Stay in Coconut Thatched Luxury with Wonderful Local Cuisine

(To open the embedded Facebook posts fully for the recipes and details, just click on the date/time under the heading Food and Travel Secrets.)

Marari Beach on the Arabian Sea is another favourite of CGH Earth fans and I think it was love at first sight for me too.

General Manager Shenoi heads a wonderfully friendly and engaged team with Executive Chef Saiju in charge of a magnificent kitchen. 

The property has 62 rooms starting with wonderfully spacious Garden Villas.

I was very touched that Executive Chef Saiju Thomas was expecting me and had put a huge effort into a developing a wonderful program for my visit. Saiju explained that in the local area, fish or seafood is an essential item in the daily diet and that we would be exploring a variety of preparation methods that I have not yet tried on my culinary journey across South India.

Little did I know that after a huge effort by the culinary team, over three days, that I would leave Marari Beach with almost 30 new recipes! We covered everything from vegetarian dishes, through seafood, fish, chicken, mutton, duck, beef, egg, tea snacks, desserts, and pickles. I learnt about the Ayurvedic properties of food, used produce fresh from Marari Beach’s farm kitchen garden, enjoyed the abundant fish and seafood that blesses Marari and understood many of the local preparation styles and dishes special to this area.

Marari Beach’s food production area is very impressive! So organised and systematic with a large and talented team creating very impressive food!

Marari Beach’s is Blessed with a Bounty of Seafood and Fish

First Saiju introduced me to the bounty of local fresh seafood and saltwater fish and ways that Marari Beach features these foods on the menu. 

The four local dishes cooked for my lunch all used a different method of preparation, many using kokum to provide a souring ingredient.

The first dish I saw prepared for me was a fabulous seafood and rice parcel meal cooked in a banana leaf. This type of meal is very popular for taking to eat away from home (like a homemade takeaway meal)!

Seafood Pothichoru

The four local dishes we cooked for my lunch, each used a different method of preparation many using kokum to provide a souring ingredient.

The second bounty of the sea dish for my lunch used a small saltwater fish, this time poached in a delicious sauce!

Chala Vattichathu

The Chala Vattichathu (Poached Sardines) makes a lovely starter or main with Kappa Kuzha made from tapioca.

Kappa Kuzha

The last dish for my lunch was a gorgeous prawn dish made with plenty of freshly grated coconut infused with spices.

Chemmeen (prawn) Peera

Teatime at Marari Beach

At Marari Beach in the mid-afternoon the Tea Cart (thattukada – or roadside foodstall) arrives near the pool to serve tea and coffee South Indian style, with snacks like vada and coconut chutney, or banana fry to guests. Usually Mr. Vavachan, from the local village is at the tea cart, but sadly he was unwell, so Marari Beach food and beverage staff helped out. 

Organically Grown Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs Supply the Marari Beach Kitchen

Marari Beach is serious about using the best food. Despite the challenges of being on sandy soil near the sea, Marari has developed a fertile four acres food garden that needs constant care through mulching, composting and other organic practices to supply seasonal produce and keep fresh herbs on hand.

Marari Beach’s Farm To Plate Experience is a Real Treat

The second culinary highlight of a visit to Marari Beach that Saiju wanted to share with me was the Marari Farm Garden Kitchen Experience. It’s a wonderful opportunity to have a small and personal interaction with a Marari Beach Chef who guides a small group (limited to 8) through the farm garden to select the produce to take into the garden kitchen and create a delicious banana leaf meal. This lovingly prepared meal is then enjoyed in the beautiful garden setting. The Farm Garden Kitchen Experience is usually not run in the rainy season, but as a special treat for me, the team gave me my own personal farm experience.

After touring the garden and selecting the ingredients we needed with Chef Sreeja, we started to create our meal that included a soup starter and three vegetarian curries for our dinner. 

Brahmi Soup

Snake Gourd Thoran

Raw Banana Kalan

Auberigine (Eggplant) Mezhukkuvarathy

An Amazing Dish Created by Executive Chef Saiju -Toddy Chicken Curry

Then as a special surprise Sreeja also showed us two very interesting non-vegetarian dishes and dessert that Saiju wanted me to experience and boy were they amazing! The first was a really delicious and interesting dish made with toddy, the local fermented coconut liquor. Saiju has developed this recipe especially for the Marari Beach menu. 

Marari Beach Meen (Fish) Pollichathu

The second special dish Saiju wanted me to experience at the Marari Beach Farm Garden Kitchen Experience was the Meen (Fish)  Pollichathu. It’s cooked in a banana leaf so that flavour from the banana leaf also contributes to the dish. 

Hibiscus Payasam 

The last special treat that Saiju had planned for me was a Hibiscus Payasam (Chemparathy Payasam). Shreeja explained that payasam is the popular dessert for ay special occasion. One type is made with coconut milk and jaggery and is darker, the other with cow’s milk and sugar. Fruits like pineapple or papaya, lentils and even vegetables like spinach, pumpkin or yam are used but originally payasam was made form rice or vermicelli. 

Breakfast at Marari Beach

The Marari Beach Breakfast buffet offers a large range of international and Indian and local specialities to try. Marari Beach’s commitment to fresh, home-grown, and home cooked means there’s excellent house baked bread and a very lovely range of home-made jams.

Sephanya was the most impressive at serving South Indian filter coffee at CGH Earth. She really takes the prize!

Kanji Monsoon Month Breakfast Porridge 

It was monsoon month, so we were lucky enough to have our own Ayurvedic diet experience.

I was interested that the Kanji which was very different type of kanji to the one I tried at Coconut Lagoon so Saiju very kindly asked Ably to show me how this local health food it is made.

Ayurveda at Marari Beach

My interest in Ayurveda was tweaked by the Kanji. Marari Beach offers guests Ayurveda practitioner consultations and short or long programmes of treatment. But you can also go along at 9:30am each morning for an talk that is included as an in house activity. So I needed to head along and find out more about the health system that I’d been hearing so much about.

An Deeper Dive into Kerala Non-Vegetarian Dishes with Marari Beach Sous Chef Rinto

On my second day at Marari Beach, Rinto patiently explained and demonstrated three very special Marari Beach dishes using quail, duck and beef.

Kada Nirachathu (Stuffed Quail)

Duck Mappas 

The second dish the Rinto showed me was Duck Mappas, a dish that is very local to Central Kerala where Syrian Christian cuisine is strong. 

Beef Coconut Fry (Beef Ularthu)

This is a dark dry dish from Syrian Christian cuisine. 

The Marari Beach Buffet is a Real Winner

I was very impressive by Marari Beach’s buffet that Saiju invited us to enjoy. I always think it’s a challenge to keep buffet dishes at the same standard as a la carte, but I think it’s Marari Beach’s commitment to using fresh produce from the garden including the plentiful herbs and their make from scratch approach that makes all the difference. And their buffet in lots of interactive fun with live stations offering dishes cooked in front of you. Normally I’m more of a fan of the a la carte menu but at Marari Beach the buffet was so good and so much fun, that it was the winner. It’s best value when included in the room tariff so good to consider when you book.

Exploring the Recipes for Popular South Indian Tea Snacks and Marari Beach’s Home-made Pickles

In India Tea Snacks are traditionally eaten in homes and street corners in the evening between lunch and dinner.

Biju Thomas Master Chef (who is very experienced in traditional foods) and Alex Pastry Chef offered to show me how four popular varieties are made along with some of the recipes Marari uses for their wonderful array of home-made, home-grown pickles.

Poovarasu (leaf) Elayada (with stuffing)

Parippu (Dal) Vada

Panikoorkka (Indian Borage from Marari’s Farm Garden) Bhaji (Battered and Deep fried)

Pazham Pori (Banana Fritter)

Marari Beach’s Home-made Pickles

Papaya Pickle

Cauliflower Pickle 

But wait, there was more as Saiju surprised me again with a special sharing of a dish close to his heart. 

Marari’s Signature Dish – Slow Cooked Mutton Pasta (an Indian fusion dish specially created for the Marari Beach menu by Executive Chef Saiju)

Three South Indian Desserts with Chef Alex

The last suite of culinary experiences that Saiju had planned for me were three very traditional South Indian desserts that Pastry Chef Alex patiently took time out of the busy lunch prep to show me.

Vattayappam

Unnakkaya

Kozhukatta

This is another steamed South Indian dessert. 

In-house Cooking Demonstrations at Marari Beach

Marari Beach has plenty of in-house activities like the great daily cooking demonstration (with wonderful facilities).

The daily cooking demonstration at Marari Beach is very well set up. On our first day Alby showed us Marari’s Prawn and Mango Curry, Mango Pachadi and Kanji.

Prawn and Mango Curry

It’s really interesting to see similar dishes prepared a little differently in different parts of Kerala and it helped me understand the different roles that ingredients play in the dish. 

As Alby showed us the Marari Beach recipe for Prawn and Mango Curry, I better understand the souring role of the green mango and the tomato and how to aim for a good balance. Prawn and Mango Curry can also be made with riper mango for a different flavour but still us the less ripe mango that’s still at least a little green.

Mango Pachadi

When Alby demonstrated a Mango Pachadi, it was so helpful when she showed us the quantities of ingredients ground together for the coconut paste that I’d seen used before but never made. 

Iddyappam

These noodles made from rice flour are also known as string hoppers. They are excellent with saucy curries and also a favourite in Sri Lanka. Anish showed me how to make  this moorish South Indian classic I realised I’d been trying to make them at home without cooking the dough first!!

Kerala Egg Curry

In house Naturalist Walks at Marari Beach

There’s plenty of other in-house (no cost) activities on offer and I can recommend the various guided tours conducted each day for guests, by the naturalist. 

What an amazing few days it was at Marari Beach. My greatest thanks to Executive Chef Saiju Thomas for planning and organising such a wonderful programme for me. And my utmost appreciation and gratitude to GM Shenoi for his generosity and to all the chefs and cooks who took time out of their busy day to spend that time with me, Rinto, Sreeja, Alex, Biju, Alby, Anish and Jithin.  What a team!!

To find out more about Marari Beach seasonal prices, weather, packages, facilities or itinerary ideas, get in touch with Roshini via email and let her know you’ve been reading  my Food and Travel Secrets. Roshini is so very lovely and helpful even if you’re just at the I’m interested stage.