Toddy t(r)appings

The palm wine of God’s own country or Toddy is a spirited drink and Kerala’s local Toddy shops serve the fresh potion with a multitude of dishes that are inherent to these tiny hole-in-the-walls. Kerala cuisine takes a toddy breather with some of these delicacies that are only served in these shops, to have with the fresh toddy of the season. And cooks Radha Krishnan and Suresh with their two decades of experience in the cuisine, have journeyed these shops to share three recipes of the best “toddy shop delicacies” prepared the traditional way.

Toddy is also used in leavening (as a substitute for yeast) a local form of hopper called the “Vellayappam.”

In this particular dish, the toddy is mixed with rice dough and left overnight to aid in fermentation and expansion of the dough, causing the dough to rise overnight, making the bread soft when prepared.

Showcasing the unexplored delicacies and spicy bites from these famous shops, this particular Toddy curry extravaganza takes a journey into the different curries prepared there, which are known for offering a variety of fiery spicy flavours made with the finest fish and seafood.

Vaala Mulagittahu Ingredients Vala fish (also called Ribbon Fish) 1 kg Shallots 100 gm Ginger 50 gm (chopped) Garlic 40 gm (chopped) Tomato 200 gm (sliced) Curry leaves 2 pinches Turmeric powder 10 gm Kashmiri chilli powder 50 gm Coriander powder 10 gm Kokum 50 gm Salt to taste Water 250 ml Coconut oil 50 ml

Method Heat a pan, add oil. Add ginger, garlic, curry leaves, shallots and sauté well. Add turmeric, chilli, and coriander powder and saute well. Add water, kokum, salt and bring to a boil. Add cubes of fish to the boiling liquid. Allow it to cook on a slow flame till the fish is cooked. Check seasoning.

Konju Kurumulagittathu (Prawn Pepper Fry) Ingredients Prawns 500 gm Coriander powder 15 gm Turmeric powder 5 gm Pepper powder 15 gm Crushed pepper 5 gm Salt to taste Rice flour 15 gm Lemon juice 2 nos Fennel powder 5 gm

Method De-shell prawns, slit and devein. Marinate with all the powders, lemon juice, salt and rice flour. Check for seasoning. Heat oil and fry till crisp. Serve hot with lemon wedges.

Unakka Kappa Ingredients Dry tapioca 250 gm Shallot sliced 100 gm Mustard seeds 1 tsp Green chillies (slit) 3 nos Grated coconut 50 gm Curry leaves 20 nos Turmeric powder 2 tsp Coconut oil 20 ml Salt to taste and water for cooking.

Method Soak the dried tapioca overnight. Next day, remove water, wash well and boil tapioca with salt and turmeric powder. Strain tapioca and keep aside. In a frying pan, heat oil and crackle mustard seeds. Then add curry leaves, shallots, green chilli and sauté. When translucent, add half the turmeric powder and boiled tapioca. Add some grated coconut and mix well so that the tapioca is well absorbed with the masala. Serve hot with fish curry, chilli chutney or meat curries.

Recipes courtesy Ente Keralam which recently explored toddy curries available in toddy shops across Kerala with chef Radha Krishnan and Sureh.