September 14, 2022
Join us on September 21, 2022, our ever-so-passionate wine aficionado Sanjib Rimal brings together incredible wines expertly matched with mouth-watering Keralan dishes by Chef Dinesh. In this cultural cauldron spices remain the lingua franca of Keralan life and are used distinctively, often to add tang and fragrance rather than pure heat. Given the moniker of ‘God’s Own Country’, Kerala is regarded as one of the most idyllic locations on earth. With its stunning diversity of landscape. Eastern fringes take in the Western Ghats – lush highlands of wildflowers and wild animals – while on the west the Malabar Coast, with its picture-perfect beaches you find an endless stretch of pristine greenery and untamed coastline. An enormous labyrinthine of waterways loosely connect the two flanks of this narrow Indian state. On these backwaters ply the distinctive Ketuvallams, traditional houseboats constructed from coir knots used to transport rice across the region. Among the paddy fields & coconut tree-lined lagoons are some real Tadi Kadai (Shacks) serving fresh sap of the palm tree meant to be elixir of life. The enterprising one’s mostly leave it to ferment to create an alcoholic drink known as Toddy – An Elixir of perpetual bliss & happiness. Fish, seafood free-range waterfowl are abundant and help distinguish Keralan food from other regions. in India, where vegetarian ingredients tend to be the mainstay. The coconut palm is the tree of life here and is found everywhere. Southern Kerala cuisine take its cultural influence from early Christian Syrian settlers, as well as Chinese, British, Dutch, and Portuguese traders, who used these as spice trading outposts. Here you find fragrant, creamy stews with strong coconut flavours. The North, however, and there is a greater emphasis on spice, meat, and Arabic flavours, with the so-called Malabar cuisine dominant. Tellicherry biryani is a popular preparation here, and involves slow-cooking meat in masala spices, topping with Kaima rice (a thinner variety) and sealing with a dough lid. Ginger, cardamom, asafoetida, chilli, tamarind and peppercorn to be the most important – most of which are produced locally. The frantic chaos and the hustle bustle set off early primarily created by the shops opening early in the morning – all settling down to the aroma of camphor, sandalwood, and incense sticks, bringing in a much-needed calming effect on the senses.’
