Thoran in a pouch, curries in a bottle: Meet the Kannur man taking Kerala’s kitchen to the world

Taro stem curry (chembin thal), pulinkari, vazhakoombu thoran (banana flower stir-fry)… dishes once found only in Kerala’s traditional kitchens are now showing up on dining tables across the world, thanks to the inventive mind of Brijith Krishna. He is helping local farmers earn foreign exchange by turning highly perishable produce, often left to rot, into long-lasting, ready-to-eat Kerala delicacies.

At the heart of this success is retort packaging technology, a Japanese method that keeps cooked food safe and flavourful for up to nine months without refrigeration or preservatives. Through his brand ‘Thani Nadan Ready to Eat’, Brijith has created a bridge between Kerala’s farmlands and kitchens abroad.

Innovation has always come naturally to Brijith. As a youngster, he was quick to find value in what others ignored. When he saw cashew nuts lying wasted in cashew mango farms, he began germinating them and creating food products using cashew nut sprouts. That small experiment marked the start of his journey into commercial-scale food innovation. To make these products available year-round, he began using retort packaging technology.

Today, Brijith runs his venture, Eatery Malabaricus, from Ulikkal near Iritty in Kannur. His mission is to take the rich crop diversity of the Western Ghats to global markets. With the help of retort technology, he has already introduced around 80 products to international consumers. His customers include not just non-resident Keralites but also Europeans who have developed a taste for Kerala’s vegan dishes. “The English, for instance, love mildly spiced dishes like cashew butter masala,” he says.

One of his most rewarding moments came when he noticed banana flowers going to waste on a friend’s farm. Brijith collected more than 3,000 of them, processed them into vazhakoombu thoran and shipped them to England. The response from the Malayali community there was overwhelming. “They were thrilled to taste an authentic Kerala dish straight from home,” he recalls.

Brijith and his wife, Sreeshma, often surprise their friends by sending complete sadya packs well before Onam and Vishu. With just a few minutes of heating, each dish regains its original taste and texture. Retort packaging, he says, has made it possible for Malayalis anywhere in the world to enjoy the flavours of home at any time.

Their modern processing unit, built with an investment of over Rs 1 crore, is also open to other farmers and entrepreneurs. Besides his own brands, Brijith’s facility offers custom retort packaging for clients who wish to market products under their own labels. Several small ventures have already started using the facility to roll out their own food lines.