A taste of Gods own country

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BangaloreMirror

| FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2011

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From top: Kappa Chammanthi, Koonthal Fry, Duck Roast, Karimeen Pollichathu

umarakom is better known as a tourist destination in Kerala, located near Kottayam, and with the Vembanad Lake as its backdrop. The Kumarakom chain of restaurants also has its origins in Kottayam, where Sojan and Mercy stepped into the hospitality business with outdoor catering. After starting a restaurant in Black Thunder, the water theme park at Mettupalayam, they relocated to Chennai and started the first Kumarakom restaurant at Nungambakkam. Now multiple locations in Chennai play host to the restaurant. True to the Malayali spirit, there are also a couple of outlets in our other homeland Dubai. The restaurant at HSR Layout is their first venture in Bangalore, and has an ambience that immediately transports you to Kerala, with a dcor that includes a few mural paintings, a charupadi in some areas, a chuttuvilakku, and even right down to the boat-shaped saltnpepper holder on the table. Appetisers: The menu does provide a range of options from traditional Kerala cuisine, and if for some reason, those fail to impress you much, there are some Tandoori and Chinese options! In case soups work better for you, the mildly spicy Kozhi Kurumulaku soup (chicken and black pepper corn respectively) would be a good bet. We ignored the Veg Spring Rolls, Chicken Lollipops and Katti Rolls and decided to go for the Chenda Muriyan Kappa with Mulaku Chammanthi (tapioca with chutney in case you are Malayalam challenged), Stuffed Squid Fry and Green-masala-fried fish. The last two items were not available, so we switched to the more standard Koonthal (squid) Fry and promoted a main course dish Karimeen Pollichathu to opener status. I was initially quite dismayed on account of the minuscule Chammanthi (chutney) provided with the Kappa, but soon found that they had perfectly nailed the spicy green chilli-salt flavour, a small quantity of which can last several rounds of Kappa. The tapiocas too had been boiled to perfection. to Ficus, zamia, syngonium, peace lily, a few varieties of philodendrons (requires dappled light so has to be placed near windows), zebrina pendula or wandering Jew (a trailer that looks lovely in hanging pots), money plant and Leea Coccinea Burgundy are good to brighten up dark corners.

Manu Prasad bmfeedback@indiatimes.com

DURGESH KUMAR Y

No. 23, 14th Main Road, 4th Sector Opp. BDA Complex, HSR Layout Bangalore 560102 Ph: 080 65000117/8

Kumarakom,

Food Owner(s) Chef Alcohol Price range Parking Wheelchair access Service Sound level

Kerala cuisine, with Tandoori and Chinese added for good measure! Sojan and Mercy. The Bangalore outlet is run by their daughter Sharu Jose. Retheesh No. `800-900 for two. Street parking. No

The Karimeen Pollichathu is priced according to size (so ask beforehand) and cost us Rs 400, but the Pearlspot fish grilled perfectly, with a banana leaf wrap, and a spicy sweet and tangy secret masala was totally worth it. The squids in the Koonthal Fry were perfectly fried and the masala had permeated enough to make the dish wholesomely flavourful. Entree: The main course is easily skewed towards non-vegetarians, though the creamy, coconut milk-based Vegetable Stew would find favour with all. It is difficult to identify a favourite among the non-veg main course dishes, because the masalas involved were only separated by fine nuances. I would pick the Duck Roast, for its coconut milk-based mildly spicy, thick gravy, and meat that was tender. The Mutton Roast, a dry dish with a tasty curry leaves flavour, would be a close second. The Naadan Kozhi curry is also a coconut milkbased preparation and is a thinner version of the Duck Roast. The Meat Roast couldve been better, as the masala was more fluid than usual, and missed the generous coconut sliver presence that

makes the dish special. The Prawns Fry got the frying part right, but lacked the zing that the squids masala had provided. The Fish Moilee was a bit of a disappointment on account of its blandness. The soft appams with crispy edges proved to be a favourite, and the amazing pace at which they appeared at the table was only matched by the speed with which they disappeared soon after. The alcoholic version Kallappam (Kallu = toddy) managed to get the flavour, albeit mildly. The Porotta was also perfect with just the right amount of flakiness. The Puttu was a mild disappointment as it was a tad too powdery. The Thattu Dosa was unavailable for comment. Afters: On paper, the dessert options would make you salivate in anticipation Ela Ada, Ethakka Appam, Ethakka Roast, Jackfruit with Coconut and Paani, and so on. But we were brought back to earth with the now familiar Unavailable. The Caramelised Dried Ethappazham turned out to be a bit too syrupy and had less-than-ripe bananas and the Ada Pradhaman was quite insipid too.

Friendly and helpful. Moderate. The music moved from Malayalam movie soundtracks to 90s pop to lounge music in a couple of hours. Ambience Youll feel completely at home, the home in Kerala, that is. Hours Daily 12 pm 3.30 pm, 7 pm 11 pm Home delivery Only in HSR. Reservations It does get crowded on weekends, so reserving in advance might be a good idea.

BM VERDICT

10

In all: Kumarakom does quite a good

job of delivering authentic Kerala cuisine, and considering the portion sizes, the pricing is also just right. The non availability of certain dishes is thankfully compensated by the tastiness of those that made it to the table.

Bangalore Mirror reviews anonymously and pays for meals

ual apartments, you need 2-3 hours of direct sunlight for vegetables to grow well. Peas should be grown in mid November, says Dr Vishwanath. He gives some tips for growing vegetables: Select the seeds properly. Go to reliable stores and buy the seeds rather than buying fancy, expensive packets. Grow local varieties for better output. Although all vegetables grow in this weather, some exotic foreign vegetables will be difficult to grow, says Dr Vishwanath. Start off with one or two varieties initially. Use proper potting mixture. (one part soil and seven parts of the nourishment mixture two parts cocopeat, two parts vermi compost, two parts raw coir powder). After the first flower appears, put a handful of nourishment mixture and subsequently every 1520 days till the flowering stops.

For balconies with ample sunshine:

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MAINTENANCE

Plants that you can start off with are geraniums, frangipani, pentas, bamboo, roses, fountain grass, euphorbia, hibiscus and roses. Water lilies need overhead sunlight and are good for terraces. Night queens too grow well with sunshine.

AESTHETICS

Semi-shaded areas: Palms do well in

this area. Even in a sunny balcony, you could bunch up a few palms together in a relatively shaded corner to create an arbour like scene. Ferns, sweet potato vines (purple flowers), impatiens, thumbergia, calediums, philodendrons (very popular in balconies for its foliage) and anthuriums are some attractive options. light and dark corridors can be home

Indoors: Rooms with dappled sun-

Greening a balcony or terrace is about understanding plants and aesthetics. Though plants look good when they are healthy and do not need much help in the looks department, the choice of planters and their placement makes the space look attractive. Choose terracotta planters over plastic ones as plants can breathe easy in the former. Cement planters are too heavy and when you are thinking of growing the garden, weight issues need to be considered, says Reena. Introduce some

pretty distractions like figurines, yes, even the garden stork, and wind chimes to add to the appeal. Water features can be added to the space. Some prefer a wall mounted feature to save space. Vines like sweet potato vine can be made to climb up an attractive bamboo trellis. Trellises are good ideas to block off an unsightly view. Add some furniture if there is space, be it a small tree stump or a garden bench. A terrace or a wide balcony can hold an outdoor table and chairs for convenience.

According to Reena, some plants are known for the problems that plague them, For instance, hibiscus plants are known to be frequently infested with white flies that show up as powdery white substance. You can wash each and every leaf and the stem with carefully diluted soap solution. Or else, you can make a spicy solution of chillies and garlic and mix it with soap solution to wash away the pest. And dont forget to quarantine the infected plant for a week or till it gets better.

TIP

Decorate a sunny window ledge with small potted cacti. They are low on maintenance and look good.

VEGETABLES

I believe that the residents of apartments should grow vegetables in boxes on the buildings terrace. It is a great community project. For individ-