Meaning of ‘Allahu Alam’ God/ God knows best. But there is one such snack in the Ponnani region of Kerala. The story goes that someone made a lot of snacks and made a new dish from the leftover stuffing. When he was asked its name, he said, ‘Allahu alam’ and the hearer assumed that it was the name!
The square shaped multilayered snack consists of all purpose flour (maida)flour), eggs and various fillings – fried or boiled eggs, mashed bananas, nuts, raisins … It should be on the menu of the festival and on important occasions in the Muslim families of the region.
Northern Kerala, then called Malabar, is known for its distinctive cuisine, especially the dishes prepared in Muslim homes. If you think that Kozhikode and Kannur have a monopoly, the people of Ponnani in neighboring Malappuram district will agree to separate.
The foodies and cultural activists of this beautiful coastal town are promoting the indigenous cuisine of Ponnani in a big way. Last year, before the pandemic, Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangha (PUKASA), an organization of artists, writers and cultural enthusiasts, organized ‘Appangal Embadum’ in Ponnani as part of its state meet. “We showcased Ponnani’s culinary diversity by bringing together home cooks who specialize in traditional snacks and meals,” says PK Khalimuddin, a member and lawyer at Pukasa.
culinary melting pot
Once a major port, Ponnani has had domestic and international trade links and has also borne the brunt of invasions and battles. Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch and Yemenis have touched its soil at various points in history. “These foreign influences are also visible in our food, whether in the preparation or their names. Ultimately the joint family system with many families living under one roof is what made the cuisine so diverse,” said Malayalam lecturer Fasila Tharkath. She has researched Ponnani’s food as part of her PhD thesis.
Writer and lawyer Vijayan Kothambath recently brought out an illustrated children’s book, Appanyathinupoya Palaharkothiyanmar, Which tells the story of two ants, Chonan and Manian, who leave for Ponnani. Angadi (Market) To see the sale of ‘Appanayam’ or Appam from Valiangadi, Kozhikode. “‘Appam’ is the generic term we use for all the items in our cuisine – snacks, cakes, pathiris, and others. ‘Appanayam’ is a short form of ‘Appangalude Vanibham’. appam), held several decades ago in Kozhikode. I have used it in the Ponnani reference to the book. Hospitality is in our blood. We love to entertain guests with good food, that too in a big way,” says Vijayan.
“The Pukasa program was our first step towards guiding these home cooks to become entrepreneurs. But the pandemic delayed our plans. However, the good thing is that after this event some outlets have opened in Ponnani to sell food directly from these women,” says Khalimuddin. The cooks have also created a WhatsApp group, Fasila says.
The food just overflows during festivals and weddings. In northern Kerala, Muslim families have ‘Puyappala Salakkaram’, a ‘custom’ where the bride’s family treats the groom in lavish treats for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It lasts for a week or so! “It is very regrettable that women work hard in the kitchen while men do nothing. However, most of the snacks we have today, must have been invented by our mothers or grandmothers because of this practice,” says Khalimuddin.
They often say, Ponnani is on the menu ada (Boiled Rice Pancakes) Alisa (A wheat based porridge with chicken/mutton and spices, inspired by Arab cuisine. One is spoiled for choice when it comes to breakfast made in this region. “Fried snacks have a shelf life of a few weeks to months and are bought in bulk by those traveling abroad. Kozhi Ada, A crispy snack, with meat filling, can be kept for up to three months,” says Asmabi.
and then there is Mutta Pathiri, affectionately called the ‘national food’ of Ponnani. “Graul with raw rice, urad dal and raw” papadum (Pappadam is soaked in water to make a fine paste) Fry in oil. We have it with our morning tea or as a snack,” says Asambi V, who runs a bakery in Ponnani.
some like it sweet
For those with a sweet tooth, there’s a housewife-cum-entrepreneur, Annie J. Vazhakpal, a version of Unnakkaya Or stuffed banana dumplings. “A filling of scrambled eggs, nuts and raisins goes in the shape of a spindle in boiled and mashed bananas. They are not fried. It is accompanied by peeled halwa cooked in coconut milk, rice flour and ghee,” she says.
windy pudding There is another country ponnani sweet. Rice, fried in oil, jaggery syrup, coconut and cardamom, are the ingredients. Asmabi says, “We get special jaggery from Lakshadweep to prepare it in our bakery.
poovappam flower-shaped, while Manda A samosa with a sweet filling of semolina, sugar and cardamom. Ambattil / Ambayathil Ada, A fried snack, looks like a concoction. Dough is passed idiyappam Before they are cone-shaped.
Other popular snacks include ball-shaped Kimmath eaten with syrup Kuriyappam (boiled small rice balls) and Paliyathappam / Palaikkappam, Small spindle shaped rice dumplings cooked in coconut milk.
chirtamala, essential for ‘Puyyapala Salakkaram’, looks like jalebi. The maida batter is deep fried by passing an eye of a coconut shell. Other regulars for the feast include Erachi Pidi (rice dumplings in beef boi), Muttmala And mutasurka (composed of egg yolk and egg white, respectively) and pathiris.
Both sweets and snacks come in interesting shapes and with saliva-worthy fillings. for example, kidutha, a sweet snack with coconut filling, areerappam that look like mini donuts, Biskitappam, shaped like the number eight, and chukkappam, Looks like a cute little button. ,chukkappam Rice is flour, eggs, shallots and black cumin and is salted. It is best to eat it with beef fry or prawn roast,” says Asmabi. karakappam is a variation of chukkappam,
As far as stones are concerned, the varieties can be said about – Velichena Pathiri, Nei Pathiri, Nice Pathiri, Kai Pathiri, Kattipathiri, Irachi Pathiri, Poricha Pathiri, Chatti Pathiri There are only a few. Just as there are many types of cakes –Mutta Cake, Rava Cake, Maida Cake, thari Cake, Kuzhi Cake, digest Cake, as mentioned by Vijayan in his book.
Ponnani created history last year when it launched a first of its kind common kitchen for multiple families. “We are organizing a workshop on the topic ‘Adukkala National Charcha Cheyyappedumbol’ on November 17th. [at ICSR Academy, Eswaramangalam, Ponnani] Where we will also see what can be done to promote entrepreneurship among home cooks. Some of them are so fond of cooking that they do not charge customers anything,” concluded Khalimuddin.
,