Mappilas of Malabar : Exotic Cuisines: Unveiling the master-chef

Be it the locals of the Arabian peninsula, or the Mappilas of Malabar, Muslims love eating. In the Malabar, cooking has developed into an art-form that is perfected by every girl by the time she gets married. The Muslim men are equally adept at appreciation of this art-form. Ask any Mappila man, and he will swear by his mom's 'Thalassery biriyani'. Like much of the rest of her life however, this skill of the Mappila woman has remained behind the veil, gaining her great appreciation and veneration within her family, and almost no recognition outside it. Mappila cuisine is one of the most exotic, and yet, one of the least known, of India's major cuisines.

Like any regional cuisines, Mappilas have also developed a cuisine that makes the best use of locally available ingredients. As such, most dishes are made from various forms and combinations of rice, banana, coconut and egg, besides of course, meat. In addition, the Muslim tradition of using lots of dry fruits can be seen even here.

This is my first post on this blog, and has to come with a confession. I am not a gifted cook. So while my blog may not be used as a Mappila cookery manual, I can promise you enough fun as I post on mistakes I make while stumbling across masterpieces of culinary art.

Check out these photos of food we prepared for this 'Bakri Eid'. Bakri Eid is the festival of sacrifice, where Muslims slaughter an animal in the name of Allah, remembering Abraham(Ibrahim) who had been ready to sacrifice his only son at the behest of God. Bakri Eid was doubly special for us this year, as my cousin-sister had got married only recently, and had come home with our puthiyappila (the 'new groom' - her husband)

Mappila cuisine is notoriously HIGH on cholesterol and sugar. So if you are suffering from diabetes, heart-related ailments, or are over 35-40 years old, please do not prepare any of these dishes for yourselves!