Portchester: developing tastes
As well-travelled as many Portchester people are, there can be few who’ve explored the Southern tip of India. No doubt many have flown over the region, en route to Australia or New Zealand, heading perhaps to or from a stop-over in Singapore.
Those in our community who have ventured to India may be more familiar with trekking near Tibet or relaxing on the Arabian seaside of Goa. Like the UK’s or Italy’s regional inequalities, India’s Kerala State is remote, less affluent but incredibly rich in many ways unmeasured by conventional market-obsessed economics.
The riches of Kerala are, most notably, found in the taste of place — and, whilst Portchester people may not be familiar with the terrain, they can certainly now explore Kerala’s cuisine.
In the village precinct, the new Nilavarafoods shop (head down the alley alongside Domino’s pizza to find them facing the flower shop) provides the perfect excuse for stocking up on rice flour, spices, coconut, and Mango chutney to recreate dishes that will not be found in your average takeaway. As the entire world seems heading for yet another round of travel restrictions, our intrepid travellers will turn instead to the Internet for fresh recipes to relieve the gloom of England. The kitchen larders of Portchester will not now be bereft of spices, marsala, and chilli chutney.
I have no news yet of Kerala cooking classes in the Parish Hall or a rush for recipe books at the Community Hub and Library, but chef has already sent me on a mission to restock the cumin for this week’s carrot soup. Iddali Podi can surely already be edging towards next week’s menu.
Wishing you all a very spicy Christmas.
Bruno
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This article is part of a series ‘Portchester — the place I call home’ and first published as Bruno’s Blog by local Councillor Gerry Kelly.
