Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts: Recipes and Remembrances of a Vegetarian Legacy

I left Kerala years ago, and I have been missing it ever since. Now, Kerala is with me right here in the United States in the form of an astounding book that details the culture and the traditional cuisine of Kerala. Dear readers, I am proud to introduce Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts: Recipes and Remembrances of a Vegetarian Legacy by Ms.Ammini Ramachandran, grand daughter of the Maharaja of Kochi.

My search for a perfect Kerala cookbook focused on authentic vegetarian cooking is coming to an end when iUniverse publishes Ammini’s very first cookbook Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts. Since non-vegetarian food dominated in the house I was grown up, and in the house I was married to, I always had the yearning to learn Kerala's traditional vegetarian cuisine. Ammini is a financial analyst turned freelance food writer, and a member of International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP), Association for the Study of Food and Society and Culinary Historians of New York. She holds a diploma in article writing, as well as an MBA from Southern Methodist Univerisity in Dallas, Texas. I first saw Ammini in some cooking forums during 2003, and quickly became a fan of her experience and expertise in Kerala cuisine and culture.

For all of us malayalees, Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts is a must have treasure. I am sure anyone connected to Kerala in some way will find this book comforting. Reading through Ammini’s lines brought me back many memories of my childhood. Brimmed with joy and tears of nostalgia, I revisited my bygone days in Kerala all over again. I can say that you would not be any different. You will be thrilled to see the recipes related to temple festivals, thiruvathira, vishu, coming-of-age ceremony, celebrations of the birth and the death etc.

And for non-malayalees, Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts is a neatly organized tour to the culture and cuisine of God’s own country. You will enjoy the ride with Ammini as she guides you through Kerala’s history and heritage, society structure, seasonal festivals, and on top of all, irresistible varieties of precious, exotic recipes handed down from one generation to the next. She has an entire chapter focused on rice, while another one is an alluring world of curries. A carefully categorized segment with details of almost all the ingredients, utensils, and traditional cooking methods used in Kerala stands out as a mini encyclopedia on the local culinary dialect.

With her cooking experience in the U.S. for more than 30 years, Ammini has wise suggestions and logical alternatives to cook any traditional Kerala meal in any kitchen. With tales from her private life and anecdotes attached to each chapter, Ammini takes us to a wonderful world of aroma and flavors. These personal stories, narrated with a lot of passion, make this book very distinguishable from the other cookbooks I have seen so far. All in all, Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts provides a well-balanced coverage on the essence of Kerala cuisine.

I can go boundless talking about this book. But I will leave the rest as a surprise to you.

A few quotes from the book:

Culinary traditions and cherished family recipes are prized processions in every society. The best Indian dishes are never found in restaurants. Maybe this is because we are not by tradition (or preference) avid restaurant goers. It is in private homes that you find the most varied dishes, treasured family recipes, and traditional formalities about serving food.

My mother always insisted “Never skimp on the quality or quantity of ingredients,” and I believe it is the first lesson in good cooking.

It is a misconception that the vegetarian food of southern India is a slim repertoire of dishes “plain boiled rice, sambar, coconut chutney, and the ever-popular masala dosa. On the contrary, our cuisine encompasses a full array of styles and flavors ranging from pungent to sweet, delicately balancing simplicity and subtlety.

Thank you Ammini Chechi, for this invaluable gift.

More details and excerpts from the book are available at Ammini’s website peppertrail.com.

The book can be purchased from iUniverse or from Amazon.