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Beef fry at Balan’s. |
My Kochi food explorations did not end with the toddy shop rhapsody that I had written about in my previous post. I had another exhilarating experience later that day too. That was when Shana and I drove out from the Grand Hyatt Kochi and the car got onto a ferry (the fact that it was a Jag added to the James Bond-like feeling), which took us into Fort Kochi. The route is a big-time saver I am told, though my plans to do the same with K was put paid to the next day which was Christmas evening. The queue to get onto the ferry was so long that that evening that we got our Uber to turn back after being parked in front of the crowded ferry for an hour.
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A very contemplative Oneal Sabu |
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Kashi Cafe |
Going Dutch over a British high tea
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When Oneal showed him my book, Uncle Joy looked at me and said, “I hope I will be in your next book.” I told him that with his blessings, there would be a ‘next’ someday |
A contrast to the ‘arty cafes’ of Fort Kochi is the Elite Bakery. Our first food stop on the walk. You feel as if you have been transported into the really old school bakeries, that you might remember from places such as New Market in Kolkata or Grant Road and Fort in Mumbai, when you step into Elite. It is run by Uncle Joy (James) whose father had started the place in 1963. The original bakery was located at Princess Street, though it now stands at the Burgher Street. The name of the street is a testimony to the heritage of the Dutch in Kochi. As are the breudher buns that we had there. Brown coloured sweet buns made with refined flour. Possibly the only Dutch influenced dish to still exist at Kochi, said Oneal. A treat that he had grown up on. We had the breudher buns with tea and the experience reminded me of the bun maska tradition of the Irani cafés of Mumbai.
Oneal claims that the first cake to be baked in India was apparently baked in Thallaery in 1883. By a gentleman named Mambally Bapu in a local borma (Malayali for bakery. That seemed like quite a tall claim to make and I guess there would be those in Kolkata, Bandrl or Goa who might dispute this, but I am sure that Oneal has done his homework.
Masala chai with farsan. In Kerala and not Vile Parle!
The hot badam milk was introduced at Shantilal a few years after they started serving tea, said Oneal. This was done for kids as kids were not allowed to drink tea. Drinking the masala milk is a childhood memory of Oneal. The beaming smile on his face when he entered Shantilal reiterated this fact.
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Dhokla chaat at Shnatilal |
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Badam Milk at Shantial. |
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Raunak, the grandson of the late Mr Shantilal |
I looked at the the kalli mundu (lungi) clad Malayali gentlemen enjoying their chai at this Gujarati run shop and was struck by how seamlessly this Gujarati family had become part of this city in south India. This is what my India is all about.
The mother gravy of Kochi
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Balan’s |
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Porotta, ‘mother grav,’ beef fry, beef curry porotta |
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Rahul (with the beard), Karthik (with the big smile) |
Porottas became popular in Kochi it seems once small shops likes these started serving porottas with beef fry and curry and the combination became a hit with all. A story later confirmed by Karthik Murali and Rahul who are food enthusiasts from Kochin.
The way food evolves and breaks through social barriers is indeed fascinating.
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Mr Balan |
One India
In the food that I had at each, the restaurants that I went to, the people that I met, the message that came across was consistent. That of unity in diversity. That we are a nation made up of people who are ‘many in body but one in mind,’ as the saying goes. There could be blips and aberrations no doubt but at the end of it all, this is the reality that no one change or deny.
To me, this is the story of one India.
Cake!
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With Karthik Murali |
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Mallanchare Cake |
More picture
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On the steamer to Fort Kochi |
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David Hall Cafe, Fort Kochi |
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The Pepper House |
Do watch this video that we shot at Fort Kochi:
This is the third and the last of my three part series from the trip to Kochi. Here are the earlier one:
1. What makes for a good Keralite breakfast
2. The Toddy shop experience
I would like to express my thanks to our hospitality partner for the trip, Grand Hyatt Kochi