WHEN KERALA MET GUJARAT

She wore Mogra flowers in her ebony black hair and infinite kindness in her heart. She helped me with my homework when mum was busy. She would play with me and my sister as if she had all the time in the world. Every time my mum washed my hair, I’d ask her to tie my hair like Suma didi. I adored Suma didi and would insist on going to the college with her.

But most of all, I loved the food that she and her family shared with us -  plantain and jackfruit chips from the annual trip to their hometown in Kerala, a platter of curries I couldn’t pronounce laid out on a banana leaf on Onam, and my absolute favorite - Kadala Curry with steaming hot idlis.

Suma didi would give heads up to my mom in advance that she’d bring Kadala curry and idlis for us, so we’d keep an appetite for it at lunch. Our houses were quite close, so she would hop over from her backyard, over to ours and leave a covered plate of idlis and curry on our kitchen counter. It would smell so wonderful and “south indian” that it could conjure up an appetite even for someone who just had a full meal. I realize now that it was possibly the sambar powder and fragrant curry leaves that gave it the distinct aroma you could follow crinkling your nose from yards away.

I created this Kadala curry from that memory and in no way do I tout it to be authentic or exactly how Suma didi’s mom made it. But it’s spicy, comforting, warm and so delicious esp. when eaten with hot idlis! It's quick with minimal ingredients and makes for a fantastic, hearty meal. It’s one of our favorite weekend brunch. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do 😊.

Find the complete recipe here.