The Culinary Institute of America

Coconut Moilee is a dish with history that dates back to the 16th century. Chef Vinay Kumar at Marari Beach in Kerala, India tells us about how the dish was originally developed to appeal to the tastes of Portuguese traders who couldn’t tolerate the spices of Indian cuisine. The dish is believed to have been created by a local woman named Moily, who diluted a curry with coconut milk. The Portuguese were so pleased that they named t...

At the historic Brunton Boatyard Hotel, located in the city of Kochi, in Kerala, India, Chef Deepak Sundaram shows us how to prepare Padavalanga Thoran, a sauté of snake gourd and red spinach. A thoran is a dry vegetable dish from Northern Kerala that combines vegetables, spices, and grated fresh coconut. The thoran is served alongside rice and curry.

Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!

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The southern Indian state of “Kerala” literally means “the house of coconut” and fittingly, Kerala's culinary traditions are deeply rooted in the use of coconut. Join Chef Deepak Sundaram at Brunton Boatyard Hotel, located in the city of Kochi, in Kerala, India, on this cooking demonstration of Kumbalanga Paal Curry, a dish made with ash gourd, mango and coconut.

Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!

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At her cooking school in Fort Kochi, India, Nimmy Paul shows us how to prepare Kerala Okra Mappas, a dish she learned how to make from her mother. Nimmy Paul teaches cooking classes from her home, specializing in the distinctive cuisine of Kerala and her Syrian Christian community. She starts by sautéing onions, garlic, ginger and curry leaves. She toasts masala curry paste, adds coconut milk, and gently simmers the okra. She finis...

Prepare a nutritious banana blossom thoran with Nimmy Paul, who teaches cooking classes from her home, and specializes in the cuisine of Kerala and her Syrian Christian community. Thoran is a dry, stir-fried dish of vegetables and coconut from South India. In this dish, Nimmy Paul shows us how to utilize all parts of the banana blossom– the petals, the baby immature bananas, and the heart– stir fried with curry leaves and spices.

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Chef Nimmy Paul demonstrates 'conscious cooking' in her demonstration of Availas Pavakka Perapattichathu. Nimmy Paul teaches cooking classes from her home, and specializes in the cuisine of Kerala and her Syrian Christian community. In this dish she cooks bitter melon in a clay pot with Malabar tamarind, freshly grated coconut, shallots, green chili, curry leaves, and coconut oil.

Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!

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Just outside of Fort Kochi, in the southern state of Kerala, India, cooking school teacher, Nimmy Paul, shows us how to prepare eggplant molee. Nimmy Paul teaches cooking classes from her home, specializing in the distinctive cuisine of Kerala and her Syrian Christian community. A molee is a creamy, coconut-based stew, originating from the Kerala region of Southern India, typically featuring a blend of spices, coconut milk, curry l...

Indian pickles, called achaar, are a centuries-old tradition. Indian pickles are preserved in oil, spices, and salt, unlike vinegar-based western-style pickles. Indian food historian, Jonty Rajagopalan, brings us on a street food tour of Hyderabad's pickle shops, which offer a wide range of preserved delicacies, from lemon lime pickles, green mango pickles, and mixed vegetable pickles. It is believed that spicy foods in hot weather...

For a taste of dosa, we visit a roadside stand near the Ghansi Bazar in Hyderabad, India. Food historian, Jonty Rajagopalan, introduces us to Govind Ji, who prepares dosas with his blend of semolina millet flours, topped with his special masala. Dosa are savory crepes that originated in South India and are traditionally enjoyed for breakfast, but have become so popular that they are now enjoyed throughout the day.

Watch the full do...