Inaugural Malabari Food Festival 2008

WHAT: Inaugural Malabari Food Festival 2008

WHEN: Saturday, November 29 and 30th, between noon-10pm.

WHERE: Maroli Restaurant, 630 Bloor St. West (Bloor and Christie)

Fall is in full swing but things will be heating up downtown at the inaugural Malabari Food Festival 2008. Bland is a bad word for Naveen Polapady, chef and owner of Maroli Restaurant, which has injected loads of variety and spice to the Korean Business District with Malabari Indian cuisine. The Malabar region of India lies along the southwest coast of the Indian peninsula and forms the northern part of the present-day Indian state of Kerala. Maroli holds the distinction of being the only Malabari (Kerala)restaurant in Toronto.

On November 29th and 30th, Maroli will showcase savoury items from Malabar and allow visitors to taste unique Indian cuisine, which has been influenced by Dutch, British, French, Portuguese, Italian and Arab culinary arts from various regimes in the 17th through 20th century.

Malabar is noted for its variety of pancakes and steamed rice cakes, biryani made of mutton, chicken, egg and fish. Malabar distinguishes itself from other Indian cuisine with a hearty dose of seafood on their menu.
Arikadaka, a concoction of rice , fennel and coconut filled in mussels and steamed are a Malabari gem . Meen moilee (a Greenish yellow fish curry ), meen mulligattathu (a fiery Curried Sardine ), and peera pattichathu (a dry fish dish of grated coconutb), or a Pan Fried Sardine are also staples of a Malabari diet. Olath erachi (fried mutton, beef or pork) are amongst the more popular meat items in the region. Another interesting feature is the abundant use of coconut, coconut oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and coconut milk. Buffalo and moose meat are also two items on a Malabari menu you rarely encounter in other areas of India.

A $20.00 entry fee allows foodies access to this Indian culinary experience which includes viewing of live food preparation, savouring Maroli’s House Wine, as well relishing in intricately carved fruits and vegetables in the forms of various flowers and animals.

TAGS: Kerala, Malabari Food Festival, Maroli