Vanasundari chicken, being promoted by Kudumbashree, is a new addition to Kerala cuisine

When Keralayeem, the Kerala Government’s 10-day event concluded in Thiruvananthapuram, gourmets in the city had something novel to talk about — Vanasundari chicken, a delicacy from Attappady in Palakkad district, which was promoted as one of the 10 branded dishes from Kerala.

Vanasundari chicken comes from the tribal settlements of Attappady. The Attappady Comprehensive Tribal and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups Development Project was launched by Kudumbasree (a community organisation of Neighbourhood Groups in Kerala) in 2014 for the comprehensive development of three tribal communities in Attappady — Irula, Muduga and Kurumba.

“It was conceptualised against the backdrop of malnutrition deaths in Attappady,” says Karunakaran KP, coordinator (skills and self-employment) of the project. “A series of skill development programmes to improve the social and economic status of the tribal population was rolled out as part of this and one of them was to encourage them to gain entry into the food industry. In 2017, training was given to 32 women from the three communities to help them promote their cuisine, thereby ensuring better livelihood,” he says.

The 20-day session was led by Thrissur-based Adheba Institute for Food Research and Hospitality Management (AIFRHM), which has been training Kudumbashree workers in food-related enterprises. “Food counters selling tribal food rarely made profit at fairs and food festivals organised by Kudumbashree. We were contacted to work upon this. So we studied their lifestyle, food, ingredients they used, cooking methods etc, which eventually led to the creation of Vanasundari chicken,” says Ajayakumar KP, chef and CEO of AIFRHM.

Preparing the delicacy

The key ingredient of Vanasundari chicken is kozhijeerakam or wild cumin, a cumin variety found in Attappady. “It is integral to most of our recipes. We use the seeds or the plant but for the root. We put it in our curries or prepare chammanthi (chutney) by grinding it with cheruthakkali (mini tomatoes) and kanthari mulaku (bird’s eye chilli),” says Lakshmi Suresh of Solai Perumai, a 14-member collective of women of the Kurumba community. Kamala Abhayakumar, member of Ruchi Pooram, a seven-member group comprising women of Irula community, adds: “It brings a unique flavour to any dish. The chutney is everyone’s favourite since that’s all we need for our lunch. It has medicinal properties as well. The juice extracted from the leaves is consumed when we have fever or cold.”

The marinade for Vanasundari chicken is a paste of kozhijeerakam (leaves and tender shoots or seeds), mint, coriander leaves, pacha kurumulaku (green pepper corns) and kanthari mulaku. Lime juice is added to the marinade and kept aside for three hours. Ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, salt and chicken pieces (usually a chicken is cut into four big pieces) are put into boiling water. Once the chicken is cooked, the pieces are put in the marinade for a few hours. The chicken pieces are then placed on a hot, heavy-bottomed skillet smeared with a little oil. The pieces are then chipped into small pieces with a stainless steel blade as the cooking is in progress.

“The dish is usually served with dosa, a chutney made of tomato, onion, red chilli, ginger, garlic and curry leaves, and cabbage-cucumber salad,” says Kamala. Ajayakumar adds, “Oil is hardly used in the dish except for the few drops that we smear on the skillet so that the chicken does not stick to it. There is no frying, sauteeing or overpowering the meat with masalas. We haven’t altered their cooking style or the ingredients used. It has just been tweaked a bit so that they get more footfalls at the food festivals.”

Tasty ten

The 10 dishes or combinations that were branded by the Kerala Government for Keraleeyam festival were Ramassery idli, Karkkadaka kanji, boli-payasam, puttu-kadala, Thalassery biryani, porotta-beef, Kuttanadan karimeen pollichathu (pearlspot steamed in banana leaf)), kappa-fish curry, Vanasundari chicken and mulayari (bamboo rice) payasam.

Vanasundari chicken was first introduced at the SARAS (Sale of Articles of Rural Artisans Society) Mela at Pattambi in 2018. “It clicked with the crowd and thus became part of every food festival or fair conducted by Kudumbashree. We were all set to brand it when the State Government branded it for Keraleeyam,” he adds.

Three batches have already taken the training and these women have travelled across Kerala and to other states with the dish to events organised by Kudumbashree.

Solai milan on the menu

Another tribal dish that is being promoted is solai milan, a chicken delicacy served with a millet-based dish. “We spent a few months with the tribes and understood their recipes. This is actually a tweaked version of one of the dishes that they make,” says chef Praveen Muttumpadan of AIFRHM. Shallots, ginger, garlic, coconut pieces, kanthari mulaku (green chilli if this is not available), a pinch of turmeric powder and kozhijeerakam are dry roasted and ground. Chicken pieces (small pieces) are marinated with this masala and salt. Coconut milk and a dash of pepper powder are added while the pieces are grilled on the skillet. The half-cooked pieces are transferred to the leaves of arrow root plant and then steamed in a mulamkutti (bamboo steamer) for nearly half an hour. This is served with upma or puttu or even biryani made with chama (little millet), kambu (pearl millet), thina (foxtail millet) etc.

“At Keraleeyam, we didn’t prepare solai milan on all days because people were asking for Vanasundari chicken only. This dish has changed our lives for the better. We are daily wage labourers. But we don’t have work on all days. Now we are able to earn enough from the fairs because of Vanasundari chicken,” Kamala adds.

Vanasundari chicken and other tribal dishes will be available at the SARAS Mela to be held from December 21 to January 1 at Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, Kaloor, in Kochi.