Chef Naveen Polapady of Toronto's Maroli Restaurant recently hosted a food fest featuring some delectable bites from his part of India: Oyster Stew, Pan Fried Sardines, Malabar Fish Biriyani, Pepper-Fried Bulls Testicles , King Fish Moilee, Shrimp Malabari, Squid Thoran, Kallumakai Fry (Mussels), Kappa (Cassava),Tuna Chamanthi, Chemeen Curry (Shrimps) and Crab Curry.
Polapady was eager to introduce his cuisine to new fans.
Here's a description of Malabari food – from Kerala – in his words:
"The distinctive cuisines of the south Indian state of Kerala encompass an interesting combination of vegetables, meats and seafood flavored with a variety of spices, and cooked, almost always, in coconut milk. The northern parts of Kerala specialize in Malabar Cuisine, which is noted for its liberal use of a wide variety of spices. In the ancient past, voyagers from Portugal, France, Dutch , British, Greece, Italy, China, France and Africa came to the spice coast of Malabar in southwest India."
Polapady reminded me that Keralan food is made with lots of "care and love."
"Traditional Malabar cuisine is spicy, characterized by the regular use of spices like black pepper, clove, cardamom, and almost always, cooked in fragrant coconut oil. The mildly flavoured and gently cooked Malabar cuisine is also famous for its variety of pancakes and steamed rice cakes made from pounded rice."
Here is Chef Polapady's Oyster Stew Recipe. Enjoy!
Maroli Oyster Stew
Ingredients
- 2 lbs of Oyster
- 1 can of Coconut Milk
- 2 medium Sliced Onions
- 3 Green Chillies (slit)
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 25 grams of Ginger
- 3 Cloves
- 10 sprigs Curry Leaves
- 3 tbsp chopped Cilantro
Method :
- Heat oil and saute ginger, the green chillies,cloves and curry leaves.
- Add the sliced onions and saute until transparent.
- Then add the cleaned oysters to the pan and sear. Pour in 1/2 a cup of water and half can of coconut milk.
- Add a little salt and crushed black pepper.
- Reduce the sauce and add the rest of coconut milk.
- Heat 1 tsp of coconut oil, add some chopped coriander leaves ,curry leaves and black pepper.
- Now take the pan with the oysters and mix into the coconut/cilantro/curry leaf mixture.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and crushed black pepper.
Interested in Indian dishes? Check out these previous articles: Indian-Chinese Food, Spicy Indian Cauliflower, Quick Chicken Korma, Tandoori Chicken, India Moghul Food, the Ayurvedic Diet and the Vastu Kitchen.
By the way, Kerala is in the southwest region of India, facing the Arabian Sea. Of the 32 million people residing there, a majority are of Malayali ancestry while there are also people of Jewish and Arab backgrounds.
LOCATION: Maroli Restaurant, 630 Bloor St. West, www.maroli.ca Tel: 647 897 5821
