Christmas Fruit Cake | Kerala Plum Cake | kukskitchen

Every Christmas in Kerala, the kitchen becomes a sanctuary of secrets and sweetness as mothers prepare their traditional plum cake. I carry on this tradition at my home. My son would help me sift the flour or toss the soaked fruits, tasks that bring the whole family together. The best part is the caramel-making—watching sugar transform into molten amber is pure magic to a child. Once the cakes are baked,  mothers would wrap them in parchment and tie them with red ribbons to share with neighbours and friends. The joy on their faces as they received those parcels makes one realize that the real magic of plum cake wasn’t just in the taste but in the love it carried.

Pork Kalyana varattu | Panni peralan | Keralan Pork Stir fry | Kukskitchen

Angamaly is famous for pig farming. My dad's family hails from near angamaly. We used to buy pork quite often in our house in trivandrum. I cook quite a few varieties of pork and wanted to try something different. I was searching for pork kalyana varattiyathu and stumbled up the below recipes on Maria's Menu. My father calls this preparation panni peralan which he remembers from being served in  weddings he had been to as a child.

Keralan mutton stew | Kerala lamb stew | Kukskitchen

Stew is a traditional syrian christain Keralan way of cooking meat or veg in coconut milk. This is unlike the English non-spicy stews. Coconut milk is the new health buzz and this reciep is a really good way to have coconut milk. Traditionally served with appam, idiyappam or puttu, this goes very well with fresh baked bread.

Pesaha appam and paal - Southern Kerala version | Unleavened Passover Bread | Idriappam | Kurishappam | Kukskitchen

Pesaha paal and appam are one of those duos that you make and eat only once a year with such sanctity . Now, anything with that kind of sacredness and speciality is bound to create an irresistible urge to eat it when made. 

Keralan vegetable stew | Syrian Christian Stew | Kukskitchen

Stew in a Syrian Christian home in Kerala means a soup like curry rich with coconut milk used as a side dish for breakfast mains like appam, idiyappam, vattayappam or even bread.

Classic Christmas cake | Delia Smith' sChristmas cake | Kukskitchen

Christmas brings fond memories of my childhood. There would be lent (no meat) for nearly a month, all the sacrifices you make on advice from the nuns and priests of my beloved church, singing at the midnight mass and all the merriment. I did this even in my medical college and house surgeoncy days.  It was fun!

Also, in memory is the Christmas cake and wine served to any one that comes through the door over the festive period. The wine would be home made, sweet wine with a mini-kick. My non-Christian friends would devour the cake.Since I became a home maker after marriage, I have tried many a traditional recipes, but a classic Christmas cake is one that I didn't dare attempt. Until I came across Delia Smith's recipe to a classic English Christmas cake and desperately wanted to try it.

Pesaha paal, Kalathappam, Kurisapam and Indri appam | Unleavened Passover Bread | Maundy Thursday Special | Kukskitchen

We have been on lent for Easter. Being on lent keeps things in perspective for me. It is a time I use to reflect about things that makes me better, in faith.

Beef Varattiyathu | Irachi varattiyathu | Kukskitchen

This dish does bring back memories. My mummy was a working-mum and had five hungry tums to feed. Especially after having my son and when I struggle to juggle work and home, I think about how it would've been to my mum in those days. Hats off to you mummy :).

This beef varattiyathu was a frequent member of our lunch boxes as a dry fry. Beef was my dad's favourite and we always had beef in our menu.  I dedicate this post to my dear mummy this new year for all your hard work through the years and for instilling this love for food in me.

Cherupayar ularthu | Green gram cooked in spices and coconut | Kukskitchen

Ularthu is a method of cooking seen especially in traditional syrian christian homes. The base can be meat like beef or pork, starchy vegetables like raw plantain or raw jackfruit or pulses like green gram or bengal gram.  Freshly roasted and ground coriander seeds and dried red chilly give an ularthu its special flavour. Garlic is added for some ularthu.

Green gram is a great protein supplement especially if you are trying cut down on your carbs, these jobbies would keep you full for longer.

Find other delicious syrian christian recipes  here.

Beef ularthu | Beef stir fry | Kukskitchen

Beef ularthu is a syrian christian speciality which features on a festive dinner table. Paired with coconut cuts and tasty spices, beef is at its best.

This dish brings back childhood memories for me when my mum along with other finger licking dishes would prepare this to go with par boiled rice and kachiya moru ( spiced butter milk).

Vattayappam: Rice and coconut steamed cake - a Syrian Christian speciality | Kukskitchen

Whether savoury or sweet vattayappam is so delicious. The best vattayapam I have ever had is my thresiamma ammachi's. She uses Toddy instead of yeast. I know, what pains did our nans take to get that superb taste. My dad still has tales to tell about how he managed to get it for her in Trivandrum , the capital city of Kerala. :-)

Still remember the easter mornings when she used to prepare vattayappams with chicken stew, beef cutlet and beef and kurkka ualrthu for nombu thurakkal. I'm drooling now. :-)

Here is how I make it

My vattayappam recipe is very much similar to how I make appam. Check it out here.

Prawn ularthu: the syrian christian style - featuring coconut cuts and Gambooge | Kukskitchen

Going to Kerala, my home town, is most existing especially for the yummy home (mum) cooked food we get to eat. My mum always asks me for a list of things I want to eat in advance. My list always always always includes her prawn ularthu with coconut cuts. Ethra thinnalum mathi varilla.





In uk I try to recreate that culinary experience using raw tiger prawns, frozen coconut cuts and kudampuli (Gambooge - wiki yude kripa :] ) brought from Kerala during our last visit.

Keralan chicken stew - A Syrian Christian speciality | Kukskitchen

Chicken stew and appam was a staple at my home when guests came. But the stew I remember the most was one that my mum made on my cousin S chettan's wedding day breakfast. Not sure if that special taste was due to the prior shallow frying of chicken pieces by my aunt E, my mum's special loving touch or the fact that it was such an enjoyable day with all of us cousins sitting around the breakfast table before our dear S chettan got married. Interestingly the previous night was the first time I had the yummiest chicken lollipops too. Click here for my version of chicken lollipops


Presented here is how I make it at my home.

Kaya ularthu - Plantain stir fry | Kukskitchen

Syrian Christian cuisine is gaining a lot of popularity these days. I was so surprised to see a uk celebrity chef do a syrian christian beef curry. I will post that in here soon. Watch this space.