie count.

Weight-watchers, do not try them. But for those with a sweet tooth, you must not miss the chance.

The Maplah Festival is on at Karavalli restaurant at Taj Gateway till March 30. A meal for two will cost around Rs 2,000.