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spices

Red Ginger flower
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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 …

Read more about A South Indian Spice Primer from Mr. Abraham’s Spice Garden in Kumily

Mr. Abraham of Abraham's Spice Garden.
Faces

Mr. Abraham and his Spice Garden

I’m excited to write this piece for you because Mr. Abraham’s Spice Garden is a must every time we visit Kerala. As a cook, it’s the kind of place that I dreamed of experiencing because it is chockablock full of spices. I had always longed to see where and how spices grew. I imagined a …

Read more about Mr. Abraham and his Spice Garden

Anna Zacharria's garam masala.
Plates

Anna’s Secret Garam Masala

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South India map, Kerala, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, South India, India, Faces Places and Plates blog

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Award-winning writer and photographer Karen Anderson and Pauli-Ann Carriere spent over 40 days in South India in 2016 and 2017 travelling and researching this project to bring you closer to the people, food and rich culture of this place.

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  • 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 and her family took us into their home kitchen to show us how this hearty and delicious Keralan vegetarian specialty is prepared. Pictures and recipe are up on the blog now. Link in bio. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #avial #onam #comfortfood #vegetarianrecipes #yam #pumpkin ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #southindiaroadtrip #cooksandtheircultures #facesplacesandplatesblog #Thekkady #Kumily #Kerala #GodsOwnCountry #SouthIndia #India #foodtravel #culinarytravel #SouthIndianfood #Indianfood #Indiancuisine #Keralacuisine #foodphotography #indianfooddaily ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Our travel in Kerala was generously sponsored in part by Travel XS and the Kerala Travel Mart. Thank you to the Venattu family for hosting our afternoon of cooking in their home.
  • This chicken curry is Kerala’s version of comfort food. With a rich gravy, it was paired and enjoyed with chunks of boiled cassava, following an afternoon of cooking with sisters Mariam and Anna in Kumily. This is the kind of local food that translates as delicious in any language and will be enjoyed by cooks anywhere in the world. On the blog now – Mariam Venattu’s Keralan Chicken Curry with Cassava. Enjoy! Link in bio. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #chickencurry #comfortfood #chickendinner #cassava ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #southindiaroadtrip #cooksandtheircultures #facesplacesandplatesblog #Thekkady #Kerala #GodsOwnCountry #SouthIndia #India #foodtravel #culinarytravel #SouthIndianfood #Indianfood #Indiancuisine #Keralacuisine #foodphotography #indianfooddaily ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Our travel in Kerala was generously sponsored in part by Travel XS and the Kerala Travel Mart. Thank you to the Venattu family for hosting our afternoon of cooking in their home.
  • Presenting our first recipe out of Mariam Venattu’s kitchen – Fish Curry with Kokum! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Kokum is a type of tamarind that grows throughout South India. It adds a tangy flavour to a sauce that otherwise might be on the rich side. Besides being one of the most visually appealing meals we’ve eaten in India, this is also one of the most soul satisfying. Recipe up on the blog. Link in bio. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #tamarind #tamarindfishcurry #soulfulfood #fishstew ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #southindiaroadtrip #cooksandtheircultures #facesplacesandplatesblog #Thekkady #Kerala #GodsOwnCountry #SouthIndia #India #foodtravel #culinarytravel #SouthIndianfood #Keralacuisine #foodphotography #indianfooddaily ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Our travel in Kerala was generously sponsored in part by Travel XS and the Kerala Travel Mart. Thank you to the Venattu family for hosting our afternoon of cooking in their home.
  • In the heart of the Idukki District of Kerala lies Periyar National Park. Between the beauty of the park and the area’s spice trade, there are a number of fun things to do in the regions small towns of Kumily, Thekkady, and Periyar. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Our top 5 Things To Do in the Idukki District of Kerala include trekking in the jungle, exploring spice gardens, enjoying cultural shows of Kalaripayattu martial arts and Kathakali dance, and walk abouts in the town of Kumily. More details on the blog! Link in bio. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #periyartigerreserve #ecotourism #spicetrade #organicspices #wildlifesanctuary⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #southindiaroadtrip #cooksandtheircultures #facesplacesandplatesblog #Thekkady #Kumily #Idukki #Kerala #GodsOwnCountry #SouthIndia #India #foodtravel #culinarytravel ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Our travel in Kerala was generously sponsored in part by Travel XS and the Kerala Travel Mart. All words and photos are our own and are not shared with sponsors before publication.
  • We spent a completely delightful afternoon in Kumily cooking with Mariam Venattu, her sister Kunjumol, and their families during an Onam celebration. This fun-loving family of cooks and spice purveyors take great joy in preparing recipes that have been in their family for centuries. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Learn more about our visit and Onam, on the blog now. Check back soon for Venattu family recipes for Keralan Chicken Curry, Masala French Fries, Fish Curry, and an Onam Avial. Link in bio. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #familyofcooks #spiceroute #onamcelebrations⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #southindiaroadtrip #cooksandtheircultures #facesplacesandplatesblog #Kumily #Kerala #GodsOwnCountry #SouthIndia #India #foodtravel #culinarytravel #SouthIndianfood #Indianfood #foodphotography ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Our travel in Kerala was generously sponsored in part by Travel XS and the Kerala Travel Mart. Thank you to the Venattu family for hosting our afternoon of cooking in their home.
  • We love Sheril’s pineapple curry with a big plate of his barbeque chicken and some fluffy white rice. A version of this recipe has even made it to the New York Times. Sheril often riffs on the ingredients and after visiting him on several occasions, we are sharing our favourite version. It has a green chili to keep it zippy, like the man himself. Recipe on the blog. Link in bio. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #thekkadybarbeque #cookingschool #pineapplecurry #pineapple #tropical⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #southindiaroadtrip #cooksandtheircultures #facesplacesandplatesblog #Thekkady #Kerala #GodsOwnCountry #SouthIndia #India #foodtravel #culinarytravel #SouthIndianfood #Keralacuisine ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Our travel in Kerala was generously sponsored in part by Travel XS and the Kerala Travel Mart. Many thanks to Sheril and his family for the day of cooking lessons. All words and photos are our own and are not shared with sponsors before publication.

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