Paachakam – by Sabita Radhakrishna (Roli Books)
Sabita Radhakrishna, author of the best-selling and award-winning Annapurni: Heritage Cuisine from Tamil Nadu (2015), now turns her expertize towards Kerala, the green jewel of South India. Step into God’s own country with Paachakam, a beautifully-illustrated cookbook that offers authentic insights into Kerala’s most popular recipes by drawing attention to the communities that cherish them – Syrian Christians, Namboodris, Cochin Jews, Nairs, and Maplas, to name but a few. In exploring their diverse foods and customs, interviewing community elders, and researching preferred spices and flavors, Sabita uncovers special commonalities between them that serve to define Kerala cuisine as a whole. With easy-to-follow recipes, Paachakam invites readers to enjoy the many tastes of Kerala from the comfort of their own kitchen. If you are in the mood for a rich Thalassery Biryani, or a refreshing glass of Pacha Maanga, Paachakam is where you need to look into!
Sabita is a perfectionist and the book is a testimony. For the work, she researched the various communities in Kerala and began to understand the spices and cooking techniques and dominant ingredients used by each of them. She made made trips to different parts of Kerala and even Dubai for her research.
