It is not often that a head of state comes to Kerala, that too on a relaxed five-day tour of the state. Naturally, everything was done to make the stay of
UAE Supreme Council
member and ruler of Sharjah, HH Sheikh Dr
Sultan Bin Muhammed Al Qasimi
, a comfortable one.
There were a series of discussions and important announcements but by all accounts, the Sultan was pleased with the arrangements, especially the cuisine that was carefully put together by the chefs at the luxury hotel in Kovalam where he stayed.
After savouring the hot and flaky Kerala porottas along with Travancore mutton perattu, the Sultan paid a compliment in Malayalam — kollaam. That’s not the only Malayalam word he knows since he was taken care of by a Malayali nanny during his childhood. The Kerala connection doesn’t end there; his children had a tutor in
Anandi Ramachandran from Thiruvananthapuram.
The special menu included Arabian, naadan and Malabar delicacies. “He didn’t have any meal preference, but conveyed his wish to savour all kinds of Kerala dishes during his stay. He loved katta thairu (thick curd), puthari rice with mango pulisserry and pine apple pulisserry and in payasams he loved mulayari, ilaneer and ada. We also made not-so-spicy fish curries using fresh water fish like poomeen, kanambu, and chemballi besides crab and squid,” says
Roy Satheeshan
, executive chef. “Arabic dishes including chicken mandi, roasted lamb and appetisers like baba ghanoush and moutabbal were also served.” Not to mention kahwa, the Arabian coffee.
Perhaps no one has closer links to the royal family than Anandi Ramachandran, who had served as tutor for the four children of the Sheikh for chemistry and physics at the royal palace. Sitting at her residence in Nedumangadu, she remembers that her royal students did not have any airs about them and were obedient. When the sessions used to extend beyond two hours, she says, the kids would request her for a break. “I was closer to the Sheikh’s wife,
Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi
whom we call Shaykha. She would address me as Mrs Rama and always made me feel like a member of their family.”
Anandi, who worked as a teacher in Sharjah, says that she was drafted in for this special role after she had retired from her service in Sharjah. Initially, she taught the Sheikh’s eldest daughter Bedoor, who was a Class 11 student, and after she passed with flying colours, was put in charge of the other three children too. “During school vacation, the royal family shifts to their palace in London, so I used to be flown there via a chartered aircraft.”
She adds: “The Sheikh and his wife had thanked me for helping the children in their studies. Sultan even gave me a signed book with wishes.”
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