Kappa Chakka Kandhari…what is that???!!!! Sounds strange and funny, doesn’t it!!! Any Malayalee would definitely know the meaning of these words but only a typical Malayalee would know its importance. Kappa stands for tapioca, chakka – jackfruit and kandhari means bird’s eye chilli. A vegetable, a fruit and a chilli…. what’s all this about!!!
Once upon a time, these three were the main food items in any household in Kerala. But as time progressed and Kerala evolved, things changed. No one has any more time for the simplicities of life. Today, it’s all about fast food and take-aways. Kappa chakka kandhari feels like a long lost memory or a distant dream. And that is exactly why three wise men from Kerala, Chef Regi Mathew, Augustine Kurian and John Paul, got together and came up with this brilliant concept, a ‘neo’stalgic gastronomic journey back to our roots – Kappa Chakka Kandhari. They began their journey by travelling through the length and breadth of Kerala to sample the different foods and they came up with more than 80 dishes to showcase the authentic Kerala cuisine with great importance to these three staple food crops.
After conducting several successful food festivals in various parts of India, they are now coming to U.A.E. on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of February, 2017 at Expo Centre, Sharjah, powered by MS Events and Euphoria Events. I had the opportunity to be part of the curtain-raiser which was held on January 10th at the same venue. A big thank you to The Tasty Life for taking me along on this wonderful gastronomic journey.

This event had around 40 dishes grouped into 5 themes :
- Snehatheeram
- Toddy shop memories
- Meenachilarin theerathu
- Thattum puttum
- Madhurikkum ormakkal
Here, I will be introducing Snehatheeram to you. For the rest, stay tuned. Snehatheeram roughly translates to “a shore of love”. Indeed, all 11 dishes under this theme seem to show the undying love Chef Regi Mathew and his team have for the typical Kerala cuisine they grew up having. Continue reading “Kappa Chakka Kandhari – Curtain Raiser”
Like this:
Like Loading...