Dakshin at the ITC Windsor presents The Moplahs of Malabar
Dakshin, the award-winning restaurant in ITC Windsor’s culinary crown brings to you ‘The Moplahs of Malabar’ under the aegis of Kitchens of India ~ A culinary journey featuring exotic and authentic Moplah cuisine from August 26, 2016 to September 12, 2016.
A long and eventful history of trade relations with the ancient world is evident in the many distinct communities that exist in Kerala. The Moplahs are one such community, made up of Malayalam-speaking Muslims with distinct Arab and Samarkandi influences living in Kerala’s Malabar region. One of the unique features about this community is their extraordinarily extensive and rich cuisine ~ a tantalising fusion of Northern Kerala fare with Yemeni influences ~ an absolute treat for the taste buds!
South Indian restaurant, Dakshin at the ITC Windsor, offers a fine opportunity to try some of the most toothsome dishes of the Moplah cuisine in a pleasant setting. The spread has been chosen after careful insight from the regional chefs to understand the subtleties of how preparations vary from one household to another.
I was recently delighted to receive an invitation from the lovely Hayesha Ahmed, PR Manager at ITC Windsor to sample the cuisine on offer.
Restaurant Manager Asif Ahamed with George Jayasurya, MasterChef Dakshin
The Moplah food festival at Dakshin at the ITC Windsor intends to explore the beauty of the Moplah cuisine by featuring intrinsically Moplah fare such as ‘Alisa’, which is an appetising porridge that has its roots in Yemen and uses wheat, chicken pieces, grated onion and coconut as the primary ingredients, and the delightfully sweet ‘Mutta Mala’, influenced by the Portuguese ‘Fios de Ovos’ that is prepared using egg yolk and sugar syrup. Other prominent dishes featuring in the festival are the Thalassery Dum Biryani, Pathiri or rice chapati, Neychoru or exotic fried rice, and the famous Kozikhode Halwa. To ensure that the cuisine does not lose its originality in look and flavour, Moplah culinary expert, Mrs. Ummi Abdullah has travelled all the way from Kozhikode for the occasion to overlook the food preparations.
Shikha Supriya, Hostess Dakshin and MN Nandish, Steward Dakshin
Tanya Dhar with Mrs Ummi Abdullah, Moplah culinary expert
My taste buds got a head start at the Moplah food festival at Dakshin at the ITC Windsor, with the Muthari Sherbet, a preparation that tastes very similar to payasam, although is not as sweet. The chef enlightened me on my drink, explaining, “It is a sherbet {body cooler} made with palm sugar, ragi, and coconut milk.” I enjoyed the delightful sherbet which was light on the palate, and whet the appetite for the feast that awaited me.
Photographed below is the {green} welcome drink Muneer
{Tender Coconut water with Honey, Jaggery & Khus syrup}
Chutneys of tomato, cilantro, coconut, and onion flavours for the appetisers
Appetisers
*Ulliyada
{Deep fried onion fritters}
The French term amuse-bouche {which means “amuse the mouth”} describes bite-size appetisers that are served with beverages to awaken the palate. One such amuse bouche that I was served at Dakshin were these little fritters ~ onion fillings encased in a pakoda-like preparation referred to as ‘Ulliyada’ ~ served with a delectable tamarind dipping sauce, fried and salted green chillies and a sweet chutney {quite the burst of tangy spicy flavours!}.
{You cannot resist indulging in these fritters which can be enjoyed as a starter for an Indian meal or can be served as an accompaniment to curry.}
*Kozhi Ada
{Deep fried savoury pockets stuffed with chicken}
Another crispy appetiser, the delicious ‘Kozhi Ada’ is a traditional Malabar Moplah savoury snack filled with moderately spiced chicken served with tangy tomato chutney ~ high on flavour, and tastes as delicious as it sounds!
*Pesarattu & Banana Dosai
{Green Gram Pancake & Sweet Banana Pancake}
While I enjoyed the earlier appetisers, the tender and delicious green gram mini dosa and pleasantly sweet banana mini dosa, were a tempting treat for my palate and a clear victor when it came to winning over my stomach.
Poppadom Basket
My Thali
*Mutton Varutharacha Curry
{Tender lamb cooked with finely ground coconut}
A delicious curry, where the masala ingredients are dry roasted before they are ground to a smooth paste, which forms the base of the dish. I loved the depth of flavour with the roasted coconut and slow-cooked lamb.
*Kozhi VarattiYathu
{Chicken drumsticks tossed with classic North Malabar spices}
For those who adore spicy food, this dish prepared with tender chicken pieces and onions in a perfect blend of Malabar masalas offers a melange of flavours. Additionally, the combination of spices succeeds in getting rid of the fatty flavour that sometimes overwhelms the chicken.
*Meen Pollichathu
{Grilled Seer fish marinated with Malabar spices}
This sought after Kerala delicacy is generally prepared with a fresh catch of Karimeen, where the fish is marinated with a splendid mix of Malabar spices along with a ground paste of pearl onions, green chillies, ginger & garlic, and coconut milk. The marinated fish is then wrapped in a banana leaf before it goes into the grill. This innovative preparation results in an outstanding fish preparation!
*Thakkali Vattichathu
{Pan tossed tomatoes and coconut}
The delicious flavours of the tomatoes stewed in garlic-mustard gravy is augmented by the earthen pot or ‘manchatti’ in which this dish is prepared, offering some sweetness along with a sour aftertaste of the tomatoes.
*Vendakka Mulakittathu
{A Moplah speciality Okra in a kokum flavoured gravy}
This tangy and flavoursome dish is a speciality of Kerala curries, where the roasted coconut used adds colour and extra flavour delivering an excellent side dish.
*Chena Varutharacha Curry
{Yam simmered in coconut gravy}
A healthy and delicious traditional side dish of Kerala cuisine, this dish is prepared with elephant yam cooked in a gravy of roasted coconut.
*Neichor
{Malabar styled ghee rice}
*Appam
{Rice pancakes}
These delicious soft cantered, lace-edged rice pancakes taste wonderful when they are paired with the scrumptious ‘Pajchakari’ stew.
The Vegetarian Thali
Dessert
*Muttamala with Kinnathappam
Egg yolk spaghetti, cooked in sugar syrup paired with a delightfully sweet, steamed egg white cake.
*Paliayakka/Sago or Tapioca Pearls Payasam
A probable corruption of the word Pal-Vayakka {milk-plantains}, this Moplah delicacy is prepared using sago pearls {tapioca pearls or sabudana}, sugar, powdered fennel seeds, coconut milk, and banana.
My food affair at ‘The Moplahs of Malabar’ food festival at Dakshin at the ITC Windsor, came to an end with liberal helpings of the sweet and stringy Muttamala ~ the Sago Payasam, and Kori ~ a delicacy made from banana simmered in coconut milk payasam.
To note: The style of preparation of Moplah cuisine is influenced by the Kerala cuisine, with a few subtle differences being the use of ghee versus coconut oil and the addition of dry fruits. The use of locally sourced ingredients predominates, just as it does in most other regional cuisines.
While the Moplah cuisine hardly owes its popularity to vegetarian food, Executive Chef Uchit Vohra has graciously included several vegetarian options in the menu. In addition to the Moplah promotion menu, guests can also choose from an à la carte menu as well.
A resident of Kozhikode in Kerala, eighty-year-old Ummi Abdulla has authored six cookbooks and is currently anchoring the Moplah food festival at Dakshin at the ITC Windsor, Bangalore. When I asked her how she creates new dishes, Abdullah promptly answered, “First, I decide a name for a dish around the main ingredient. Other things ~ ingredients, method of cooking ~ just follow.”
Dakshin at the ITC Windsor. “The Moplahs of Malabar” commences on 26th August till 12th September, 2016. For lunch and dinner reservations please call 080 41401223/ 1205
Disclaimer: This review was done on an invitation from ITC Windsor, Bangalore. Due judgment and care have been applied by the author to remain objective and unbiased in the review.