Video: Meet Kashmiri- Malyali food blogger

Srinagar: Having an excellent command over Kashmiri and  Malyali language, Kerala born Kashmiri Zubair Mir is fast becoming the most-sought after food blogger of South Indian cuisine.

Mir, 28, was born and brought up in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala’s capital – still usually referred to by its colonial-era name, Trivandrum –an energetic city spread across low-lying hills and dotted with coconut and palm trees.

Growing up in a different culture and food practices, his family however, ensured that he learnt his mother tongue properly and stayed in touch with the Kashmiri cultural practices at the same time. 

“I am originally from Srinagar’s old city. We shifted to Kerala long back. I completed my primary and secondary education here itself. Though we speak Kashmiri at home, I was always inclined to this beautiful language. So I picked it from my classmates and friends. Over the years, I have become proficient in it,” he said in a free-wheeling chat with The Kashmir Monitor.

The young food blogger’s Kashmiri’s influence motivated him to start food blogging. “As a Kashmiri, we share a very intimate relationship with food. A big part of our socializing relies on a large spread of meals. When in Kerala, I realized the Trivandrum city also had so much to offer for those with a love for delicious food. The bustling food stalls and markets have become an integral part of Trivandrum’s food culture,” he said.

This motivated him to start food-blogging this year. Ever since, he posted his first video in March, his followers have shot up to more than 8K and his videos get thousands of likes right from Kerala to Kashmir.

Talking of the Trivandrum’s vibrant street food scene, he said this place has everything for the foodies who love to try new things, “You can gorge upon plump dosas doused in coconut chutney, piping hot puttu with kadala curry, fluffy idiyappam and egg curry, porotta with ‘Trivandrum’ special chicken fry or chicken perattu … you name it, they have it.”

Besides great street food, Thiruvananthapuram also has an exciting mix of fine dining venues, hipster cafes near the Kovalam beachfront and local culinary delights.

Apart from this, the richer South Indian cuisine extends to the Malabar region Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, Palakkad, Wayanad and Kasargode districts. 

“It is also important to know that food and history are also connected. For example, Kerala’s connection to the Arabian Peninsula dates back to the 7th century when Muslim traders from the Persian Gulf came to the southern coast of Malabar for the coveted spices. As the monsoons delayed their journey back home, many Arab traders chose to settle in Kerala and married locals instead. From this time, organically Arabic culinary practices got blended with the local cuisine.

Subsequently, the region has multiple versions of biryani: Malabar, Thalasserry, Malappuram. Their neychoru (ghee rice), three or four varieties of ‘pathiri’, ‘porotta’, ‘noolputt’, ‘aleesa’ and ‘meen (fish) mulakittath’, and more, have a fame of their own.

Moreover Zubair’s current job as Key Account Manager at Zomato, Indian multinational restaurant aggregator and food Delivery Company gave him an advantage. “I recently shifted to the UAE but my culinary trails towards South Indian food haven’t ceased. In fact, my job at Zomato helps me identify the hidden gems serving the most incredible South Indian food,” he said.

Asked about trysts with Kashmiri food, he believes his love for home-food can never grow old. “It’s true that I am mainly focused on South Indian food. But every once in a while, I also talk about traditional Kashmiri recipes and culture through my videos.  After all, ghar wandhai, ghar saasa, bare neibar nerihan zanh ( Home is where the heart is,” Zubair said.