BENGALURU: Kappa Chakka Kandhari is a food festival from God’s own country. Chef Regi Mathew who was previously with Taj, organised it at St John’s Auditorium, along with Augustine Kurian and John Paul.
Kappa Chakka Kandhari, KCK, means tapioca, jackfruit and chilli which is a staple for Keraliites all over the world.
Regi, Augustine and John are from Chennai, but they came to Bengaluru first with their festival, because they thought it was a better market. “There is a vibrant food culture here,” says John, who otherwise runs a timber business.
The festival is itself a little quirky, gathering cooks and food lovers along the way. “My neighbour once brought over some amazing unniappam (a fried sweet made essentially from rice and jaggery) from Kerala. When she told me about her family’s love for food. I decided to rope them in,” says John. Zeenath Azis, who made that unniappam, is a homemaker. She says, “I have been eating this since my grandmother’s time and today it seems to be forgotten. This is our way of spreading the word about ancient food.”
Kakka erachi is yellow clam meat, which is a favourite in coastal Kerala. It’s a meat that can be cooked in many ways. “ However, the traditional way of cooking it is with chilli, ginger and onion, and garam masala,” says T Mahindran, a food conslutant. “They are usually grinded and tossed with the typical Kerala spices.” He has worked with The Park, Club Mahindra, Zaras and Illusions in Chennai.
Another specialty is koorka, or Chinese potato. You can taste the coconut and the spices in this stir-fried dish. “It is a mystery where the name comes from,” says Mahindra of koorka. “It is a myth that it is from China. It is grown in Palakkad originally and cultivated in and around the area.”
Mathi fry, popular in Kerala’s toddy shops, is fish fried with chilli powder and coriander powder. “Keralites get the best food in toddy shops,” says Mahindra. “Mathi curry and Mathi fry are best tasted there.”
Try Kappa Unakka Chemmeen Cutlet, or dry tapioca and prawn cutlet. “Kappa or tapioca was once considered the poor man’s food as it was cheap. Today it’s expensive,” says Mahindra. Tapioca is had for breakfast, sometimes with fish or beef.
The food festival is on till Sunday from 1pm to 10 pm.