Kerala, in all its flavours

Abida Rashid, businesswoman by day, knows Moplah cuisine by heart.

Abida Rashid is a businesswoman by day. "From nine in the morning to nine in the night," she says, she runs a boutique, sarees and garments "for high-class people", in Calicut along with her husband. She does a spot of designing but her heart, if you truly ask, lies elsewhere.

Better known as the culinary ambassador of Calicut, Rashid savours food. She loves to cook, she loves to eat and even trains visiting cooks and chefs in her traditional Moplah cuisine "" that is when she is not travelling (as she is now; we catch her at The Park, New Delhi) associating her formidable skills with five-star food festivals.

But first the cuisine. Though lesser known than the food of the nawabs or that of the nizams, Moplah cuisine, of the Kerala Muslim community, has a special place in any die-hard foodie's heart. Think a delicious fish biryani, the hearty malabari paranthas ("that's the only heavy thing in our food," Rashid says), the steamed and light puttus, and above all, meen porichadu, delightfully fried fish, all garlic and curry leaves, and you know what I mean.

But contrary to your impressions, the food is not heavy (the fish is pan- not deep-fried, Rashid is at pains to point out) or spicy. "I suppose," she says, "our forefathers just sold all the spices, traded in the pepper and so forth that we grow, without keeping any of it for themselves," Rashid laughs.

That's her way of explaining that while this cuisine may be chilli-infused, it is not weighed down by the likes of garam masala, spices favoured in more northern areas.

Posing for our picture, Rashid is careful to cover her head "even though I am not so traditional" so that cultural nuances can come across better. And she needs no prompting at all to launch into other explanations.

Growing up in a matrilineal society "" where women didn't move away from their homes after marriage "" meant that she got to spend a lot of time with her mother and grandmother.

"At one time, we were four generations of women staying in the same house." She learnt to cook as a child and still does breakfasts and dinners for the family but considers her talent to be "god's gift".

As for god's own country, fiercely protective of her state, Abida says even the frequent strikes in Marxist-land have their silver linings. "We all love these because it means no one has to do any work and we can all spend time with our families... feasting."

The fish markets in particular, she points out, are very busy a day before a strike since people are planning their meals. And, of course, this is the only state where you can have a full meal for just Rs 15.

"Till some time ago, this was Rs 13 but now the government has raised it by Rs 2... we are very fierce about the prices, Rs 2 more and there will be a strike!"

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FAVOURITE RECIPE

FISH FRY

1/2 kg seer fish, cut into
5 pieces
2 tbsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp lime juice
Coconut oil to mix the powders in
A few pods garlic, crushed
Some curry leaves
Salt to taste

Mix the chilli and turmeric in coconut oil and marinate the fish in this for at least 30 minutes. Heat enough coconut oil to coat a non-stick pan and fry the fish pieces till 90 per cent done. Sprinkle the garlic and curry leaves now and turn off the flame. Serve hot.