KOCHI: The first time I drove by Kattanum Puttum a month ago, I was surprised by the swarm of people waiting by what looked like an upgraded thattukada. As I struggled to read the diminutive English words accompanying the jazzy Malayalam ones on the name board, I made a mental note to dine at the bustling restaurant located on an otherwise quite Stadium Link Road at Kaloor.
Opened a little more than one-and-half years ago by four partners–Rafiq Abdul Majeed, Saneesh Jose, Jamal Ahmed and Ramesh V K–Kattanum Puttum serves a number of delicacies, especially naadan, to diners late into the night at an incredible price.
“We’ve had NRIs coming to the outlet straight from the airport, dine and then make way home. There’ve been lots of takers for beef kanthari and spring chicken. Most recipes are original, introduced after thorough trial by the partners and chefs. We also use the best quality ingredients. Pink Himalayan salt, which we use for all dishes, is a case in point,” said Saneesh.I stepped in and quickly realised what all the fuss was about.
Their kattan is a beautiful dusky gradient served in an OG chai glass. The still tea is so good in its looks that you don’t feel like tampering it by taking a sip. Topped with fresh mint leaves, the drink is a medicine for the soul. Whoever said life begins after coffee has, for sure, never tasted the kattan here. It’s surprising how fast the mint seeps into the warm beverage that is ever so mild in flavour and glides smoothly down your throat like a swig of fine wine. The kattan can be paired with an array of snack options of which pazhampori and parippu vada are crowd favourites.
The restaurant serves as many as 25 types of curries. There are four varieties of fish, squid, prawns, crab, and multiple fares of chicken, mutton, beef and a handful of vegetarian options to choose from, to go with their titular rice powder steam cakes.
Frankly overwhelmed by the choices, I settled on the modest chicken roast with what else but a generous portion of the cylindrical puttu served with the indispensable pappadam. The chicken is cooked to perfection in the thick brothy, creamy curry.
The meat is so tender that it tears off the bone at the slightest touch, just like the puttu which crumbles, waiting to be dug into. Staying true to the quintessentially Malayali way of eating, I dive in hands first only to be hit by a riot of flavours that blessed all the right notes on my typically Indian palate.
