People of Kerala know the importance of the dish Pazhamkanji or the previous day’s rice gruel as it was quite prominent in the early days. Back in the day, when the economic situations were not as improved as today and agriculture has been the staple income source for large sections of society. Rice and tapioca were in fact considered to be the main food of the common people. The difficulties of providing their family with adequate food was a genuine concern for the heads of the family. Food has been considered so precious, so much so that wasting food has never been entertained even as a thought. The leftover rice gruel or Kanji from the previous day’s supper is kept to be had as a breakfast dish called Pazhamkanji for the morning. Pazhamkanji was taken with crushed shallots, chutney and thick curd to give it an unmatched taste. The Hello Mr Perera Food Court in Kottarakkara is a small shop which serves delicious Pazhampkanji along with recipes like chutney, curd, dried fish fry and bird’s eye chilli (Kanthari) for flavour.
As we got to the food spot, we saw a board by the roadside displaying the list of recipes available through the shop. There were lots of cartoonist drawings on the walls of the restaurant about famous movie dialogues relating to Kanji or rice gruel. The restaurant is functioning only till noon on Sundays and we can have lip-smacking Pazhamkanji for breakfast.
Parotta was also available with Beef fry for the customers. In fact, they were in the process of making delicious chicken curry in the kitchen and I get to witness its preparation. Firewood is used for cooking and the restaurant belongs to a famous artist named Satish who works on television channels like Asianet. He is so talented and down-to-earth personality. Upon my request, he enacted some mimicry of famous actors and it was so enjoyable and fascinating to watch.
Pazhamkanji is served with tapioca mixed with rice and it contains a few spoons of Rasam, Pulissery, Fish curry gravy and thick Curd. Few Bird’s Eye Chillies or Kanthari were also sprinkled over the gruel for a spicy flavour. Earthen pots are another attraction as it gives a traditional feel to us. Some of the other dishes served along with Pazhamkanji were salted fish fry, prawns coconut chutney, bilimbi pickle and a spicy green chilly. I have also bought two special dishes along with rice gruel and those were Ayala fry (Mackerel) and Clam roast (Kakka). Ayala fry was served on banana leaves with sliced onion pieces on top for flavour.
As I was having the food, there I saw two families enjoying Pazhamkanji at the table next to me and they gave great reviews about the food. They stated that they had Pazhamkanji after a long time and it felt exactly like homely food. Hello Mr. Perera Food Court in Kottarakkara is a unique restaurant serving delicious Pazhamkanji. If you feel like having traditional food on your travel through this place, you can very well try out this unique food spot.
Food N Travel Ratings for Hello Mr. Perera Food Court in Kottarakkara
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