Foodies always get tantalised with the hot and spicy delicacies of Kerala, and celebrating the myriad flavours of the state in its true ethnicity is ‘Malabar- Travancore Express’, at Rasaleela restaurant, Renai Cochin. True to its name, the festival has the all the sough-after delectables that is the specialty of each and every region. At the entrance of the restaurant itself, one will be welcomed by ‘Aamina- thatha’s Thatt u - kada’ which serves the ‘ s h a a p u curry’ delights for the lovers of spicy food. “It will have live counters serving various types of ‘puttu’, ‘kappa’ and there will also be counters where one can order masala grilled barbecue mullet, snaper, scampi, including sardine to name a few,” says Biju Monian, executive chef. In the ‘Shappu Curry Set’, one can savour ‘Kappa with puzhameen curry’, which is a must have one from the menu. “Puzhameen curry is prepared in authentic kuttanadan style and varaal is the type of fish used in it,” explains the chef. Another sought-after dish is ‘Idiyappam with nattu kozhi kuruma’. “For the nattu kozhi curry, we do not use broiler chicken,” he adds. Other must-haves are ‘Appam with tharavu pappas’, ‘Puttu with mutton potty’ and ‘kallappam with irachi stew’. For the seafood lovers, one can pick their favourite from ‘Kaya l u m Kadalum- Theeyi l Chut - t a t h u ’ which offers ‘karimeen’, ‘koodal’, ‘Avoli’ and ‘Konju’ to name a few. Kerala cuisine would not be complete without the mention of Malabar delights. From the region one can have the lip-smacking ‘Kallumakkai chikkivaruthathu’. They can also be had as a starter too. “Kallumakkai is batter fried with South Indian spices and well sorted with pepper and salt,” explains the chef. Then other chef recommendations are ‘Chemeen theeyal’, ‘Chemeen roast’, ‘Njandu varutharachathu’, ‘Njandu pepper fry’ and ‘Kozhuva peera’. One can have these delectables with ‘puttu’, ‘appam’ and ‘idiyappam’. For the vegans, the vegetarian platter offers ‘Cheeraputtu’ which is both tasty and healthy. Then there are some traditional homemade delights in the menu like ‘Chakkakuru manga curry’, ‘Pavakkai ularthiyathu’, ‘Ullitheeyal’, ‘Kachil puzhukku’, ‘Kadachakka varutharachatu’ and many more. After having this sumptuous affair from Malabar to Travancore, for the people having a sweet tooth, one can gorge in to ‘Kumbilappam’, ‘Undaputtu’, ‘Pazham nirachathu ‘ and ‘Ela ada’. Another highlight is that one can pick their own fish, prawns and crabs from the live trolley and can place the order of dish. The festival will be on for dinner from 7 p.m. onwards on Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout November.