When it comes to food combinations, we have some standard ones like idli-sambar, dosa-chutney, puttu-kadala/pazham, upma-pazham and so on. However, some restaurateurs have broken the convention and come out with quirky combinations, which are hit among foodies now. Well, if someone tells you that she or he has eaten a banana with spicy fish curry or mixture, don’t get surprised. Experiments are on in full swing and these keeps the foodies going.
Quirky combinations happen out of the blue and there are always takers for them. One of the oldest and most famous such combinations is pazham pori and beef curry. It is available at Sree Muruga Café in Poonithura. They have been serving it for the past 15 years. There is a story behind the discovery of this combination. “It is said that some lorry drivers found this. One day, they came to the restaurant late at night and there was nothing except pazham pori and beef curry left. As they had no other choice, they ate it together. The combination gradually became popular and found a place on the menu card of the café. The story goes like this,” says Karthik Murali of Eat Kochi Eat, a food lovers’ group.
Beef goes with almost all dishes. There is a restaurant in Kochi that serves savala vada with beef. Another restaurant has savala vada with chicken curry. Puttu and beef is a spicy combination for non-vegetarians. Puttu with minced beef, green gram gravy and pappadam is also a tasty mixture. “If you love sweets, eat puttu with juicy mangoes. It is mouth-watering,” says a foodie.
Ramassery idli and chicken stew is another blend that is becoming popular in town. Usually paired up with gunpowder, this fluffy idli is a favourite of foodies. “It is available at Must Take restaurant in Kakkanad. Instead of the traditional style, they clubbed the idli with chicken stew and vegetable stew and it turned out to be a hit,” says Karthik.
Have you ever eaten egg with kadala? That is what is served at Lathukka’s Thattukada. Details of Kadalamutta were posted by Muhamed Rafiyudin on Eat Kochi Eat. “Egg (chicken/duck) and kabuli chana form the combination. It is prepared using a homemade masala mix,” his post reads.
What about eating appam with hot and crispy parippu vada? You would get it in Mattancherry according to Karthik. He says, “Appam and Parippuvada is a popular dish there. It will be available in plenty during the lent period,” he says.
Kili Poyi is a quirky drink. Rees Raju, who posted about it on the food group, describes it as a good option that would leave one’s taste buds craving for more. A mix of grapes, horlicks and milk, he spotted it at Panampilly Nagar. Another sweet combination is neypayasam and ice cream, suggested by Sandra.
Upma, though not everyone’s favourite, too has got quirky pairings. Krishnaraj, in his post in the group, talks about one such combo — upma with potato curry and papadam that he found at Corner’s Café in Kochi. Under his post, Harry comments Upma is good with coconut chutney, while Saumya says it is even interesting with kappa (tapioca) curry and pappadam. The list goes on, so do the experiments.
(All pictures and opinions are collected from Eat Kochi Eat, a foodie’s group)
