KOCHI: Tandoor Chillies, a restaurant some meters away from the bustling Jos Junction, is an ode to the appetising food culture of Andhra Pradesh. The restaurant over 40 years old has managed to introduce the exotic range of food prepared in the kitchen of the Nawabs. The famed Andhra cuisine is available on the top floor of the restaurant.
The outlet is run by actor Krishna Mohan grandson of actor Lalitha of the famed Travancore sisters trio Lalitha-Padmini-Ragini. He has put photographs of the actress and a few shots from her iconic movies on the walls. The room reminds you of the black and white movie era.
The family-run joint has an old-world charm to it, a traditional ambience. Banana leaves neatly kept on the table with bronze plated glasses take one back to the past. There are four types of add-ons, including gongura pickle, Avakai pickle made from mango and pappu podi (the famed gun powder). Mixing these with rice and dal is the right way to start the meal.
“The business was started by my father who was a graduate of the Catering Institute Pusa in Delhi. During those days, since our ‘nadan’ dishes were already familiar to Malayalis, bringing something new was the idea behind Tandoor,” he says. The chef of the restaurant has been working here since the beginning.
Beginning with the highlight of every Andhra mess, the classic meal served in banana leaf is paired with more than seven varieties of side dishes. The white rice is sourced directly from the southern state and is served with ‘vellarikka’ chutney, a mix of ‘vendakka’ and ‘kathrika’, dal, rasam, and curd. Adding a bit of ghee to the hot rice is a perfect start. The sumptuous meal ends on a sweet note with the wheat payasam. The meal will take one on a hot ride when paired either with the mutton pepper fry (boneless soft pieces cooked in ginger and garlic paste) chicken pepper fry, or chicken sixer (with organic colour, chillies and curry leaves).
“Initially, the items were with the exact spice level of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. However, it was a bit too much for most of the customers. So, for the past years, we have been toning down the spice level. By keeping the same quality, we have altered the spice level to cater to the Malayali taste palette,” says Krishna. However, the dishes are spicy. “After keeping the name chillies, it’s not fair to not be spicy,” he quips.
OH, BOY!
A Burger Junction special with a warning sign for children and people who can’t handle spicy food — ‘The HellBoy’, the hottest of all-burgers. A key ingredient in this extreme burger is a sauce made of bhut jolokia, a notorious chilli procured from the northeast. A sample round among colleagues saw many ‘fuming’. Try at your own risk. (Branches: Panampilly Nagar, Kakkanad)
Another eatery known for spicy sandwiches is Flaming Hot Chicken in Edapally. The spicy fried chicken sandwiches come in two versions. The basic one has fried chicken, pickles and mayo, and deluxe with extra veggies, cheese. The newly launched outlet has tender chicken, wings and chilli honey glazed wings. For both courses, one can choose five spice levels. “Mild has zero spice level. Medium is the most moving. The spiciest one is extra flaming hot,” says Vivek, manager of the store.
Spicy Al Faham
While taking a stroll near JLN Stadium, a chain of food outlets can be seen on the sides of the road. Of the cluster, White House restaurant welcomes one with the fresh aroma of the hot spices that go with their exquisite list of Al Faham chicken. The in-house special Kanthari Al Faham entered the market quite recently and it’s already a hit. Made with ‘kanthari mulaku’, the Al FahAm is grilled in charcoal first. After adding some special masala, the pieces are put on the tawa. The second most demanded is the Kashmiri Al Faham. In a similar mix, the chicken pieces are wrapped in banana leaves and grilled on tawa. Paired with Kuboos and rumali roti, White House also offers many other spicy recommendations such as Peri Peri, beef kanthari tawa, and the seasonal green pepper Al Faham. “For those who prefer a toned-down yet flavourful item, there is the juicy, pepper honey kondattam. It has a moderate spice level,” says Muhammad Aslam, manager.
Taste of Nashville
Kochi has been seeing the rise of Nashville fried chicken, the local speciality of Tennessee. Kings Crust at Elamakkara has been bringing the taste of exclusive Nashville chicken to Kochiites for some months now. Started as a cloud kitchen in Kaloor a year ago, they are experimenting with taste and a good ambience. “When we thought of bringing Nashville to Kochi, we couldn’t find the right spices for it. Then we finally settled down to the Assamese chilli pepper, Bhut Jolokia. Chicken is marinated and seasoned with the famed ghost pepper and the taste is close to the original,” says one of the founders. The restaurant serves its special in three different spice levels - mild, spicey, and deadly spicey. Mild will let one experience the taste of chicken and the sandwich. According to Kings Crust, in deadly spicey, one would get a kick out of the 50 per cent chilly. “You would get to enjoy the flavour from the sauces, dips and chicken for 20 seconds. We engineered the seasoning in such a way that the spice sensation would last for about one minute or so. Deadly spice is a good option for the spicey fanatics,” adds the co-founder. Other than Nashville, Kings Crust also serves Caribbean - a bit tangy, Korean, honey butter, Thai and orange fried chicken varieties.
Toddy goodness
When you think of spicy food the very first image would be that of a toddy shop. What goes well with the finely made toddy, if not some hot and spicy dishes. The famed 50- year-old Nettor Toddy shop has something for everyone. The iconic karimeen vazhayilayil pollichathu - a delectable spread of fish - is the most popular dish here. “The fish is neatly wrapped in banana leaf. In the leaf, a gravy made out of red onion, cashews, ginger, garlic, and curry leaves is kept on both sides. Then the pack is heated on the tawa for some time,” says Shibu V S, the main cook. Aside from this dish, chicken malukayi is another spicy dish.
Local and hot
Kottayam style duck roast, beef ularthu, Achayans chicken fry mixed with potatoes, irachi chor etc are some of the key spicy highlights of Traditions Express in Kaloor. However, the Tamil Nadu-style spicy Ambur Biryani has a special place. Managing partners, Sarah Varghese and Priyanka John have been enticing the taste buds of many for years now. The mild red-toned biryani chicken is made in groundnut oil. The red chilli paste used in the chicken blends well with the rice in the dum. The chicken pieces aren’t bulky but soft, small and tender. “We don’t use a lot of masala for the chicken. Curd, red chilli paste and ginger garlic paste give the chicken a power-packed flavour. The usual garam masala, cardamom and cloves add to the goodness,” says Sara.
Spicy recommendations
Aside from these hot spots, travel and food blogger, Balram Menon has a few recommendations for ‘nadan’ food lovers. The Kaduk restaurant’s popular Vizhinjam chicken is the spiciest of all. “It is a recreation of the dish available in Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram,” he says. Whereas, the Vaidyarude Kada in North Paravur stands apart with its authentic boiled egg. But what’s so special about a boiled egg? “The boiled egg is filled with kanthari chammanthi. Have it if you can take in some heat,” says Balram. For spicy drink lovers, Mohante Kada has a special kanthari mulaku sambharam and the Punnakkal Amma’s Naruneendi Special Sarbath Shop has the tingling kanthari sarbath.
There are many spice lovers among Malayalis. Also, some restaurants cater exclusively for people who need to feel the heat in their tummies. TNIE reporter Mahima Anna Jacob and lensman A Sanesh travel around and find some of the spicy haunts of Kochi