The gourmet offerings at Niraamaya Retreats – Backwaters & Beyond, Kumarakom, is inspired by local culinary traditions and global trends

“The culinary traditions around the backwaters are not just influenced by the Hindu food culture, but also by what Christians and Muslims eat; the region is dominated by people from all three religions. The way the Kerala Christians cook pork, for instance, the process leaves behind 15% fat in the pan; the meat gets juicy because of all the fat,” he adds. “The communities have a different style of cooking. For instance, the appams cooked by Christians are large while the ones cooked by Muslims are much smaller.” Also, since the community around Lake Vembanad includes several fishermen, fresh seafood is bought by the retreat’s chefs every morning and served to guests in various dishes.

Café Samsara also serves a delish Vembanad breakfast, a spread that includes appam, Vegetable Moilee (vegetables cooked in coconut milk), Pazham Curry (a creamy sweet curry made with bananas from Kerala, coconut, milk, sugar and cardamom.) Chef Prakash adds, “We also served home-made loaves of bread and jams made using local fruits such as papaya, pineapple and apple.”

Café Samsara also serves vegetarian and non-vegetarian thali. The latter includes chicken cooked in spices and local seafood, such as King Fish or the pearl spot fish and Karimeen, fished from the backwaters of Alleppey. The latter is made into a dish called Karimeen Pollichathu, a recipe that comes from Kottayam. The vegetarian thali includes Udithyal which includes mushrooms added to roasted coconut gravy; Mixed vegetable mappas, a coconut milk-based curry from the Malabar coast; and thoran a classic delight, a delicacy which is a perfect amalgamation of aromatic curry leaves and crunchy coconut cooked with grated carrots. “Many of these recipes have sourced from Christian and Muslim families and reflects the vibrant cuisine of the area,” says Chef Prakash.

If you are staying at Niraamaya Retreats Backwaters & Beyond, Kumarakom for more than two days, ask for the Healthy Breakfast on of the days. Your lavish spread would include a vegan coffee with soya milk or coconut milk, eggs – poached, boiled or scrambled, a fresh fruit platter, Sambharam (thin and spicy buttermilk, tempered with chillies, onions and ginger), scrambled tofu and smoked salmon platter if you are a meat-eater.

Wellness is at the core of Niraamaya Retreats experience. The doctors at the award-winning Niraamaya Spa often collaborate with chefs to create a wellness menu, particularly for guests who check-in for a wellness or Ayurveda package. The food is largely based on the principles of Ayurveda, says Chef Prakash.

On the sprawling grounds of the retreat, in the non-monsoon months, the retreat sets up a kiosk – a quintessential Kerala coffee shop, which serves light refreshments. Think batter-fried bananas, dal vada and fried fish. Besides, Niraamaya Retreats organizes backwater cruises on which lunch is served. Cooked fresh by the men who manoeuver the Kettuvalam, or the traditional rice boats which have been completely refurbished into pleasure vessels that ferry travellers and tourists across the stretch of this manmade lake which resembles a sea in parts and river in others.