Royal tribes of Kerala and their finer tastes at ITC Kakatiya's iconic Dakshin restaurant

How little or more do we know of Indian cuisines? With so many regional traditions and micro cuisines and even lesser known aboriginal food habits, India is indeed a melting pot of so many different cuisines that do have few common elements but are distinct on their own. One such rare cuisine, one discovered last week was Kerala's tribal cuisine. In recent times, with more tourism and evolution of food culture one was exposed to Kerala delicacies beyond a kuthu paratha or appam stew. In addition to the delicious vegetarian dishes, Nayar cuisine, the Syrian Christians and their delicacies, the Mapula cuisine from the Malabar regions; there is one more cuisine from the protected forest region near Munnar.

Master Chef Velu from Dakshin, ITC Sheraton Delhi introduced the gastronomical delights from the Muthuvan hill tribe as a part of Masterchef Chronicles, at ITC Kakatiya's iconic Dakshin restaurant.

The food is distinct and in contrast to the other cuisines of Kerala, with major influences from Tamil Nadu. However the common strains include the ingredients, like coconut milk and coconut soup that was served with vegetable cooked in coconut milk, and desserts like Chemba puttu (red rice dumplings layered with coconut) and Kalli (rice dumplings cooked in coconut milk); however not so much as in the other food traditions of this God's own country.

The Muthuvan tribe considers itself as royal tribe closer to the God, owing to the belief that it is an ancient tribe going back to the stone age. They are the same people, who migrated from Tamil Nadu to this area when the Madurai king Thirumalainaicker was defeated by Tipu Sultan, in the 18th century CE. The migrants created five villages, being Kanthalloor, Keezhanthur, Karayur, Marayur and Kottakudi. These villages were called the "Anju Nadu", literally meaning "five lands". Not everyone is allowed to meet them, and it is with the help of his father who worked in the forest that Chef Velu had a firsthand taste of their cuisine, which he hopes to experience and understand better in future.

The 'Muthuvan' people were loyal subjects of the dynasty of Madurai, according to tribal legend. When the dynasty was deposed, and the surviving royal members migrated to Travancore, central Kerala. the Muthuvas carried the idols of Madurai Meenakshi, the deity of the royal family on their backs. May be that is the reason the food of the tribe is more refines unlike the rustic preparations that you usually see in the other tribal kitchens.

With whatever knowledge he could collect from his visit to the Muthuvan hill tribes, Chef Velu created a sumptuous thali at the south Indian fine dining restaurant. Using the locally produced greens, millets and red rice, the cuisine is an interesting variation, but the use of spices and flavours, and familiar preparations like the duck roast and fish fry make it appealing to the popular palate. While everything on his menu was made delicious, a few like Koyiada (chicken samosas with egg), the spicy Meen Varthad (fish rolled in betel leaves and shallow fried), Tosai (Millet, lentil and rice pancakes with vegetables) on the starter menu, and Kadancha Thaal (tempered local greens locally grown within the community), Chakka Mezhuku Perati (Jack fruit seeds tossed with shallots and chilli), Kootu curry (yam and Bengal gram tempered with mustard and coconut), Puzha Meen curry (river fish curry), Erachi Melagu curry (boneless mutton cubes coated coated with spicy gravy of black pepper) and Tharavu roast (traditional duck roast) define the cuisine for what it is; like the geography of moving from Tamil Nadu to Kerala, the food too has heavy influences of both the states, yet is traditional in its inclination and like all tribes stays local by extensively using the forest produce. This perhaps makes it distinct and one of its kind.