Kairali has just opened, nestled in the corner of a row of shops in Royal Oak. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because it's the previous restaurant at the same spot, under different owners had the same name.
Arun Thomas, the new owner, explained why he wanted to keep the same name despite everything about the restaurant being different - from the interior to menu offerings.
“The word Kairali means ‘originating from Kerala’ or ‘Keralese’, referring to anything associated with the state of Kerala,” Thomas said.
“It has a deep meaning, especially for us who are from Kerala, which is why we decided to hold on to the name.”
So what exactly is Kerala cuisine, and how does it differ from other Indian food that’s more commonly available across Auckland?
According to a simple Google search, it is said: “Kerala culture is a rich blend of natural beauty, vibrant traditions, and influences from historical trade, and its cuisine is characterised by its liberal use of coconut, spices, fresh seafood, and staples like rice, often in ceremonial meals such as the multi-dish Sadya.”
Kerala cuisine is also unique because it is actually a variety that is inspired by an amalgamation of French, Arabian and Malabari influences, and enhanced with the state’s own culture.
The new Kairali restaurant is bright and welcoming, a step-up from the previous one, which can leave diners feeling a little gloomy.
The menu offerings are massive, with a good spread of meat, seafood and vegetarian dishes along with an extensive list of biryani, dosas and appam.
Upon arriving at the Kairali, our group were offered a refreshing welcome drink they call “passion fruit miracle”. When it came to ordering our drinks, we were recommended the chakka manga thenga.
This unique South Indian-Kerala drink is made from a combination of jackfruit (chakka), mango (manga) and coconut (thenga), and is somewhat of a delicious cross between a milkshake and juice that blends the sweetness of mango, thickness of jackfruit and creaminess of coconut milk.
Cows are regarded as sacred among Hindus, but Kerala is a melting pot of religions which also makes it different and one of the few places in India where beef is readily served and on the menu.
One of the preferred ways to have beef among Malayalees is in a “fry’ or ularthyathu preparation, where the beef roast is cooked with loads of spices and curry leaves to bring out a unique flavour and aroma.
We ordered Kairali’ coconut beef fry, which is a perfect accompaniment with our side of Kerala porottas, a layered flat bread that’s pretty close to the roti prata that I grew up with in Singapore.
From its extensive list of biryanis, we settled for Kairali’s Kozhi Biryani, which featured juicy chunks of marinated chicken, spices and rice, cooked “dum” style.
The word “Kozhi” means chicken in Malayalam and Tamil, so this biryani is specifically chicken. The rice was extremely fragrant, had a herbal taste from the cumin and star anise, and the spiced chicken was tender and not dry, and the meat came off the bones with ease.
Fish is one of the key ingredients found in Kerala cuisine, so one cannot come to a Kerala restaurant and not order fish.
For our mains, we had two fish dishes: the Fish Moilee and the Meen Thalakkhari which came highly recommended by manager Janesh Jose.
Fish moilee is a mild coconut-based fish curry that’s creamy in texture but delicate in flavour, really tasty for my appam bread to mop up. The meen thalakkhari is a little spicy, but if you’re a fan of fish heads, then you will love this fish head curry dish.
While naan and chapattis are common in Indian restaurants, appam is an Indian bread that’s less so. At Kairali, their appam is made using fermented flour together with creamy coconut milk, resulting in a mildly sourish, nutty sort of flavour.
Our meal ended on a sweet note with Ilaneer Pudding, where coconut was also a key ingredient - coconut pulp, water, prepared with agar agar, milk and condensed milk.
Kairali’s menu has a list of so many unique dishes, with names that I, too, am unfamiliar with and find intriguing. I will definitely be back to try more of them.There is also no added MSG or colour with everything being freshly made and authentic.
The new Kairali is the brainchild of Arun Thomas, who shuttles between Auckland and Singapore where he owns three Indian eateries.
Thomas, who is of Keralan descent, says he believes Kerala cuisine is special and deserves a rightful place in the global setting.
Kairali is indeed a welcome addition to the Auckland dining scene.
LINCOLN TAN is a co-founder of Chow Luck Club and a former senior journalist for the New Zealand Herald. He won “Best General Reporter” in the 2016 Canon Media Awards and has covered some of the biggest global events over his 30 years in journalism, both here and in Singapore.
