WHERE MEMORY TAKES US ?

Who doesn’t like to go back to their roots ? Food and memory is something which has always been closely related with. Especially when you are a migrant, nostalgia hits you the most. ‘Chattichoru’ is a famous keraliate dish, it is better known as ‘muthaasi chattichoru’ ( Grandma’s eartherned pot rice). The rice served in earthen dishes have a very different yet nostalgic taste, also it is no secret that in olden times earthen dishes were mainly used for cooking and due to the same the chattichoru is served in earthen vessels to bring back the old memories. For me ‘Chattichoru reminds me of my grandmother, she was the one who cooked the authentic village food for me. I didn’t know she was giving us ‘chattichoru’ until one day I had it from a Hotel in my hometown. The aroma was definitely very pleasing, it was a mix of all the spices along with a burned clay smell. After coming to Bangalore my search for authentic food led me to ‘Adam’s Ruchikootu’ , a small restaurant in Gottigere.

They were having a ‘Chattichoru fest’ as a part of their expansion.

There is nothing fancy about ‘Adam’s Ruchikoottu’, no fancy lightings, no wall arts, a plain and simple restaurant. But, even after the post pandemic situation we can always see a crowd in front of the restaurant during the lunch time. ‘Adam’s special Chattichoru’, was served in earthen mud utensils along with beef fry, chicken roast, omelette, prawns roast and fish curry. It retailed for 400 rupees, but the quantity wise it was worth the

money. 2- 3 people could have it.

Figure 1: Adam’s Special Chattichoru

After the meal, l wanted to eat something sweet. So, when I looked into the menu, I saw a dessert named ‘Burj Khalifa’ coming from a mappila family whose majority of the members are staying in the Middle East, I wanted to try it. It costs around Rs.90.It is a mix of mango, strawberry and vanilla scoops with dry fruits and flakes. If you are a sweet tooth like me you definitely don’t want to share it with anybody. I definitely think they named it ‘Burj Khalifa’ because of the quantity ( as it was served in a long big glass) and the quality. Both of these were my personal favourites from the shop, but they got a whole other variety of items in their shop.

Figure 2: Burj Khalifa (falooda)

Being a mallu, I also wanted to try their Tender Coconut’ falooda, the presentation was pretty good. But, both quantity and taste wise, it wasn’t up to the expectations also it costs around Rs. 250 which I personally think is a bit overpriced for the product, as it was mainly just pista flavoured scoop with cherry, just the representation of the dish looked fancy.

Figure 3: Tender Coconut Falooda

Apart from that what I noticed is that the majority of the crowd was migrant Keralites or people who are in transit. The location of the restaurant is kinda offbeat as it is on a highway and it is mostly dusty over near the restaurant due to the construction works going nearby. It is a must visit place if you are foodie and especially into traditional foods.