Recipes on Ripples: a book dedicated to Kuttanad and its cuisine

Chef Soju Philip’s book Recipes on Ripples is an ode to the food, culture and people of Kuttanad

July 11, 2019 04:37 pm | Updated July 12, 2019 05:55 pm IST

Indulge food story at Ramada Kochi Express/ Albin Mathew

Indulge food story at Ramada Kochi Express/ Albin Mathew

A road trip from Edathua to Thakazhi in Alappuzha is one of Chef Soju Philip’s lasting memories: of a narrow tarred road running through ripening paddy fields with little streams and rivulets appearing every now and then. “It was a sight like no other. The fields shone like gold in the sun,” recalls Soju, who starts his travelogue-cum-cookbook, Recipes on Ripples, with these images.

Published in 2018, Recipes ... recently won a Gourmand World Cook Book Award, in the “local foods” category. For Soju, it was a labour of love, as he had spent over seven years in researching and writing. “I have always had respect for the people of Kuttanad who invest their life in farming. It is this spirit that inspired me to write the book,” he says. The book contains over 100 recipes with about 20 devoted to fish and shellfish.

The Executive Chef at Ramada Resort undertook several journeys into the villages of Kuttanad — Thakazhi, Champakkulam, Nedumudi, Mankombu, Pulinkunnu, Kavalam and Kainakari — each unique in its own way. Soju describes each village in detail. “The region is enriched by five rivers — the Pamba, the Achchankovil Aaru, the Vembanad Kayal, the Manimalayar and the Meenachilar. So their cuisine is dominated by backwater-fish such as Karimeen, Vaala, shrimp and crab. “Water forms centre-stage in the lives of the people of Kuttanad, which reflects in their attitude towards life, their food and culture.” He interacted with the locals and unearths not only age-old recipes from households, but also their personal histories.

The concept of meen pollichathu is likely to have originated in Kuttanad. “It is one of the most efficient ways to prepare fish,” he says. “It keeps the flavour intact as the marinated fish is wrapped in banana leaf and steamed.”

The book is peppered with recipes from all these villages, which are essentially similar but have subtle differences in preparation. Another influence on the food are the toddy shops that serve fiery fish curries. Their njandu (crab) varattiyathu and konju (shrimp) fry deserve special mention. These shops laid the template for shaapu food, now popular all over Kerala, says Soju.

His personal favourite, however, is the Kuttanad Tharavu Mappas , a coriander-flavoured coconut milk-based gravy, which makes for a perfect combination with aapam . “This authentic taste is very hard to replicate, as the ducks reared in Kuttanad lend a special flavour.” The Irachipidi, a thick soupy dish with rice dumplings and meat chunks with gravy that originated in Syrian Christian kitchens, is another favourite.

Geneticist and scientist Prof. MS Swaminathan has written the foreword to Soju’s book, which is published by White Falcon, Chandigarh, and is available on Amazon and Flipkart. “Kuttanad has changed with the times, the fields are slowly being eaten up by buildings and it is not the Kuttanad that I saw seven years ago. However, it still has its own character and charm,” he says.

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