Cherupayar is a green gram curry that uses whole moong beans. Moong beans are high in fiber, protein and antioxidants. They are also very tasty. After soaking the moong dal overnight, the recipe comes together quickly. Ranjini whipped this up for us early one morning as part of our South Indian breakfast at The Turmerica.
This Pumpkin Leaf Dry Curry recipe comes from Akila. Akila is a Paniyas tribal woman from Wayanad. She studied hospitality at school and now works with the Menon family at The Turmerica. Akila made this dish for Ranjini and Ranjini liked the Pumpkin Leaf Dry Curry so much she wanted to share it with us. …
This recipe for Royal Malabar Kalan is a vegetable stew made with key Keralan ingredients. There’s locally grown pepper, of course, and elephant’s foot yam, then raw bananas and chilies plus a little coconut to bring it all together. Our friend Ranjini Menon of The Turmerica in Wayanad loves to research the history of Keralan …
Read more about Royal Malabar Kalan – A Vegetable Stew with Yams and Coconut
Just as the sun lowered from the clear blue sky to kiss the red earth below, we arrived in Wayanad District. Pulling the car to the side of the road on a hilltop, we got out just to take in the scene surrounding us. A few water buffalo sauntered by enjoying the cool of day’s …
When we arrived at The Turmerica, Ranjini Menon cooked us dinner dressed in a stylish new saree. To top that, when we videotaped her making several recipes, she wore the traditional Kerala saree of cream with gold trim. At neither occasion, did she spill a drop on her beautiful outfits. We were in awe from …
Ethaka Appam or Banana Fritters are a favourite tea time treat. We’ve eaten them while floating through the Backwaters of Kerala, and they go beautifully with chai at our favourite roadside stops. They’re a great distraction from the perils and excitement of our road trips. No matter where we eat them, banana fritters are a …
There are as many chai masala recipes as there are chai wallahs in India and, that’s a lot. Our recipe reflects our favourite South Indian spices. There’s the cleansing note of cardamom followed by the sparks of heat from ginger, cloves, and pepper. Underneath these high notes are the warming tones of cinnamon, nutmeg, and …
This is a short and sweet video post so you can see a few chai wallahs of South India in action. We hope it brings to life the fun of visiting a chai wallah stand, and that you’ll feel the rhythm of life that goes with them. Each time we stop for chai, the ritual …
Chai and Chai Wallahs – these words are all music to our ears when we travel in South India. Chai wallah translates as tea worker. Whether they have their own stall or are a worker at a restaurant, their job is to make and/or sell chai to their customers. One of the best things about …
A street food vendor we met outside Ooty’s Government Botanical Gardens inspired this recipe for Grilled Chilli Lime Corn. She roasted her corn over a charcoal spit. Then she rubbed it with lime, sprinkled it with chilli powder, and handed it over wrapped in the daily news. Our recipe is a little more decadent because …