The ‘Thakkaaram Express’ from Kannur to Thiruvananthapuram has arrived in the city with its cornucopia of Malabari cuisine. The newly opened Thakkaaram restaurant at Pulimoodu, the interiors of which have been designed to resemble train coaches, complete with signage, has quickly become the go-to destination for flavoursome treats from the homes and hearths of the Moplahs of Malabar, specifically those of Taliparamba, Kannur, and nearby towns. True to the spirit of the Indian Railways, the restaurant is as crowded as any coach/station – even though it’s as late as 9 p.m. on a weekday, no less.
In fact, it’s so crowded that we have to give our names to the young concierge, who is, incidentally, dressed like a Moplah bride, and proceed to wait for the call, along with tens of other families, drooling over the aromas emanating from inside. Meanwhile, we strike up a conversation with Shanavas Eetichery, one of the four owners of the restaurant chain. “I hail from a family of cooks going back at least 50 years. My father used to run a small hotel in Taliparamba, well known for local delicacies, which I later took over. But there was always that dream that Malabari cuisine needed to be showcased on a bigger platform to a wider audience. So, along with my friends and entrepreneurs Mohammed Shihab Ebrahim, Abdullah and Ramesh, I started this venture,” he explains.
That was almost two and a half years ago. Now the quartet has Thakkaaram outlets in Kannur, Kochi, United Arab Emirates and Qatar. This is their sixth restaurant. “Our USP is authenticity, whether its taste, menu or preparation. We serve completely authentic Malabari dishes, made from traditional ingredients, the recipes for most of which have been handed down for generations or sourced from friends and family,” he adds.
Yay! The Moplah bride finally shows us to our table and we promptly get down to discovering the expansive menu. The sister-in-law in Kannur and the brother in Kochi have recommended all the Malabari dishes in the menu – seafood, chicken, buffalo and mutton, and the biriyanis. So, we decide to forgo the Chinese and the tandoor sections (seriously, what are they doing there?) in entirety and concentrate on the ethnic dishes.
Even then, there are quite a few items to navigate, not to mention quirky titles that make no sense. Kozhiyile Melaakam ? Aadinte Athrippam ? Pothinte Athirakkali ? Kadalinte Khudrath ? Say… what?
Shanavas comes to our rescue. “It’s all Kannur lingo. For example, Thakkaaram is our way of saying salkkaaram (hearty welcome). Melaakam is a term that’s used to compliment something, a dish for example; athrippam means beauty, while khudrath means something wonderful, athirakkali is the correct way of doing things, subaad is swad or tasty… So, ‘Aadinte athrippam’ would be dishes that bring out the beauty of mutton and it would make Kozhiyile Melaakam something like the best of chicken dishes… When we made the menu we were determined that all the ethnic dishes be called by their original names only, in part to encourage the interaction between the customer and the staff members,” he says. There are only a handful of vegetarian dishes but nothing as exciting as the non-vegetarian stuff.
Armed with the info, we finally agree on neypatthal (a.k.a.nei pathiri), Kozhi kurumulakittathu, Kozhi Aanam, Koonthal masala and kozhi biriyani (the mankudukka or biriyanis in clay pots are available only for lunch). We also go with the waiter's suggestion of Meen manchattiyil vattichathu but discard his recommendation of Raamanthali pothu curry, which in retrospect was a dumb move, considering it is the restaurant’s signature dish and the fact that the family at the adjacent table were tucking into it with relish.
“It is a traditional buffalo curry that is served with neichoru at the Thangala mosque near Ezhimala Naval Academy, Kannur. It is served only during the mosque's annual fete and that too at 5 am. It is made with a lot of fresh ingredients and absolutely no masala powders. The signature flavour is thanks to a type of chilli that grows in the locality,” explains Shanavas, later. We resolved to try that and the restaurant’s mutton and kallumakaya dishes too on our next visit. Then again, we have enough on our plates as it is, literally, each dish as splendidly succulent as the next, especially the tomatoey fish curry served hot in a mud pot. The creamy Kozhi Aanam too was spectacular. It’s Shanavas’ mom, Khadeeja Hajumma’s recipe made with ground kochanga (unripe coconut)! Equally good was the pepper chicken and both dishes went well with the crispy neipathiris. Koonthal (squid) masala, served in a cheenachatti, too was flavoursome, the meat tender and soft and packed with spice.
All that spice needed something sweet. The menu has a whole selection of desserts, puddings and ice-creams, besides the ‘Battakka pottitherichadhu', essentially watermelon stuffed with variety scoops of ice-cream. The puddings, though, were not as exceptional as the main courses. What’s a Malabari meal with a piping hot glass of Sulaimani? A fitting end to a sumptuous meal.
Thakkaaram is located at Naaz Tower, Pulimoodu Junction, and is open from 12 noon to 11 p.m. The queues are long, so be prepared to wait around a bit. Home delivery is available. Contact: 9745464444
Top five
Here are the five must-haves on the menu, according to the owners
* Raamanthali pothu curry
* Aattirachi manchattiyil vattichathu
* Neimeen manchattiyil vattichathu
* Chemmeen cheena chattiyil vattichathu
* Kozhi pachamulakittathu
