This cookbook on Kerala cuisine makes it easy for the younger generation to understand their culinary culture

Sabita Radhakrishna, 80, dons many hats. “I learned all about Syrian Christian and Moplah cuisine from two remarkable Kerala cookery experts in Dubai, with whom I spent a considerable amount of time cooking and observing their demo,” she says. Even the red rice they consume is loaded with health benefits” she says, adding, “The hallmark of the cuisine of Kerala is its simplicity and rich flavour.” Sabita had collected over 300 recipes and from those, curated the recipes for her book. “There are so many cookbooks in the market, but I ensured that Paachakam was my interpretation of Kerala cuisine, interspersed with some historicity and the communities that live there, and thus highlighted the culinary culture of Kerala segregated by the communities that influenced the diverse food culture of the region.” Other cook books by Sabita Aaharam: Traditional cuisine of Tamil Nadu, Most of the recipes were by Sabita’s mother, which are Mudaliar recipes, and the book won the Gourmand award for the best cookbook of the year. Similarly, coconut oil is sometimes added raw in certain dishes for flavour.” “When Roli Books commissioned me to write a cookbook on all four southern states, I decided to first take up the cuisine of Kerala.