This episode brings you a memorable home-cooked traditional meal experience from Kannur that was prepared by celebrated home chef and cuisine expert Sameera Ji. She is currently the Chef Trainer & Mappila Traditional Snack expert at Kerala Institute of Travel and Tourism Studies KITTS, Thalassery, Kannur.
We started late in the day and the first place we visited with our host Shihad was the iconic Indian Coffee House in Dharmashala. Here we had a light snack of coffee and vegetable cutlet. Patrons prefer this co operative establishment not because the food is great but primarily because the vibe and ambience are always fascinating. We had an amusing time there talking about some food memories and other anecdotes.
From there we reached Parassinikadavu Sree Muthappan Temple but couldn't show you the place as videography is prohibited in the premises. After the temple visit, Anubhav picked up a Mundu, a traditional male attire and a few snacks from a local shop in the vicinity.
Soon it was time to head to Sameera Ji home for a traditional dinner. On reaching, we were welcomed with a hot cup of Palooda drink, that she instantly prepared for us. During our conversation with our genial hosts we got to know more about her inspiring endeavours.
Next we tried kinnapathiri with chicken coconut pepper roast that she had already kept ready. The former is a silky smooth steamed cake made of rice flour while the second one is a creamy and hearty pepper flavoured chicken curry. The combination was spot on. In due course of our conversation with Sameera Ji and Mehaboob ji we gathered some enriching insights about their food traditions. The conversation also meandered to the issue of migration of Keralites to GCC countries as Mehaboob ji himself works in the region.
After this we went on to make one of the famous Mappila delicacies called Ana Pathiri. It is basically coined shaped rice flour dumplings mixed in a rich meat curry. The curry was ready beforehand so Sameera Ji just made the pathiri from scratch. It looked easy but entailed a good amount of time and effort. Once they were done, she mixed it with the chicken curry and let it rest for a while.
Meanwhile we all gathered together for a quick ghazal session as we discovered our common love for this music genre. The melodious experience left us all elated. After this we joined the family for dinner. The only addition to the spread was Kerala chicken fry which was masala coated shallow fried chicken pieces. The heartful conversations on the table gave us a deep insight into the culinary secrets behind the dishes and the cuisine.
We were totally bowled over by the meal and the warm hospitality of the family. Heartfelt thanks to all our hosts for this memorable home cooked meal experience in Kannur.