October ’25 Panampilly Nagar

Spice-slick fingers, monsoon gossip, and fish that tastes like home. LFC Kochi is a flavour ferry through old markets and coastal kitchens. Bring an appetite— and maybe a napkin.

Photos by Host Nithin, Co-host Saumya , and Member Suparna.

HOST

Nithin Samuel

CO-HOST

Saumya John

WHERE WE MET

French Toast in Kochi is a cozy bakery known for its artisanal French toasts and indulgent baked goods. It offers a warm, inviting space that is perfect for sweet cravings and relaxed meetups.

What Members Said

Great meetup and kudos to the hosts!

Justin

It was great connecting with you all once again. The meetup was very well hosted and all the food was fantastic. Thank you LFC, for this community.

Nida

Tsarina, you are my inspiration to try out new ideas. And thanks to LFC for providing this space. Getting to meet so many like minded souls and loving the whole experience!

Cynthia

What We Loved

In Kerala, banana fritters hold particular cultural and culinary significance and are commonly referred to as pazham pori or ethakka appam. They are typically prepared using ripe Nendran bananas, which give the fritters a distinctive flavour and texture.

Chammanthi, a popular Kerala-style condiment typically made with fresh coconut, shallots, ginger, curry leaves, and chilies. Made here with pumpkin, it is typically served with hot rice, or with breakfast items like dosa and idli.

Mezhukkupuratti is a traditional Kerala-style vegetarian stir-fry dish in which vegetables are sautéed with spices in coconut oil. The name literally translates to ‘sautéed in fat/oil’. Made here with leftover banana peels.

MEET YOUR HOST

Nithin is passionate about food and world cuisines, and on a quest to try and understand a little every day about a new dish or cuisine. He is driven by a perpetual curiosity to try new dishes and pairings and come up with his own tweaks.

What does ‘local’ mean to you?

‘Local’ to me represents thought processes and cooking formulated around what is available fresh, and in season at any time of the year, which represents the best nutritive and balanced food choices one can make while cooking.

What is your most enduring food memory?

The smell of freshly steamed Gothambu Puttu (Wheat Puttu), with layers separated by coconut shavings, a dollop of ghee poured over it, and a bit of jaggery or sugar to go along with it. The visual, aromatic and sensory memories I have of this simple dish from Kerala keeps me coming back.

What is the most adventurous food you've tried and loved?

I’ve once tried a herbal duck soup in the hawker stalls of Singapore, which I expected to taste bad, but surprisingly turned out to be delectable and wholesome.

What comfort do you reach for when you are unwell?

It would either be a Chemba Ari Kanji (rice porridge) with some vegetable pickle, or moong bean thoran and some freshly made pappadoms. A recent favourite has also been hot and fresh dal khichadi with nice tempering.

How do you see your Local Food Club flourishing?

I’m excited for us to work together to bring in a movement to have more open conversations about food, local food, food safety and hygiene, food allergens, the prevalence of food adulteration and unhealthy shortcuts around food in restaurants and homes. I hope we can champion a movement for nutrition and balance in food, with more locally available and seasonal ingredients as well as peer learning through shared experiences, potlucks, camaraderie, and shared stories.