Qum Qum in Kakkanad, one of Kochi’s newest Arabian food places looks something out of Arabia with its sand-coloured exterior, square columns, many arches and flat roof. The two rows of palm trees leading up to the entrance complete the vibe. Outside, near the entrance, in the open kitchen are lined specially fabricated pressure cookers on gas stoves. These cookers, we learn soon enough, play an important role in the presentation of madghoot or madghout, as it is known in its place of origin in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, the reason we are here. We are there on a Friday, for lunch. The weekend has not yet started but the crowd there is testimony to Kochi’s love of Arabian cuisine, which extends or rather embraces foods beyond shawarma, mandi, shawaya and al-faham. Since we are warned that madghoot is a big enough meal, we opt for simple starters - the chicken barbeque, a tad sweet which would work for spice-wary children. This does not prepare us for what comes next. At most Arabian food places, the mandi is served on a plate with the meat and the rice but at Qum Qum the madghoot being served is a whole production.
Chicken madhghoot
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The madghoot pressure cooker is brought to the table, opened and upturned on a large serving plate. The hot steam and the fragrance of long-grained, a subtle hint of zaatar-like spices hits you, as it forms a transparent ‘cloud’. Anaz Ashraf, one of the partners, introduces us to the madghoot, and why he decided to add the dish to a menu alongside mandi, one of Kerala’s favourite dishes ranking very close to biryani. “Mandi is, as we all know, hugely popular here. We thought of introducing madghoot, though we were confident about how it would be received, we did not anticipate this kind of response!” says Anaz who used to be based in West Asia. He claims he now has to order more madghoot cookers from his fabricator in Malappuram.
