I first learnt of Panchavadyam amidst the jostling crowds of Thekkinadu Maidan one April. I was at the Pooram of Poorams, the Thrissur Pooram, and while the opulence of the entire celebration intrigued me, I took special note of the hundred odd artistes, clad in dhotis, producing a rush of rhythms on their various...
Healing Herbs
Learning with Vasundhara Part III: The Herb Garden “Jathi” “Kudangal” “Vayambu”. Green signboards accompanied every plant in a dainty patch of fenced land in Vasundhara Sarovar Premiere. It was a sultry day in June, and as I went on a leisurely evening stroll, I stumbled across their “herb garden”, located right next to the...
The Catch of the Day: Chemmeen and More
When in Kerala, if you hear someone talking about “Chemmeen”, they could be referring to two things. One could be delicious succulent prawns the coastline is so famous for. The other could be a technicolour film made in 1965. Ramu Kariat’s Chemmeen is one of those landmark regional Indian films every movie buff has...
Grandmother’s Recipe: Pickles of Kerala
Every visit to my Ammama’s house would entail me coming back home with a fat jar of Kadumanga. I have never quite tasted anything like my grandmother’s pickled raw mangoes anywhere else. Kadumanga was special — a family tradition, a secret recipe every Malayalee family in Kerala guarded closely. Each family had their own “secret”...
Bitter Gourd Pickle
What makes pickles from the Vasudhara kitchen stand out? For one, we don’t use any artificial preservatives. And all our ingredients are fresh from our organic herbal garden. Here is the recipe for our bitter gourd pickle made only with natural ingredients. Preparation: 30 minutes Colour: Yellowish red Serves: 1 portion Ingredients: Bitter...