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Discovering new flavours
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The flavours at the Konkani food festival were fresh and different.
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FOUR HUNDRED years since the Konkani community traversed their way to Kochi from Goa, they have been unique and special in contributing to the history and culture of the area.
. Their very presence and evolution introduced to the region a host of foods special to them. And the recently held Konkani food festival at T.D School Mattancherry, Konkani food was showcased in all its flavours.
The festival aimed at spreading and re-discovering flavours of a bygone era, starting with a host of snacks from pappada vada to a number of flavoured `kondatam' including jeera, sago, tomato, onion and bitter-gourd.
Accompaniments to a meal included an array of pickles where raw chilli is ground for flavour, avoiding the use of any powdered ingredient, while the highlight of the festival remained the famous `Pathrodo' made of Colocassia leaves. A batter made of ground rice; coconut and tamarind is thinly spread on the leaf and steamed, adding various flavours to it like green chilli or pepper.
The ` Hitu', a popular breakfast savoury made of idli batter steamed in jackfruit leaves and served with chutneys or pickle and tender coconut dosa are both unique to its cuisine.
Of the various sweetmeats prepared laboriously the most popular include `Mando' made of puffed rice, coconut and powdered sugar, wrapped in a thin dough like a pancake and roasted. Others include milk peda, 100 per cent milk with no flour that takes five hours to prepare (from ten litres of milk) and the nendrapazham halwa made of banana and ghee.
The Konkanis believe what is eaten should contain medicinal properties and adhering to this the festival also served items like drumstick dosa, which is consumed at least three times a month to prevent blood pressure.
Every dish, completely vegetarian, is carefully prepared keeping good health as the focus, a cuisine that the Konkanis have preserved over the years.
TANYA ABRAHAM
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