Itihaas restaurant situated by Muttada Road at Paruthipara, reverse Thomsun Bakers in Thiruvananthapuram, resembles a standard naalukettu (a home with an open central courtyard) in Kerala. An intricately designed white balcony railing stands behind the large daring pink letters asserting the eatery’s title. The brick-tiled roof, barely discoloured from age, shelters the constructing supported by concrete and wood pillars. A glass shelf with snacks jostling for house and a steaming tea container welcomes the hungry prospects outdoors the constructing.
Inside the restaurant, the wood stairs and flooring add to the place’s rustic really feel. Apart from wood tables and chairs, Itihaas additionally has majlis-style seating association and might seat round 100 folks at a time.
Interiors of Itihaas restaurant
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After being seated, I used to be attracted by the snacks and aroma of the chai I noticed upon my arrival. I requested for a plate of hen samosas and tea, regardless of my (unwavering) loyalty to espresso. Two samosas have been served on a sheet of tissue paper on a metal plate accompanied by milk tea served in a glass. Traces of oil left on the tissue paper as I grabbed one of many samosas left no doubts about whether or not the snack was wholesome at all. But did I care one bit? Absolutely not!
The crispy and flaky samosa enveloped the shredded hen flavoured with masalas that co-owner and chef Shafna Shifas, calls her personal. The onions add a refined sweetness, complimenting the remainder of the filling. The pulverised meat has a chunk to it, not getting overpowered by the remainder of components.
Chicken samosa from Itihaas restaurant
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The tea was gentle, milky and reasonably candy. Its style jogged my memory of an Irani chai boiled to perfection in perfume and flavour. Snacks begin from ₹10, which embody kinds of Malabar bites and even Mangalore bun, the puri-like deep-fried bun, initially from Karnataka.
Snack stall outdoors Itihaas restaurant
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This is the fourth restaurant owned by Shafna and her husband Shifas Sait. The different three are in Bengaluru and have been began by the couple in 2016. “The main reason why we came to Thiruvananthapuram, is because I am passionate about this place,” says Shafna, initially from Peyad, on the outskirts of town.
Shafna says, “My parents are great cooks, and my father used to cook Chinese food at home when I was a child. I have never had Chinese food tastier than that. Now my three brothers together run a restaurant at my native place.”
Itihaas presents a large menu that includes dishes from Kerala, Chinese, and Arabic cuisines amongst others. The non-vegetarian choices embody protein-rich varieties similar to hen, mutton, beef and sea food — from ‘Alleppey’ hen curry to prawns in black pepper sauce.
Their specials embody dishes similar to Kasaragod beef palli curry, mutton cheriyulli cheena chattiyilitt vattichathu (mutton cooked down in a wok with shallots) and cheriyulli kozhi (shallot hen), amongst others.
The cheriyulli kozhi and mutton cheriyulli cheenachattiyilitt vattichathu have an analogous preparation — cooking the meat with caramelised shallots in a spicy, secret masala. Tomato, ginger, and garlic are added to it as nicely. It is cooked until the gravy thickens. The dish is served in a small sizzling forged iron wok or cheenachatti at the desk. The scorching hen with the pink masala is served on a mattress of cabbage leaves.
The cheriyulli kozhi works nicely with rice dishes. The succulent hen lined in the spicy gravy with the flavour of shallots enhances the tang from the tomato. However, garlic barely overpowers the dish with its pungent nature.
Cheriyulli Kozhi from Itihaas
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This dish prices ₹349 plus taxes and mutton cheriyulli cheenachattiyilitt vattichathu prices ₹499 plus taxes.
Malabar hen biryani is one other dish to look out for. One portion comes with two dum-cooked items of hen and a boiled egg, served with raita, beetroot pickle and pappadam. The hen was cooked to perfection with a refined flavour. The rice was aromatic from the aromatics and enhances the masala with onions and powdered spices. The tangy beetroot pickle and raita minimize by way of the richness of the biryani as nicely. The Malabar hen biryani prices ₹249 for a plate and can be out there in egg, mutton, beef, fish and prawns. Hyderabadi biriyani varieties are additionally out there, ranging from ₹100 for vegetable biriyani.
Malabar Chicken Biriyani from Itihaas restaurant
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Itihaas presents a vegetarian breakfast buffet for ₹49 with idiyappam, idli, dosa puri upma, kesari and so forth. Accompaniments embody kadala curry, sambar, vegetable stew and so forth. A non-vegetarian breakfast buffet consists of hen stew, beef curry and egg masala at ₹249. The breakfast service begins at 7am and goes on until 11.15 am. On Sundays, they serve pidiyum kozhiyum, a standard dish with boiled rice powder balls served with hen curry at ₹299 plus taxes.
Published – May 28, 2025 04:00 pm IST
