This recipe for Spinach and Moong Dal Soup is a great example of the food at Kalari Kovilakom. It’s light, simple, easily digestible and loaded with nutrition. Soups like this are a cornerstone in the Ayurvedic way of eating. They make us slow down and pay attention to what we are doing. When we are …
What makes this Ayurvedic Tomato Soup Ayurvedic? Well, how you prepare it is the key. Many of us sauté aromatics (celery, onion, carrots, garlic) in oil to bring out maximal flavour in soups and sauces. Ayurvedic cooking is much lighter. Ayurveda is an ancient form of medicine based on the five elements and three body …
It’s important to have an introduction to Ayurveda when travelling in South India because it’s a term you’ll encounter frequently. We’ve experienced both authentic and less than authentic versions in our travels. After our own experiences, we feel a proper introduction to Ayurveda will help you find the real deal and avoid anything less than …
Seeing Chef Velayudhan’s team at Kalari Kovilakom Vengunad (KKV) in action was a chance for us to learn how to put Ayurveda food principles into practice. KKV is known as A Palace for Ayurveda. The CGH Earth Experience group of hotels lease the palace from the family who are descendants of the Vengunad Chieftains who …
This recipe for Thiele (tiny shrimp stir fry) comes from our friend Chef Manoj Nair. He is Executive Chef and GM at CGH Earth’s Brunton Boatyard Heritage Hotel, Kochi. We first met him on our research trip in 2016 and then again when we returned with one of Karen’s cuisine and culture tours in 2018. …
Vegetables are a huge part of the diet in Kerala. And, locals enjoy their vegetables especially when they are served in Keralan Vegetable Ishtoo. Ishtoo is the Malayalam word for stew. The vegetables involved in this stew vary depending on what’s fresh at the local markets. Cooks pick the freshest seasonal ones. Then, they simmer …
Appams are steamed rice and lentil crepes. We made them with Aroma Dipu of Casa Linda in Kochi. We watched in fascination as she spread the batter in a concave pan, then created a flower petal design by tipping it to and fro. The batter is then steamed by placing a lid on the pan. …
After learning to make Fish Molee at Nimmy Paul’s Cookery School we were excited to try our friend Aroma Dipu’s Fish Molee. Fish Molee (pronounced moy-lee) is a classic Keralan dish. It has a minimal number of ingredients and maximal flavour extracted from those ingredients. Nimmy Paul’s recipe does not have turmeric. Aroma’s does. We …
Large flakes of fresh coconut accent this dish of Susheela’s Coconut Prawns. It is the favourite recipe of Susheela’s daughter-in-law, Aroma Dipu. Together, Aroma and Susheela shared how to make it when we joined them for a cooking lesson at Casa Linda Cooking School in Kochi, Kerala. Testing the recipe at home was almost as …
We were excited to cook with Aroma Dipu at the Casa Linda Restaurant and Cooking School in Kochi. We always wonder if the experiences we have will be a good match for you when you (hopefully, someday) travel to this corner of India. Aroma came highly recommended and we had such a great time with …