Foose Martha Hall - My two souths: blending the flavors of India into a southern kitchen

2016 by Asha Gomez

Photographs 2016 by Evan Sung, unless otherwise noted.

Photograph on page 29, Erica Botfeld.

Photographs on pages 63 and 183, Chris Hornaday.

The following images were purchased from Thinkstock.com.

Photo credits for page 11: Danielrao; page 56: yogesh_more, page 90: mstwin; page 95: Skouatroulio; page 111: Diana Taliun; page 124: styxclick; page 176: FtLaudGirl; page 241: Digital Vision; page 251: sodapix

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For my brother Joy Gomez. He has been my champion and defender. His unwavering support has been there whether I was navigating rough seas or riding the crest of a wave. He is equal parts confidant, guide, and mentor.

I love you, Joy.

Table of Contents

contents

I call my style of cuisine two Souths cooking. Its flavors and dishes are characterized and rooted in my deep affection for the resourcefulness and soulfulness of cooking in both my mother country India, in the far southern state of Kerala, and my chosen home in Americas southern, culinary-savvy city of Atlanta, Georgia.

T his collection of recipes brings together the culinary roots of two special places where genuine hospitality and meaning are crucial ingredients. These two Souths are over nine thousand miles apart and would seem to be in separate universes. Surprisingly, I have found their shared aspectsa warm, humid climate, abundant produce varieties, expanses of rice acreage, and busy coastal communities along with a spirit of sharing, a gift for entertaining and storytelling, a talent for creating bounty out of an often modest pantry, and a sincere embrace of simplicityblend easily in my South by South cuisine. These combined southern cultures, which value gathering family and friends around a festive table, and my abiding appreciation of the expressive capabilities of cherished foods are the touchstones of my cuisine.

My familys homestead was a bustling community of three houses surrounded by banana plants, papaya trees, and coconut palms located steps away from the Arabian Sea. In Kerala it is not uncommon for land to be distributed among siblings, who then build houses in close proximity to one another and enclose them with a common fence. My maternal grandmothers name was Carmel, hence our covey of homes came to be known as Carmel Compound. Brought up among a passel of fourteen children, I was the first girl and, therefore, doted on by a loving assortment of aunts, uncles, cousins, and brothers, all of whom praised me for my polite manners and good grades as well as admonished me for stealing baskets of fruits and hopping fences.

When I wasnt climbing trees to sample their luscious edible treasures, I loved to spend time with my mother and three aunts in a kitchen set apart from the back of the house. Both tradition and innovation reigned in that kitchen. Under the tutelage of these loving women, I absorbed lessons in preparing traditional, coastal Keralan fare. Often charged with preparing the spices needed for a specific dish, I found the daily array of freshly roasted selections mesmerizing. I became fluent in the vocabulary of spicestheir names, their flavors, and the feelings they evoked. Just as descriptive words enhance a story, I learned that black pepper, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, turmeric, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, star anise, and mustard seeds can add expression to a dish and speak the flavors of a particular season of the year.

Spices direct from the market were always ground by hand with either a mortar and pestle or a batu giling (a sort of fat rolling pin of undressed granite rolled over a thick, flat granite slab) in Carmel Compounds kitchen. Enticing aromas from pungent seasonings like kodampuli, asafoetida, and cambogia arose from cast-iron griddles and clay cooking pots, flavoring the air and the conversations of my female relatives, as they navigated me through the intricacies of using seasoning combinations to perfectly enhance a dish. Spices sizzled and simmered over a fire fed with wood and the husks left from grating coconut. My enthusiasm and confidence grew as I became adept at working with these tools and embraced the eclectic flavors that abound for those who live along the historical spice route.

SPARKED BY MY ALWAYS CURIOUS APPETITE, I SET UPON AN ENTHUSIASTIC INVESTIGATION OF THE FOODS OF MY PROVINCE AND THE NEARBY CITIES OF THE MALABAR REGION, PARTICULARLY THE PORTS WITH THEIR HISTORIC CREOLE-LIKE BLENDING OF SPICES AND FLAVORS BROUGHT BY ARAB, ROMAN, PORTUGUESE, DUTCH, BRITISH, AND ASIAN TRADERS AND SETTLERS.

Sparked by my always curious appetite, I set upon an enthusiastic investigation of the foods of my province and the nearby cities of the Malabar region, particularly the ports with their historic Creole-like blending of spices and flavors brought by Arab, Roman, Portuguese, Dutch, British, and Asian traders and settlers. I eagerly anticipated the Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Hindu festivals and the myriad of enticing foods they featured throughout the year. Traveling with my family broadened my palate and fed my inquisitive streak as I sampled unaccustomed flavors and ingredients and witnessed new cooking techniques.