The Malayalam of the kitchen — the equipment, the cooking verbs, the spices, and how to follow a recipe given to you by somebody who has never measured anything in their life. I am Dr. Reshmi R. Nair, an applied linguist from Kerala. I have taught hundreds of learners to speak Malayalam as it is actually spoken. THE EQUIPMENT അടുപ്പ് (aduppu) - the stove, the hearth ചട്ടി (chatti) - a shallow pan ഉരുളി (uruli) - the wide heavy bronze vessel Kerala cooking is traditionally done in കലം (kalam) - a pot ചട്ടുകം (chattukam) - a stirring spatula കത്തി (kathi) - knife ചിരവ (chirava) - the coconut scraper ചീനച്ചട്ടി (cheenachatti) - the Chinese pan, the wok. Along with ചീനവല (cheenavala, the Chinese fishing nets of Kochi), this word records who sailed to Kerala. THE VERBS, AND THEY ARE FULL OF CAUSATIVES വേവുക (vevuka) - to become cooked വേവിക്കുക (vevikkuka) - to cook something തിളയ്ക്കുക (thilaykkuka) - to boil, said of the liquid തിളപ്പിക്കുക (thilappikkuka) - to bring to the boil മുറിക്കുക (murikkuka) - to cut അരിയുക (ariyuka) - to slice ചിരകുക (chirakuka) - to grate, especially coconut ഇളക്കുക (ilakkuka) - to stir വറുക്കുക (varukkuka) - to fry മൂടുക (mooduka) - to cover കരിയുക (kariyuka) - to burn, which is what happens if you answer the phone THE SPICES മഞ്ഞൾ (manjal) - turmeric മുളക് (mulaku) - chilli കടുക് (kaduku) - mustard seed ഉലുവ (uluva) - fenugreek കുരുമുളക് (kurumulaku) - black pepper ഇഞ്ചി (inji) - ginger വെളുത്തുള്ളി (veluthulli) - garlic ചെറിയുള്ളി (cheriyulli) - shallots, which Kerala uses far more than onions THE ONE INSTRUCTION EVERY KERALA COOK GIVES പച്ച മണം പോകുന്നത് വരെ (pacha manam pokunnathu vare) - until the raw smell goes. The commonest doneness instruction in South Asian cooking. Written recipes use the bare -ഉക (-uka) form as a neutral instruction: ചേർക്കുക (cherkkuka), ഇളക്കുക (ilakkuka), മൂടുക (mooduka). Add. Stir. Cover. Which Malayalam dish do you want to cook first? #LearnMalayalam #Kerala #Malayalam