Chef Soju Philip has always been in awe of Kuttanad and the life there. From fish wrapped in banana leaves to fiery curries served in toddy shops, he spent years learning about the rice bowl of Kerala before publishing the travelogue-cum-cookbook Recipes on Ripples: Kuttanadan Recipes from Kerala Coast in 2018. With over 100 recipes of which about 20 are devoted to fish and shellfish, this book provides a sneak-peek into central Kerala’s culinary preferences.
Currently the executive chef at Ramada Resort by Wyndham, Soju’s book recently won the International Gourmand World Cookbook Award, in the ‘Local Food’ category at a ceremony held in Macau, China “The authentic taste of Kuttanad varieties are very hard to replicate. Even the ducks reared in this area add a special taste to the dish,” he adds. We got the 43-year-old chef to handpick a special recipe from his book for Indulge: chemmeen thullichathu—a mouth-watering delicacy in which shrimp is cooked in coconut milk.
Ingredients
250 gms shrimps
or prawns
10 gms Ginger juliennes
Green chillies sliced
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp coconut oil
50 gms sliced shallots
1 sprig curry leaf
2 tomatoes diced
¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
1 cup of coconut milk
Salt, to taste.
Method
1. Devein the prawns, wash and drain it
2. Heat oil in a pan, splutter the mustard, fenugreek and curry leaves
3. Add ginger juliennes, green chilli and sliced shallots and sauté till brown
4. Add the prawns, mix for a while till it turns pink
5. Add tomatoes and coconut milk and boil on simmer for a while
6. Add lemon juice and salt and cook it till the gravy thickens
7. Remove from flame and serve fresh with rice