KERALA FLAVOUR

It was during one of those busy match days during the World T20 that my friend Harish Kotian announced to me the news of finding a Kerala restuarant in Nottingham. In fact, it did not surprise me at all since you may find a Malayali food court even in the remotest area of Alaska.
On my return visit to Nottingham, I decided to check the restuarant and it was a short walk from the City Centre. The name itself had a Malayali touch to it, Kayal (it means backwater), and the ambience transported me back to my home state for a moment .
The staff were very courteous and it came as no surprise as many of them were working in Taj Group. My tour-mates Harish, Moses and Neeru immediately liked the atmosphere and what followed was even better.
The food was excellent with real Kerala flavour. It was heartening to see that, for once, a restuarant has not changed the way of cooking to suit the English taste buds. Many Indian eat outs do that mistake, they alter the way of cooking and items are a shame to Indian cuisine. Just for an example, Chicken Tikka Masala is a hot menu in India. But in UK you will get a bland curry mixed with tomato sause and a variety of spices, and what more it is accepted as the national food of British.
So normally, I stick to Mexican, Italian or Greek restuarants where you will get authentic dishes of the respective countries. After all how much change you can bring to Salsa Magic, Pasta or Papas Cronos!!
But Kayal changed my prejudiced opinion about Indian food courts in UK. It made me convinced that you can prepare some really spicy food and still attract a lot of locals. Well done guys!
Their masterpiece is vegetarian/non-vegetarian thali in which your tongue will experience a good number of items in those categories, and all of them carry the aroma of Kerala to some 7000 kms away.
Try it out if you happened to be in Nottingham. You'll love it.
Here goes a sample: Veg thali: Rice, Sambar, Rasam, Upperi (Palya/Puriyal), Avial (assortment of vegetables), green-piece curry (not exactly a Kerala dish), mango pickle, papadam (applam), Mor curry (Mor Kuzhambu), Erisseri (a dish made of raw banana) = GBP 6.50.
Non-Veg thali: Rice, Upperi (Palya/Puriyal), mango pickle, papadam (applam), Kozhi Porichathu (Chicken fry), Kozhi curry (chicken curry), Erachi Ulathiyathu (Scrambled mutton), Meen pollichathu (Boiled fish), and Mutta thoran (Scrambled egg) = GBP 7.50.