Across regions and religions
Deepa G, an assistant professor of history at CAS College Madayi in Kannur, highlights how food preferences during the summer varied regionally.
In many parts of Kerala, summer beverages are as diverse as the foods.
“A popular drink in Malabar is Avil vellam, a sweetened drink made with jaggery, and sometimes coconut is added. It has a loose consistency and is especially enjoyed during celebrations.”
She also explains drinks that were introduced to Kerala, like lime juice brought by Arabs to the coast and Sarbath through Mughal traditions.
In Kerala’s hilly regions, the availability of honey has led to honey-infused drinks becoming popular. “Then vellam or honey water is one such drink. It is primarily made to serve guests and acts as a natural cooling agent,” she adds.
Among the Muslim community, thari kanji, made with rava, milk, and shallots, is quite popular, she adds. And in Christian households, particularly among Latin Catholics and Syrian Christians, squash made from bilimbi fruit is a constant favourite, along with wine. In both Christian and Hindu homes, gooseberries are preserved in salt for years, and the juice made from them is highly popular,” says Deepa.
In central Kerala, one notable summer dish is ettadangazhi. “Yam, colocasia, lesser yam, Chinese potato, plantain, nanakizhangu, purple yam, and marachembu are all roasted. After roasting, they are crushed into small pieces. Then, beans, chickpeas, and muthira are also roasted and powdered. Then add grated jaggery and coconut, ghee, ripe plantains, and palm sugar, which are then mixed with powdered yams and beans. This is the preparation of ettadangazhi,” says Deepa.
Padmini Antharjanam, author of the cookbook, Namboothiri Paachakam, emphasises the importance of cooling drinks during the summer.
“Malli Kaapi mixed with jaggery used to be a popular choice during summer. Another refreshing drink is made from vazha kaambu or unni thandu. After dicing it, press and extract juice,” she says.
Padmini also highlights the benefits of dishes made from leafy vegetables. These cool down the body. She also notes another lesser-known summer dish: an appam made from thavidu. “It’s a great source of Vitamin B. To make it, mix thavidu with rice, then add banana, water, ghee, and jaggery.”
Here, let’s delve into a few modern and traditional summer recipes.