Onam Avial
Avial is a vegetable stew with many variations. This one is full of local pumpkins, yams, and beans available during Onam, Kerala’s harvest festival.
Mariam Venattu’s Keralan Chicken Curry with Cassava
This chicken curry is Kerala’s version of comfort food. With a rich gravy, it was served to us with chunks of boiled cassava. We soon learned that mashing the cassava into the tantalizing sauce helped capture all the flavours created from the meat being slowly simmered in the spices. This is the kind of local …
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Our Top 5 Things To Do in the Idukki District of Kerala
In the heart of the Idukki District of Kerala lies Periyar National Park. It attracts many travellers each year and between the beauty of the park and the area’s spice trade, there are a number of fun things to do in the region’s small towns of Kumily, Thekkady and Periyar. Here are our Top 5 …
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Cooking at Home on Onam with Mariam Venattu
We spent a completely delightful afternoon cooking with Mariam Venattu and her sister Kunjumol (Anna) and their families. It was the first day of Onam in 2016. Onam is South India’s annual 10-day harvest festival. Mariam’s sons Jinu (23), Tijin (22) and Nithin (18) and Anna’s daughter Sajin (17) joined us. Her husband Thamban Varkey …
Cabbage and Carrot Thoran
This is a dry stir-fried dish. It’s quite like a coleslaw as it has the cabbage and carrots. The difference is that this coleslaw is very coconut-y and it’s eaten warm. I learned to make it in 2012, on my first trip to India, in the kitchen with Mrs. Abraham and I’ve been enjoying it …
A South Indian Spice Primer from Mr. Abraham’s Spice Garden in Kumily
Our friend Mr. Abraham has a two acre spice garden surrounding his home and two more gardens nearby. They are completely organic and open for tours. Lunch can be booked. In our previous post, we described our day in the spice garden in his backyard. Now, with Pauli-Ann’s beautiful photos, we want to lead you …
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