Something fishy here

I love sea food. I can go without meat for days together but fish I must have at least twice a week. At home the three ladies in my life - my mother, my wife and my daughter - love fish.
But to this day, I am at a loss to tackle the bones of some of the bonniest fishes, which my little one handles with such ease. I am particular about prawns, crabs and shell fish. Kerala's favourite pearl spot is yet another fish I dig.
The soaring cost of fishes in the market is a cause for worry at home. And the dwindling catch year after year will only lead to price rise.
If you will excuse me let me tackle the fish spread out for lunch now...

Tapioca and fish curry

A source of cheap protein and carbohydrate, this is know as the staple food of the Malayali. Although banished from the tables of the well to do families until a decade ago, this food made a comeback of sorts when it started featuring on the menus of five star hotels in Trivandrum.
In my family this is a much sought after food. Even my daughter has a penchant for 'kappa and meen curry' as it is known in the local parlance. Incidently, tapioca is a staple of Brazilians too.

Appam and ... well!

Next to 'puttu and kadala,' my favourite anytime food is Appam and... well there is a long list. Chicken curry, beef curry, fish curry, vegetable stew, channa curry, you name any spicy curry I shall down it along with this great delicacy of Kerala.
Only one drawback though, it is very diffucult to get good toddy to make the Appam just right! But still this is it. The best snack at anytime of the day, morning, mid-morning, afternoon, evening and for supper whenever you have it.

Mouth-watering fare

Featured here is my favourite non-vegetarian delicacy. I can anticipate many of the readers' noses twisting in disgust at the thought of eating this. And any dietician worth her salt would cry murder at the thought of my eating this to my 'heart's content.' It is definetly not good for my heart. But, like a true Malayali let me say 'What to do, I am loving it.'
The very thought of 'beef fry' brings enought saliva into my mouth that you can anchor a ship in the waters. No I am joking. But I love it along with a bottle of beer, Kingfisher would the the best. High calorie (beware of the dietician, my sister is one), spicy and fatty! No way I am going to give this up for the rest of my life.

Sumptous lunch

Sadya, the full course lunch that is part and parcel of Malayali food, is better than a five course dinner I ever had in a five star hotel. The Onam sadya is best when you prepare it at home and not the ones hotels spread it out for you in their restaurants.
And the Kalyana sadya, that is the feature of all Hindu weddings in Trivandrum, is the one I reslish most what with three to four payasams and accompaniying pazham and boli.
It has been a long time. The last one I had was not that tasty. It has to prepared by some of the best names in the business in the capital of God's Own Country