KOCHI: Ever since the Kochi Marriott sous chef Saji Alex began toiling in kitchens, he has been told that no biriyani matched the ‘Kozhikodan’ variety.
In what could probably be a very challenging remark, he was also told how the flavour, the meat and spices of his biriyani were perfect, but “not really as good as the Kozhikodan biriyani.”
So, Saji decided to delve deep into it. One fine morning, executive chef Prakash Chettiyar and he headed to Kozhikode to unravel the magic that left many drooling. They visited the kitchens of Kozhikode’s favourite and famous food haunts, tasting and learning the secrets.
And, for those who want to have a taste of the treasure (read: handful of tasty tips), one can have it at the month-long Kozhikodan food festival, going on at Cassava, Kochi Marriott.
“We wanted to know why people thought the Kozhikodan variety was supreme. That was the whole motive behind the journey. It is not just about the biriyani, but other dishes like the fish curry, too. Undoubtedly, Kozhikode is a foodies haven. The journey in search of food gave us the first-hand experience,” says Saji.
He also learnt some valuable biriyani lessons: the first being the meat used. “In chicken biriyani, the difference lay in the chicken used. The taste of Kozhikodan biriyani is the white leghorn breed. The meat is firm but very juicy. That makes a lot of difference,” says the chef.
Even the spices are minimal. There isn’t an excess of flavours. “The balance is perfect,” says the chef, who has replicated the technique at Cassava, including the cooking method.
“Slow cooking is the key. It should be the heat that cooks, and not the flame. It takes over one hour and 40 minutes to prepare it,” says the chef.
Saji also speaks about how flavour overdrive can kill the taste. “Meen Mulakittath is a famous Kozhikodan dish. They usually have it with porotta. The secret of the curry is that it is cooked using tomatoes for the sour taste. Unlike in other parts of Kerala, the people don’t use tamarind. The advantage is the curry doesn’t kill the taste of porotta. It is such subtle things that give the dish its authentic taste,” says Saji.
The food festival also features dishes like beef dry fry, chicken chukka and the Kuttichira-special ‘chemeen charu’.
“The people here are very innovative when it comes to food,” says Saji. Try ‘kozhikal’, a vegetarian snack made of tapioca, besan, maida and rice flour, you will know how. Vegetarians can also try the ‘koon pathiri’ (mushroom pathiri).