Week 6 of quarantine. Everyone around the world has been hoarding toilet paper and cooking up a storm (is there a correlation??) People posted pics of their breads and cakes; the mallus on FB shared delicious masala prawns, appam, beef fry, kozhukottas and more that made my mouth water. It also made me realize how much I missed Kerala food and the comforts of taste, familiarity and love that it brought.
I have been making more Kerala food the last weeks. Besides the standard chicken curry, I've upgraded my kanji and payar, tried making appam from scratch (a fail) and chicken ishtu. We had a portion of hangar steak and I had so many plans for it. In the end I couldn't decide between a beef fry and a beef curry so I went for a beef peralan. I have plans for a chicken biriyani and a fish peera in the near future.
The last time I craved so much Kerala food was when I was pregnant with L. Before that it was when I was pregnant with T. Both times, and now, I was away from Amma, family and the people that made me feel cared for. The people who took care of things for me. Through chaotic and multiple conversations, hours spent in the kitchen and delicious home made food. There was a reason why Amma and Mamma would turn their noses up at store bought biriyani - because they could make something much better by spending a couple of hours grinding, mixing and cooking. Now I am looking after other people, taking the time to plan the dishes, the ingredients needed, the research on the recipe, and instead of playing or watching TV, I am cooking each meal.
With all the claustrophobia that family brought, there was also that feeling of letting go and letting someone else handle it - whatever that it was. Food, hormones, getting through, whatever. In me cooking all these home-inspired meals, I am looking for that sense of comfort and care, the 'it doesn't matter; its ok' feeling.
This quarantine thing is shit. There were somedays I felt like I could barely keep my head above water, so I would selfishly look out for myself. Now, as I did when pregnant, I am embracing this malluness in an effort to recreate those feelings in my home. Mainly for me, sometimes for the kids. I finally understand this unconscious survival technique that I'm following!
PS, to anyone who doesn't know what these dishes are, Google them. The pics are really beautiful!
I have been making more Kerala food the last weeks. Besides the standard chicken curry, I've upgraded my kanji and payar, tried making appam from scratch (a fail) and chicken ishtu. We had a portion of hangar steak and I had so many plans for it. In the end I couldn't decide between a beef fry and a beef curry so I went for a beef peralan. I have plans for a chicken biriyani and a fish peera in the near future.
The last time I craved so much Kerala food was when I was pregnant with L. Before that it was when I was pregnant with T. Both times, and now, I was away from Amma, family and the people that made me feel cared for. The people who took care of things for me. Through chaotic and multiple conversations, hours spent in the kitchen and delicious home made food. There was a reason why Amma and Mamma would turn their noses up at store bought biriyani - because they could make something much better by spending a couple of hours grinding, mixing and cooking. Now I am looking after other people, taking the time to plan the dishes, the ingredients needed, the research on the recipe, and instead of playing or watching TV, I am cooking each meal.
With all the claustrophobia that family brought, there was also that feeling of letting go and letting someone else handle it - whatever that it was. Food, hormones, getting through, whatever. In me cooking all these home-inspired meals, I am looking for that sense of comfort and care, the 'it doesn't matter; its ok' feeling.
This quarantine thing is shit. There were somedays I felt like I could barely keep my head above water, so I would selfishly look out for myself. Now, as I did when pregnant, I am embracing this malluness in an effort to recreate those feelings in my home. Mainly for me, sometimes for the kids. I finally understand this unconscious survival technique that I'm following!
PS, to anyone who doesn't know what these dishes are, Google them. The pics are really beautiful!
