Roshin Roy

I was talking to Sruthy yesterday on Syrian Chirstian cuisine when I realized that there would be loads of keralites like her out there who would have no clue on what they are missing in life when they are totally unaware and deprived of this exquisite plethora of gourmet food that can entice their taste buds and leave them with a lasting impression. I tried to list out a few of the most popular preparations for her when I realised that I could collect volumes of information on the subject and still have more to know. Luckly, she dint want to know much as I had already bombarded her with a lot of info on food, recipes and more ..  I thought I would write about it in here ..

Did you know that christianity was well established in Kerala, at least three centuries before it estblished itself as a religion in Europe? . The Syrian Malabar “Nasraniz” people, also known as Saint Thomas Christians or Syrian Christians are an ethnoreligious group from Kerala, adhering to the various churches of the Saint Thomas Christian tradition. The cuisine of the state of Kerala, is influenced by its large Christian minority who brought their rich cultural identity into the food they prepared. I can go on and on on the rich tradition and the history behind every dish there is, but I would rather list a few that tops the chart and you can fetch their recipes from some ammachi you know in kerala.

A favourite dish of Kerala Syrian Christians is the stew. Chicken and potatoes are simmered gently in a creamy white sauce flavoured with black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, green chillies, lime juice, shallots and coconut milk. They prepare stews with chicken, lamb, duck. The other dishes are piralen (chicken stir-fries), meat thoran (dry curry with shredded coconut), Fried fish ( usually perlspot ) with onion salad, fiery vindaloos, sardine and duck curries, and meen molee (spicy stewed fish). This is eaten with Appam. Appams, Kallappams or Vellayappams are rice flour pancakes which have soft, thick white spongy centres and thin golden crip lace like edge. Meen vevichathu or fish in fiery red chilly sauce is also another favourite item. Besides the chicken and fish there is also red meat, erachi orlarthiathu. Beef (or lamb) is boiled with roasted cirruabder seeds, red chilles, cloves, onions, cummins garlic, ginger, fried coconut chips and a little vinegar. Then with the water reduced, the, meat is almost fried dry in a little oil that has been flavoured with sliced shallots and highly aromatic curry leaves. Wine is an integral part of their cuisine.

If you are in for a full fledged sadhya, you might start with the fried fish with onion salad, followed by kallappam (rice pancakes) and mutton stew, duck roast .. … the spread would have meen vevichathu (red fish curry) and erachi ularthiyathu (fried meat) accompanied by rice, dal curry, sambar, rasam and buttermilk.. you will have the sweet and sour Kalan, the ingi curry ( ginger ), aviyal, and a lot more .. You’d be finishing if off with the pazham + paani which is more like a fruit salad ( but you’d only have ripe banana and sweet syrup made of palm toddy as its dressing ) …

The Syrian Christian contribution to the Kerala cuisine has been is tremendous. If you haven’t tried any of these stuff, I would say you really dont know what you are missing. In fact I have read elsewhere that marrying into a Syrian Christian home can be the best thing that can happen to a food lover! If you think thats not gonna work out, will post some recipes of all those stuff that I talk about in here ha .. enjoy !

If you know me well, you’d know that I am crazy about cocktails .. No, not ordering the usual ones at a classy pub or a lounge bar. .. but making those exotic ones at a cocktail party .. the whole process of shopping for the right ingredients.. the grinding, the crushing, the fizz, the flavors, and of course .. the oooh and aaaah that you get from those who enjoy watching the show

I have started reading about cocktails and I thought I would list a few things that I found interesting and informative. Every cocktail would have a few basic ingredients that go into it – the base of the drink is the main flavoring. There there would be your special flavor that adds to the detail of the drink. Care should go into getting the right concentration, color, texture and even the temperature of the drink. Its almost like making perfumes, you have a few notes that you play with.. and you strike a match at the right proportions to have the perfect product. Finally, you have your presentation and decoration thats as important as what really goes into it.

Cocktails are far from being boring; on the contrary, they are considered by most people hip and in style. Mixing a cocktail is not something that is done by strict rules; quite the opposite, the drink must be made after the personal taste. Special ingredients can be added while shaking or stirring, leading to some of the world’s most spectacular mixed drinks. What you have to remember about cocktails is that they require dedication. You have to put your heart into the making of a mixed drink and read all about different recipes.

Along with preparation, decorating a cocktail has also become an important part. All kinds of fruits are used and there are many cocktails and especially long-drinks that are served with straws or wooden sticks. Straws are known to fit very well with a certain type of cocktail, served in a highball glass. Another common method for decoration is frosting and this is used on a large scale today for a multitude of cocktails.

A cocktail shaker is used to mix drinks, usually alcoholic beverages. A shaker is usually two containers placed together; the lip of one container a bit larger than the other. This makes it watertight when you have the drink in it. It also ensures that you have over 50% of the space in the container filled with air, giving you the right space for the perfect mix. Not only is a cocktail shaker used for mixing, but when ice is added to the shaker, it speeds up the cooling time for the drinks and dilutes the drink to the perfection that you will not achieve otherwise. Drinks that are supposed to be clear, might get over mixed – or “shaken”. Ya, well if James Bond asked you to fix him a martini, you would want to get it “stirred but not shaken”. Clear drinks should not be put into a cocktail shaker for mixing, because the drink will end up overly mixed, destroying the clear appearance and turning it a cloudy white color instead. Knowing what drinks to shake and which drinks to stir is something that you will learn in the process.

Mixing a cocktail is not rocket science; but it definitely is precision work and you got to give attention to detail. It is essential to have premium ingredients, especially the liquor. Every ingredient is important; even the ice that you use. If you are going to mix a drink that requires a blender, start with crushed ice. For drinks that call for ice cubes, make sure they are small and firm. Ice cubes must melt slowly or they will spoil the flavor of the drink by diluting it too quickly. Most of your fruity, tropical drinks taste much better with crushed ice. Should your drink call for a carbonated mixer, such as Champagne or club soda, it is essential to add them last. Whatever you do, don’t shake a carbonated drink. A light stirring to mix the ingredients is your best bet.

Cocktails are great for parties, some being exotic and extremely flavored. The Internet has been able to provide varied information about cocktails including the history of mixed drinks. Most of the info presented in this post is collected from sites that talk about the subject. I am not expert, but I guess I have the urge to learn this art. I will come back with some cocktail recipes soon .. drink responsibly … .. Cheers !