Tuckin, the Mallu way

Malayali food has a new classy address in town complete with fiery cuisine, fish nets and traditional urns

God's own country has just found yet another representation on the culinary map of our city.

With burgeoning restaurants that give you a little bit from every South Indian state, this one is dedicated to specialty cuisine from Kerala and keeps from adding flavours of the others.

Replacing the erstwhile Spanish Tapas Bar Zara is now a mellow and new dining option, Ente Keralam.

The entrance we admit takes you straight back in time replete with the detailing through lamps, elephant shaped carved door knobs, napkins folded like boats, staff in traditional mundu sarees and the quintessential thinnai (verandah) so typical of a Kerala household.

Inside, the restaurant is spacious with scattered seating and little interference through tables placed at an arm's distance.



Placed on each table is an Urali, a traditional urn with flowers placed in them and a model of the Chinese fishing nets found in abundance in Cochin.

Treat yourself to some trivia on the menu before you go further into the tongue twisters for names that await you.

We started with Keraleeyam (Rs 85), a refreshing drink made from an unusual combination of coconut water, mint leaves, a few drops of lime and sugar.

The drink was sweet, mildly tangy and genuinely appetizing.

For starters we recommend the Vazhapoo cutlets (Rs 95) which are near ritualistic at the beginning of a typical Malayali meal. Made from banana flowers, they are light yet filling and full of flavour with a mix of spices and deep fried.

We decided to go light on the starters and proceeded to the main course. We opted for a Meen Moily (Rs 195) and Allepey Vegetable Curry (Rs 135).

Meen Moily, a fish cooked traditionally with coconut milk and a hint of ginger, was well-done with a distinct flavour of ginger and rather comforting with the Appams (Rs 25 each) and Malabar Parottas (Rs 30 each) it was paired with.
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The Allepey Vegetable Curry, a mixed vegetable curry cooked with raw mango was a tad spicy and tangy replete with distinguishable spices like cardamom and ginger and garlic.
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The parottas were their flaky best and soft till the last bite, the appams though lacked the fluffiness they are usually measured by.

For dessert we ordered Paal Ada Payasam (Rs 80) and Payasam of the day (Rs 80) which was Ada Pradhaman on a Saturday.
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The Paal Ada Payasam was a steaming hot preparation made of rice, milk and a sugar base. Doused with sugar, the payasam was well-prepared but enough to satiate you in a few bites with its overpowering sweetness.
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The Ada Pradhaman was a jaggery-based Payasam prepared with rice flakes and coconut. Flavoursome and again extremely sweet, this dessert was a tad heavy as a follow up to a big meal for us.

The perfect way to end a full Malayali meal is a Sulaimani tea that acts as a digestive. Not on the menu, but ask for it and the chef will graciously send it your way.
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Rather heady, it is a spicy concoction of tea leaves, cardamom, ginger, lemon and pepper that leaves your tongue tingling and you feeling a bit lighter.

At Ente Keralam, No 1/3, Ulsoor Road
Call 32421002
Meal for two Rs 1,000
Ente Keralam didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals.