Kovalam’s food festival takes you on a coastal journey

The avour prole of Kerala is on proud display at this fest, on until July 31

As someone whose consumption of South Indian cuisine has been mostly limited to dosas and idlis, I didn’t know what to expect when I charged forth to Kovalam for its Kerala Food Festival.

Kovalam has been in the UAE for 26 years and is at the President Hotel in Al Karama.

Entering the restaurant I was pleasantly surprised by the foliage that greeted me, for swinging off the various light fixtures and beams of the eatery were green leaves, giving the indoor space an outdoor vibe. As we walked towards our seats, a waiter walked past wheeling a large boat that seemed to be packed with delicacies.

This was, we gathered, the 100cm-long, 34cm-wide Vallam Boat, which features 10 varieties of seafood from Cochin and is served alongside signature beverages. It’s priced at Dh399.

However, the food seemed like a lot, so we took our chances with the special menu, which is only available until July 31 and is like navigating the waters of the South Indian state. Each day carries a special, dishes from Kasargod, Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam. Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram. And while there were a lot of options from the Kallumakkaya (mussels) fry to the Malabar duck roast, we settled on starting with prawns, tawa fried.

Here's the thing, I’m picky about prawns – I find it’s easy for people to mess it up, by overcooking, by not frying enough, by overdoing the spice or underdoing the seasoning. This time, however, there was no ‘smell of the sea’, that overt fishiness that comes from not-sofresh shellfish.

The only thing is, since the restaurant makes everything only once you order, you may need to wait a while until the marination and cooking is done properly. Give yourself a 20-minute waiting period before you get to tucking into this goodness.

Next, it was time for the mains, for which we ordered the Niracha khozi curry, which is a chicken gravy dish, and Alleppey Chemmeen Curry (prawn curry) with aapam.

Well flavoured and cooked just right, this was quite an experience. But be warned, if you aren’t used to spice or can’t handle heat, let the person taking your order know so they can temper the levels.

For us, we sniffled as we ate, sipping on our water. The chilli only served to enhance the flavour and everything felt like it was gone too soon.

So will we be going back for a rerun? Well, that’s the plan.

Explore Kerala’s varied fare during this festival through a menu full of options such as paripu coins, betel leaf wrapped chicken, and Trivandrum stuffed Nandu (crab). Main courses include chemba puttu and kadala curry, niracha khozi curry, and kingfish curry. And then you can indulge your sweet tooth with a bite or two of raggi pudding ice cream or palada payasam.

The food festival, which runs until July 31, also has another element, that of cultural immersion. There are pop-up events such as displays of historical artefacts and cultural dances to look forward to.

All in all, a must-visit for those wanting to sample the flavours of Kerala.