The city of Thrissur in Kerala has an unusual demand every summer: pot-bellied men. The bigger the belly, the better it is. While the world might find this requirement strange, for the people of Kerala, there’s nothing unusual about it. For pot-bellied men, disguised as tigers, dancing at Swaraj Round during the harvest festival...
Meen Molee
Meen Moilee is a light fish curry flavoured with coconut milk and spices, and goes wonderfully with a plate of fresh, steamed rice. A go-to dish on rainy days, we bring to you our chef’s recipe from Mystic Spice. Preparation: 30 minutes Serves: 1 portion Ingredients: Sear fish 400 grams Ginger 50 grams Garlic...
God’s Own Banana Chips
Kerala has it all… backwaters and beauty, culture and tourism, literacy and wildlife. And then there are bananas. According to me, if the state had to have a “poster-fruit”, it will have to be the banana. Because, in my three-day visit to the state, I encountered more bananas than I have encountered in three...
Row, Row, Row your Boat
“If Spain is known for bull flights, India should be known for snake boat races,” Dr P Vasudevan of Vasundhara Sarovar Premiere tells me. We are sitting in an enclosure by the edge of the Punnamada Lake in Alleppey. Around us hundreds of people are chanting, singing and cheering. “And betting too,” adds Dr...
Onam: God’s Own Festival
Hundreds of people surround the large palm-fringed waterbody I stand on the edge of. They chant, they sing, they cheer. The water is dotted with a fleet of long, curvy boats and the air is palpable with excitement, almost frantic. I am at Punnamada Lake in Alleppey. And the Nehru Trophy Boat Race is...