A1 Grocer - Kerala and Sri Lankan foods [Westmont]

A1 Grocer – Foods from Kerala and Sri Lanka

Shortly before I left Chicago I finally went to A1 Grocer in Westmont. It's a place I should have gone to earlier – as my friend (from Kerala via Palos Hills) had suggested – and did want to go again. As it is, I didn't go beyond that one visit (that followed an outing to Katy's) when I quickly looked around and bought little. Still it was quite exciting – there was much I wanted to get, but mostly I just took a few quick pics (which aren't so good) – intending to go back for a proper visit. That didn't happen so here's a quick recap of some of the more interesting things there (plus some assorted comments to make, hopefully, this post worth your click)

The store caters to the Malayalee community – i.e., people from Kerala (whose language is Malayalam) and as such most items were very different from what's generally available on Devon. (and just in case someone was wondering, Kerala is a coastal southwestern state in India)

--minor aside--
A1 is also somewhat different from other stores with a Keralan customer base – such as Geetha foods in Skokie which I visited on a friend's tip as being the must stop store for Malayalees in the Milwaukee area. Another store catering to a Keralan clientele is Kairali foods on N. Milawaukee Ave. not far from the ABT store. It has a large catering operation too which I've heard is good. On my one stop there, seeing a sign for 'homemade fish pickle' I couldn't resist. For a rather pricey $10 I got a not very good fish pickle, a tad harsh vinegar and somewhat hard fish that hadn't soaked in the seasoning too well.
Kairali fish pickle
[
--end aside--

A1 Grocer is a large store with a lot more items – items I never knew were available in the Chicago area. I noticed too a large selection of items from Sri Lanka. On querying, the person behind the counter (proprietor?) mentioned that they did have quite a few Sri Lankan customers.

Here are some of the things that caught my eye – (most of which I didn't buy, either intending to obtain on them some other visit or because I had some already from other sources) --pics clickable for larger images--


Dried fish – many kinds, some were dried and fried. I'm not sure what these are typically used for*, but fried rice like this immediately crossed my mind.

More dried fish

*These varieties were unfamiliar to me – but I imagine some can be used in curries too, like the potent but tasty Bombay duck (a fish, yes, a fish) I have

An assortment of pickles, including Nutmeg pickle (I had no idea such a thing existed).


Sri Lankan curry powder

Never have I seen a 'curry' powder this dark, even darker than coffee powder. Had it been a smaller bag my curiosity would have gotten the better of my philosophical opposition to buying anything labeled "Curry powder".
Cathy2, does the curry powder you have look this this?

I also saw these “Curd Chilis”

The word “Curd” is commonly used in south India, if not all over the country for yogurt and in this case really refers to buttermilk. These chilis are soaked in buttermilk and (sun)dried. They are then fried (watch out they smoke and will turn black) and eaten as a side – delicious with curd-rice, i.e., yogurt mixed with rice (salt to season).
This isn't really a ‘Kerala’ specific item, though the picture on the bag is the archetypal Kerala scene.
(from personal archive; Dec. '04)

They also had jaggery or cane sugar solids (Mexican piloncillo is the equivalent) [on right in picture] as well as kodampuli (on left in yellow bag). This is the only store in the Chicago area I have seen kodampuli (it wasn't in Geetha or Kairali when I checked) – most Keralites I presume get them from Kerala (or possibly from/via New York).


Below, the picture on right includes also more moluga – literally, buttermilk chilis – described above.
--brief note on kodampuli --
This is what Kodampuli looks like (personal stash).

Puli (pronounced 'pulley' approximately) means sour and usually refers to tamarind in southern Indian languages. Kodampuli is specifically used for Kerala fish curry. It is also termed ‘fish-puli’ and there is no substitute. Kodampuli has a wonderful smokey sourness* that is characteristic of Kerala fish dishes. I am yet to see a cookbook (in English) that correctly describes it, the closest has been a picture but no further explanation in the glossary. Kokum is sometimes noted as a substitute or as the equivalent, but it is neither. Kodampuli = Garcinia cambogia, Kokum = Garcinia indica, (btw Mangosteen = Garcinia mangostana**) - kokum is used as a sour agent (like tamarind) further north on the West coast of India, but not AFAIK in Kerala and likewise I do not know of the use of kodampuli far outside of Kerala.

*especially those that are aged and smoked (I can't comment on the quality of the ones pictured). I'm still seeking some 'lost' formulations of bbq sauce made with ‘my’ kodampuli, which is lightly smoked and then aged for approx. two years (at source)

** not that being in the same genus means implies similarity, but in this case there is distinct physical resemblance of the fruit

--end note--


There was also ginger beer – this brand is possibly widely available. It has a nice gingery flavor and distinctly sweetened with cane sugar (a bit too much though).


I was very surprised to see bottles of Toddy. I hadn't known this stuff was bottled. A little more on Toddy (or palm wine) in this thread in the beverage board


There were also appalams – which is the word for papad or pappadams in many S. Indian tongues. Their flavor profile is quite different from the N. Indian varieties.


Like the Italian stores that have the aluminum espresso makers on the top shelves, A1 had atop a shelf a couple of Puttu-kuttis.

Puttu (pronounced Put-two) is a Kerala dish (breakfast usually) made by steaming a cylinder of alternate layers of rice powder and fresh grated coconut. A dish I liked so much I carted the exceedingly uni-use puttu-maker or puttu-kutty all the way across the oceans. Little did I know that it could be obtained easily enough, a car ride away, in Westmont.

The store also had palm syrup – a small bottle (250 grams) for IIRC $2.99. For the price it was good – though it had a slight hint of a metallic aftertaste.

Palm syrup or palm treacle (as the listed ingredient) is the sap obtained from palm trees and reduced. Much like maple syrup. Further reduction until solid yields what is sold as ‘palm sugar’. The better palm sugars (such as can be obtained at Thai Grocer) are brown and have the molasses-y complexity. Try palm syrup with bananas or coconut or any place you would use palm sugar. (With oats is a combination best avoided )

There are the other fairly usual drinks in the refrigerated cases – also frozen ‘breads’ parathas, soft drinks (Mazaa brand lychee, mango) as well as Amul butter


There are a few vegetables – also yuca which is a common starch is Kerala cuisine.***
At the counter there were some samosas (and something else, can't remember now) that wafted fresh very tempting smells. Had I not been stuffed to my eyes from Katy's and had the person behind the counter not said they were made elsewhere, I would have definitely tried some.

That's all I got (Chicago, over and out)
Oh, if you've paid attention – in the same strip mall is a JeffB near RBI – Chinese Kitchen.


*** For some classic Kerala dishes see the notes and movie clip linked to in the Toddy thread


A1 Indian Grocer
6601 S. Cass Avenue
Westmont, Chicago, IL 60559
(630) 960-4900


Kairali
777 N Milwaukee Av
Glenview IL
847-729-2100


edited to add link

Oh...I'm so addicted to those "curd" chiles. And they *do* stink up the place when frying....oooooweeeee...

as per my Gujarati friend, I fry and freeze them then quick re-fry as an addition to a thali