Cheyenne Suarez

Article (news)

Kerala food

Jeeves De Veyra

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1755160460170SUPPLIED -Kerala Highlights_1.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Kerala cuisine highlights. Handout"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Kerala cuisine highlights. <em>Handout</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- Joy Nostalg in Ortigas Center celebrates Indian Independence Day with a month-long exploration into Keralan cuisine.</p><p>For those who are turned off by the heat and spice the cuisine, hotel executive chef Gulshan “Gus” Mohammed offers milder than usual Indian food from his home region on the southern part of the country. </p><p>Chef Gus has been cooking for 20 years, starting out in the United Kingdom, doing a tour of the Middle East, and finally moving to Manila. He has been the executive chef of Joy Nostalg for two years. They did do an Indian offer last year but that menu was composed of more common spicy staples.</p><p>“There is more to Indian food than biryani and butter chicken,” smiled Chef Gus as he enthusiastically gave a crash course on Kerala and its cuisine. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1755160574959(L-R) Nestor Reyes, Pastry Chef_ Neil Ledesma, Executive Sous Chef_ Chef Gus Mohamed, Executive Chef.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="(From left) Nestor Reyes, pastry chef; Neil Ledesma, executive sous chef; and Gus Mohamed, executive chef. Jeeves de Veyra"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">(From left) Nestor Reyes, pastry chef; Neil Ledesma, executive sous chef; and Gus Mohamed, executive chef. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>Kerala, a progressive state in southern India with the country’s highest literacy rate, has a long coastline that inspires the seafood-forward dishes on his menu. Aside from that, the region was on the Dutch and Portuguese spice trade routes that made it a destination for Christian missionaries, which account for having beef and other proteins not usually used in Indian cuisine. The Malayali people comprise most of the population of the region.</p><p>Kerala food is spiced, but not spicy. There were light jabs of that heat, but the milder flavors were sour, floral and fruity. Chef Gus notes that there are many similarities to the Filipino cuisine with Kerala’s base crops of coconut, banana, mango, and tamarind as common ingredients. What differs is the use of curry leaves, fennel, cloves, and cardamom.</p><p>The food presented were the recommended way of combining and eating the dishes. In the buffet, it’s up to guest to gather the dishes and assemble as they’d see fit.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1755161376098beef street food.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Kerala street food. Jeeves de Veyra"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Kerala street food. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span>He started out with a beef slow-cooked in coconut milk and curry leaves, on a banana fritter wrapped in a fluffy paratha. This is a sample of street food back in Kerala where vendors would be selling this from booths and kiosks.</div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1755161320282breakfast - puttu with garbanzo curry.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Kerala breakfast plate. Jeeves de Veyra"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Kerala breakfast plate. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span>The chef raves about this breakfast plate made with a light garbanzo curry on top of puttu, their version of puto. The best bite is everything, including bits of the unspiced papadum, with some banana. They used lakatan for this, but I thought they could have used a more savory banana. It’s best to keep the banana slice small, or its sweetness will overpower the bite.</div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1755161282845SUPPLIED - The Sadhya_1.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The Sadya. Handout"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The Sadya. <em>Handout</em></span></span></span>The Sadhya, translated as “feast” in English, resembles a boodle fight when traditionally served on banana leaves and eaten by hand. The spread has basmati rice topped with sambar, a thick stew with lentils similar to yellow dal.</div><p>The chef further talked about the Kerala coastline and proceeded to surround the sambar rice with mussels, sardines, and shrimp. The shrimp moilee was a standout cooked in tamarind and coconut milk.  </p><p>Besides the seafood, Kerala fried chicken and lamb were on the spread. Chef Gus said that this would taste like rendang as Indians made their way down to Southern Asia and brought this with them. Rounding out the spread were more of the unspiced papadums, cassava cooked in turmeric, and dosa, with coconut and tomato chutney, with pickles for dips. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1755161235179tanigue and apahap 2.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Tanigue and apahap. Jeeves de Veyra"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Tanigue and apahap. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>The Keralan version of sinigang was intriguing. Chef Gus used a tamarind like fruit from the garcinia cobodia tree that is more floral and fruity than sour as a braise and sauce with tanigue. The other fish, made with local barramundi (apahap), is familiar as its cooked in coconut milk wrapped in banana leaves.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1755161176640desserts.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Dessert trio. Jeeves de Veyra"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Dessert trio. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>A trio of desserts finished off the meal packaged in chocolate shaped to look like coconuts. Inside were two payasam – pudding made with rice and milk with coconut, and cardamom. The last shell contained a halwa made with mashed bananas.</p><p>This limited-time addition is a welcome treat for those hesitant to try Indian food. Chef Gus’ cooking from home is familiar enough to be friendly, but exotic enough for those foodies looking for something a bit different.</p><div><br/></div><div><em>“A Culinary Journey to Kerala: Discover the Flavors of South India” will be part of the weekday lunch buffet of the Nostalgia Lounge &amp; Bar until August 29, and is priced at P1,688 per person. </em></div>

<p>From coconut-rich curries to seafood fresh from Kerala’s shores, Joy Nostalg’s lunch buffet is a month-long celebration of India’s southern flavors. 🇮🇳✨ Available until Aug. 29 only!</p>

From coconut-rich curries to seafood fresh from Kerala’s shores, Joy Nostalg’s lunch buffet is a month-long celebration of India’s southern flavors. 🇮🇳✨ Available until Aug. 29 only!

Beyond Biryani: Joy Nostalg adds Kerala cuisine to buffet for Indian Independence Day

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Beyond Biryani: Joy Nostalg adds Kerala cuisine to buffet for Indian Independence Day

Jeeves De Veyra

Published Aug 14, 2025 04:52 PM PHT

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