The cuisine of God’s Own Country, Kerala, is as diverse as the region it comes from. The Syrian Christian fare is known for its spicy non-vegetarian dishes, while the Nair cuisine is predominantly vegetarian, and the Mappila cuisine focuses on nonvegetarian dishes that are heavier on the palate. It’s this Mappila cuisine and its secrets that are revealed in the newly released book, A Kitchen Full of Stories by 83-year-old Ummi Abdulla.
Some of the best-kept recipes from the kitchens of Malayalee Muslim households are compiled and shared by Ummi in this book that is self-published by her 40-yearold grand-daughter Nazaneen Jalaludheen.
“It is our attempt to preserve and keep our traditions intact and we realised that stories are the best way to do it. So this book has a story and a note for every recipe to make it more engaging and enjoyable for the reader,” explains Nazaneen. It’s taken nearly seven years for this crowd-funded book to get published.
A total of 104 recipes feature in the book. Some of the dishes included are Athishaya Pathiri
(crepe stuffed with minced lamb or chicken), Muttamala (made with egg yolk and sugar), Adukku Roti (steamed rice cake with ghee) and Kayada (a sweet snack made of bananas, jaggery, coconut
and rice flour).
Sharing more about the recipes in the book, Ummi says, “Once all these were collated, my granddaughter cooked and tasted them all before getting the book printed.”
Rs 1,500. Available online
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