Long before the advent of the railways, merchants from Gujarat were used to a sea voyage which brought them to Calicut. Thereafter they used carts to arrive at Coimbatore either for business or to settle down in the land of oppourtunity. Now the Coimbatore Franchisee of "Bombay Brasserie" on Abdul Rahim Road or Black Stone Road by Restauranter Vijayakumar has been offering the aptly named food festival "Calicut to Coimbatore" to the city during the time of the Kerala Monsoon that gives the salubrious weather to our fine city.
The Idea of this journey
Vijayakumar and his Executive Chef Raja (who has been with a number of star hotels) have literally curated a fine dine experience with original cuisine from Kerala and the Kongu region. "The Coimbatore households used a lot more coconut than the rest of Tamilnadu and there was a time when they used coconut oil for cooking. This was a sign of the influence from Kerala.
Nowadays our 'Vattaram' cuisine is getting inundated in many ways due to the advent of ready made masalas and other varieties from the rest of the country. Therefore we decided to hold a 'Calicut to Coimbatore' food festival celebrating the essence of Kerala along with the food of the sing song Tamil speaking ' Kongu Vattaram'. We have worked for about two months and did much research. I managed to get some recipes from my elders and friends. The ingredients were sourced from Kerala and that includes the fish and Coconut oil too. The " Chakka " for the Chakka Prathaman and the nendra pazham,pappadam as well are from Kerala. The soil and weather of Kerala which happens to be the base for the food adds authenticity to the taste."
One can enjoy the exclusive "Calicut Mutton Biriyani - Mapla style" or the surprise "Talacherry Biriyani " which is a special on a certain day. The vegetarians can enjoy the "Kongu Butter Beans Biriyani" or the "Malabar Veg Stew" made with rich coconut milk, scented with cloves and green cardamom. The people living on the banks of the River Noyyal consume " Siruvani " from Kerala and here one can have the herb waters which may contain curative powers - Jeeraga Vellam, Nannari water, Karingari water and Ramacham water. Of course you can enjoy Kerala bread , the "Parotta" with "Kongu curry" and they get along well in every sense. The "Kerala rice with the spicy and tangy Ammchi mango curry" are divine and so is the "Nei Choru".
The State drink of Kerala "Nannari Sherbet" is part of the offering. The "Kappa and Molagu Chammandhi" served on a plantain leaf as a compliment on every table which is a part of the food festival is simply fabulous. The Kappa is a Universal Favourite in Kerala and people used to substitute it with rice. The non veg part of Kerala food is mostly Mapla while the veg part is from Palakkad which happens to be on the route. "The Kongu mutton balls" and "Kongu mutton curry" are part of Coimbatore's share in the festival. The coconut, the fish,the plantain,the jackfruit, the kappa, Kerala rice and spices are served with the "Chendai Music" emanating from the speakers they are keeping company with the pookolam and the huge lamp which is adding to the aesthetics. Adds Vijayakumar "We had to experiment with a number types of rice to arrive at the right kind of Seeraga Samba that is being used here".
The Calicut to Coimbatore food festival is a fine attempt to showcase the complimentary nature of India's food diversity. And due to popular demand, it has been extended till July 24th, 2016.