Plating The Past

Many restaurants in Fort Kochi are serving dishes that reflect the dynamic multiculturalism of the place​

- Anjuly Mathai

At daybreak, the Chinese fishing nets of Fort Kochi are spread out like the skirts of a woman, waiting to catch the falling sun between their folds. A little later, the auction by the nets begin. The fishermen start selling fish in bulk to vendors and hotels. There is the clamour of voices shouting to be heard, and the distinct smell of fresh catch.

Aiyla, mathi, kozhuva, kannambu... They are all available. But the most popular is kannambu, or mullet. It is what Sebastian Varghese uses to make chuttulli meen, the signature dish of his restaurant in Brunton Boatyard, a heritage hotel in Fort Kochi. The recipe for the marinade of the fish was handed down from a Jewish family who lived there. The fish is filleted, smeared with roasted shallot paste and grilled. It is then broiled in salamander. The cooked fillet and potato is layered over a saffron sauce and accompanied by roasted aubergine and okra.

“The roasted shallot masala was exclusive to the Jews,” says Sebastian. “But the aubergine and the okra are elements we added. We have remained true to the values that the dish symbolises, and the essence of its taste, innovating mostly on the style and the presentation.”