Thalassery cuisine


Thalassery Cuisine refers to the distinct cuisine from Thalassery town of northern Kerala, that has blended in Arabian, Persian, Indian and European styles of cooking as a result of its long history as a maritime trading post.
Thalassery is known for its Tellicherry biriani. Unlike other biriyani dishes Thalassery biryani that is made using Kaima/ Jeerakasala, an Indian aromatic rice instead of the usual basmati rice. The influence of Arabian and Moghul cultures is evident, especially in the dishes of the Muslim community, although many have become popular among all communities.
Thalassery also occupies a special place in the modern history of Kerala as the pioneer of its bakery industry, since the first bakery was started by Mambally Bapu in 1880 and the western style cakes were introduced in 1883.

Malabar cuisine

There are broadly two classes of the non-vegetarian cuisine in Kerala; Malabar cuisine which is from North Kerala and Syrian Christian cuisine which is from the South.
The two are clearly distinct from each other; the former has Mughlai-Arab, Portuguese, British, Dutch, Jewish and French influences and the latter includes a mix of Kerala traditional dishes rich in coconut as well as various recipes of Syrian, Dutch, Portuguese or British origin.
Most dishes of Malabar cuisine, including Thalassery biryani, involve frying in ghee; there are sweet and spicy variants and they are predominantly non-vegetarian.
Some typical examples include Ari pathiri, Chatti pathiri, Coin porottas, Kallummakaya fry, Arikkadukka and Biryanis with chicken, mutton, prawn, fish, egg as well as Sweeteners such as Aleesa, Kadalapparippu ada.
, now in Pakistan
Biryani is traditionally seen only as an occasional serving and not as staple food.
Breakfast dishes include Pathiri, Orotti etc. The sweeteners are mostly used as snacks to be consumed in the afternoon or early evening.
Biryani was introduced into the region due to the Islamic influence and the recipe gradually evolved into Thalassery biryani.

Thalassery Faloodha

Thalassery Falooda is a regional variant of the Persian dessert. This is a cocktail of fruit salad, dry fruits such as blackcurrant, pistachio, cashew, almond, rose milk and vanilla ice cream.

Green Mussel dishes

The Asian Green Mussel cuisines are favored in Thalassery dishes.
The mussel is called Kallu-mma-kaya or kadukka. They grow on rocks in contact with the sea. Other dishes include Kallummakaya porichathu, Arikkadukka, Kallumakkaya Ularthiyath or Mussel Stir Fry, Kallumakkaya Varattiyathu, mussel pickles. Elambakka are also popular.
The green mussel's popularity led farmers to employ aquaculture in local rivers to increase supplies. Thalassery natives are known for their generous hospitality towards guests.

Thalassery Snacks

Another Thalassery dish is Kozhi-kkalu, made of sliced and fried tapioca.
Pappadam-Pazham kuzhakkal, Aval um Poriyum kuzhakkal are other popular dishes.
Muttamala, Taripoli, Pazham nirachatu, Unnakaya, Kaayi pola, Chatti pathiri and Ari pathiri are other local dishes. Porridges such as Mutaari kachiyatu, are popular.
Muttamala and Muttasirka are a traditional sweet made using egg, where Muttamala is yellow noodle-like made of egg yolk and Muttasirka is white-colored and made of egg white. Typically, Muttamala is spread over pieces of Muttasirka, and they are further adorned with cherries.
Unnakkai also known as Unnakaya, Unnakka, Kaai Ada, and Kaai Porichathu, is a spindle-shaped sweet dessert made of plantains. It is a famous Malabar snack often served at weddings, iftar parties and other festivities.
It is prepared by stuffing plantain with flavored coconut and fried in ghee.
Chatti pathiri is similar to Lasagne where layers of spiced beef or chicken mixture are placed between layers of egg dipped pancakes and baked in oven. It is especially served in Malabar Muslim weddings and reception parties.

Thalassery Biryani

Thalassery biryani is a rice-based dish blended with spices and chicken. As it is the only biryani recipe in Kerala cuisine, it can also be called Kerala biryani. Thalassery biriyani is the only type of biriyani in whole of Kerala which uses Kaima rice for preparation. This spread to nearby places like Kozhikode where it is known as Kozhikode biriyani, albeit being essentially the same.
The main difference between Thalassery biryani and other biryanis is that it uses only Khaima/Jeerakasala ricea short-grain, thin rice which is also called biryani rice in Kerala. The dish does not use basmati rice. Biryani is an exotic dish of Mughal origin, but this variant is an indigenous recipe of Malabar. It is a symbol of the cultural amalgamation of Mughal and Malabari cuisines. The Mughals brought the cuisine of biryani from Samarkand, and later variations of biryani developed in different parts of India. Thalassery biryani may have come to the region because of the influence of the Muslim rulers of Mysore and Arkot.
Thalassery biryani is a cultural embodiment and is reminiscent of foreign influences in Malabar; it is a reminder of the Mughal-Arab cultural influence in North Kerala due to the trade that lasted for many centuries before the 1900s and the emigration to the Middle East of locals from the 1970s onwards. Thalassery sea port was an export trade centre for spices where a convergence of European, Arab and Malabar cultures occurred.

Etymology

The name "Thalassery biryani" originates from Thalassery, a town in the coastal Malabar region in North Kerala, India. The word "biryani" is derived from the Persian word biryān which means "fried" or "roasted". Biryani was believed to have been invented in the kitchens of the Mughal Emperors; Thalassery biryani is one of many ways of preparing biryani dishes. In the local dialect-Malayalam, there is a small variation in pronunciation. It is called biri-yaa-ni instead of bir-yani

Historical and cultural influences

Thalassery biryani is an ample insignia of the Islamic cultural influence in the region. The dish is a traditional Mappila or Malabar cuisine. Ancient written recordsexcept for a few treatise by historiansciting the origin of Mappila's are rare. The mythology about the conversion of the last Chera Emperor Rama Varma Kulasekhara Perumalto Islam from Mahodayapuram by Malik Deenar and subsequent conversion of Perumal's sister and nephew residing in Dharmadam is generally believed to be the origin of Islam in North Malabar. Perumal is believed to have left Kerala from an erstwhile feudal province in the region named Poyanad which lies in between Thalassery and Kannur taluks. Perumal's nephew Mahabali, is believed to be the first Ali Raja of the Arakkal kingdom the sole Muslim kingdom of Kerala. The Arakkal Kingdom controlled Dharmadam until the formation of Kerala state on 1 November 1956. The legend showcases that these incidents had a significant influence in introducing Islamic culture in Thalassery. In the ancient period ThalasseryAn erstwhile port town in North Malabar was geographically in the convergence point of three regional provinces Chirakkal, Kottayam and Kadathanad. It was also the end point of the 'Perya pass' coming from the eastern hilly areas of Coorg and Wayanad making it an important trade center of spices in Malabar. The Arab traders, the Arkot rulers and the invasion of Sultanate of Mysore were the other important factors which introduced and developed various Islamic culture in the region.
During the Muslim holy month of Ramzan, Malabar dishes are made in abundant varieties. The Muslim community of Malabar differs culturally; the lifestyle of the trader communities near the coastal towns differs from that of the farming communities in the inland and hilly areas; Malabar cuisine varies throughout the region. In the modern era as communication improved exponentially, the differences of culture between coastal and hilly area became inconspicuous resulting in the amalgamation of food culture within the Muslim community in Malabar.
The Mughlai cuisine had a significant influence upon Malabar recipes. Mughali recipes including Biryani, Kebab and Naan spread throughout India. The ingredients included rice, maida, wheat and there was extensive use of ghee and oils for preparation. Sweet delicacies were made from jaggery. Most of these dishes are non-vegetarian; chicken, mutton, lamb and beef are used but pork is not consumed due to religious regulations. Dish range from mild to extremely spicy, and the dishes have distinct aromas.
The practice in Islamic food culture is that the non-vegetarian dishes are required to be "Halal" compliant, such foods are supposed to be consumed by Muslims as a religious directive. The Malabar Mappila dishes are preferred by some societies to be compliant with the 'Halal' method of food processing.

Differences from other biryani

Thalassery biryani uses a unique, fragrant, small-grained, thin rice variety named :ml:Kaima|Kaima or. This rice even though small in size, is different from the common small rice used in many Indian rice dishes. Kaima/Jeerakasala is not round unlike these common smaller variants and the fragrance of Kaima/Jeerakasala is another distinct feature. Other kinds of rice that could be used are Jeera rice, Jeerakasemba or small Bangladeshi biryani rice. The rice is white, short grained, thin, but it is the aroma of these rice varieties which make then distinctive.
The recipe and cuisine of Thalassery biryani has clear conspicuous differences with other biryani variants. The Kaima/Jeerakasala rice does not need pre-soaking, water is only used to clean the rice. After adequate boiling there should not be any water remaining in the cooking dish as it should have been evaporated completely. This is a major difference from other rice preparation, in which water has to be drained off after cooking.
The blending of ghee rice with masala is done by the dum process. The biryani masala and ghee rice are arranged in layers inside the dish. Meat is cooked with masala on slow fire; it is layered with rice and the lid of the container is sealed with Maida dough or a loin cloth. Hot coal or charcoal is placed then above the lid. Thalassery biryani is a Pakki-Biryani. There are two types of biryani; "Pakki" and "Kacchi", In Pakki style, the ghee rice is added to the fully cooked chicken-masala mix and then cooked by the "dum" process; where as in Kacchi style the ghee rice is added to the half cooked chicken and then cooked till it is fully cooked or the dum process is used.
Specially dressed chicken is poured into the masala dish. The chicken is slowly cooked in the masala, and gets blended well with the juices of masala and spices. The Thalassery biryani recipe has additional distinct features; unlike other biryanis it is not oily because of the dum process used for preparation. A unique blend of spices is added and the Kaima rice also adds a unique flavour. No oil is used to make the chicken, which is added raw into the masala mix.

Ingredients

For the recipe, see
Common side dishes served with Thalassery biryani are Coconut-Mint chammandi, South Asian pickle and Raita. After the meal, hot lime-black tea is served; this adds a special taste after the main course and is an aid to digestion. Lime tea is a common afters in the Malabar region, especially with a rice based main-course.
Fried Indian anchovy or smelt can be served as a starter if required and this is garnished with chopped onion, curry leaves and lime juice squeezed over it. Fried chicken in smaller pieces is also seen in some fiestas as accompaniments or as starters.
Daahashamani water, a medicated herbal water, is preferred to be used when drinking water with biryani. Daahashamani is an ayurvedic medicine and natural thirst reliever and digestive aid prepared by mixing dry ginger, cardamom, cloves, coriander seeds, mimosa catechu, sapanwood, vetiver, puncturevine and sandal wood, it is usually available in local markets.

Popularity

The dish is popular and is often served in Malabar in weddings and other celebrations and parties. Biryani is an unavoidable dish for the Muslim community. Even though Sadya is the traditional cuisine for Hindu weddings in the region, Some Hindus and Christians often serve biryani, mainly because it is easier to prepare than other main course dishes and it is a complete food that avoids the extra effort of making curry.

Nutrition

The dish is rich in nutrients as it is a rice-spice dish. It is high in proteins and carbohydrates, and is also a source of minerals and vitamins. Nutritional value of the spices is mentioned in the notes. The dish contains unsaturated and saturated fats; the saturated fat can be reduced by adjusting the quantities of hydrogenated vegetable oil and ghee.

In fiction

The Malayalam movie, "Ustad Hotel" is based on the preparation of Malabar biryani. The film is about a restaurant that specialises in Malabar cuisines that were made without adulteration and according to traditional recipes. The film narrates that customers choose this restaurant for the authenticity of the dishes.
The fictional restaurant depicted in the film is a prominent destination for food lovers as the cuisine is based on genuine Malabar recipes. The restaurant serves their flagship dish-Thalassery biryani to all customers who reach there for the first time. The story depicts these customers as admiring the dish from the first time itself and whenever they come back to the city they choose this restaurant and order this biryani The story depicts the importance of fiesta in Malabar culture. The choice of making the recipe of Malabar biryani as a theme for a blockbuster film shows how elegantly the dish is perceived in Malabar region and throughout Kerala.