What’s ‘Stewing’ this Weekend?

If you want to avoid eating out in the rains, but are still looking for a delicious meal that does not involve you sweating it out in the kitchen yourself, Authenticook’s Malabari feast this weekend might just be the delicious solution to your tricky predicament.

The third in the organization’s series of home-cooked meals, this one will be hosted by home chefs Mona and Arjun in the couple’s beautiful residence in Kalyani Nagar. This time, diners can look forward to a delectable spread of authentic Keralite dishes made from ingredients picked fresh from a farm located around 70 kilometres from the city where the duo grows rice and vegetables.

A glass of coconut water with a squeeze of lime served in the beginning will set the tone for the rest of the menu, which has been specially curated by the chefs to give diners a true taste of Malabar and to introduce them to the nuances of this cuisine. For appetizers, there will be crispy vegetable and tuna cutlets – for those who get put off by the strong smell emanated by canned tuna, it is important to note that the fish meat here would be fresh.

Next, you can delve into an ishtu or stew which pretty much spells Kerala food. A wholesome broth made from coconut milk and laden with either lots of sautéed vegetables or tender pieces of mutton, it can be mopped up with some hot idiyappams which are fluffy, steamed rice flour string hoppers. For second course, Mona and Arjun will be whipping up a gorgeous thick sambar, which, is “nothing such as anything you have had in a restaurant”, they profess. The tangy, sweet flavours of the tamarind cut through this liquid marvel. There will also be avial, a mellow festival dish featuring assorted vegetables with grated coconut and spices, a creamy meen curry, some chicken ularthiyathu which literally translates to ‘dry preparation’, and a mildly sweet ‘paal payasam’ made with some robust and earthy ‘black rice’ to round things off over the end.