Newly launched Chatti restaurant gives a global makeover to the spicy side dishes that are a mainstay of local liquor dens in Kerala
“If tapas can be the global face of Spanish food, why can’t ‘touchings’ be the same for Kerala?” It’s with this thought that chef Regi Mathew launched his first international venture Chatti in Manhattan’s Garment District in early February, blocks away from Times Square.
‘Touchings’ are small, spiced side dishes made in toddy shops (kallu shaaps in local parlance) across Kerala. “While you’re having toddy, you touch and eat. That’s why it’s called touchings,” explains Mathew who as culinary director and founder of Kappa Chakka Kandhari (KCK) in Chennai and Bengaluru, has earned multiple Chef of the Year awards for celebrating Kerala’s homestyle cooking.
For Chatti, Mathew was inspired by the food of Kerala’s toddy shops where locals and curious tourists gather over frothy toddy — a fermented palm sap liquor — paired with fiery touchings. Think karimeen pollichathu (spiced pearl spot fish steamed in banana leaves), duck mappas, and spicy red fish curries. “In a state that values equity, debate, and free expression, toddy shops create space for people from all walks of life to come together, share a table, and engage in conversation over toddy and touchings,” he says, moved by the community spirit of these beloved, barebones drinking dens that act like cultural equalizers.
Chatti (which means a traditional clay pot for cooking curries) joins a wave of Indian restaurants in the US that champion hyperlocal regional flavours, like Bungalow and the Michelin-starred Semma which spotlights Tamil Nadu’s rural homestyle cooking. These chefs are redefining Indian cuisine beyond idli-dosa-sambar and butter chicken, highlighting bold, unapologetic flavours from Indian homes and farms.
‘Touchings’ are central to the Chatti experience. To guide diners, Mathew has done it up like a tapas bar. “The images are displayed on a table mat with an explanation, which guests find quite interesting. They can read up, point to the picture and say, ‘I want one of this’ or ‘One of that, please’,” says Mathew.
The strategy works. “If two people come, they’ll order at least six to seven ‘touchings’. We have kept the pricing and portion smaller so they can try a lot of dishes,” he adds, holding out a menu that spans Kerala’s diverse landscape, from ‘prawn pouches steamed in banana leaves’ to ‘toddy shop beef fry’, ‘tender jackfruit cutlets’, ‘pearl spot parcels’, ‘clay pot fish curry’ and ‘gooseberry masala with pomfret’.
Chef Mathew’s passion for food began in childhood, learning from his mother. He later trained globally, launching restaurants like Benjarong and Ente Keralam in Chennai. Known for his rigorous research, Mathew and his team spent over three years travelling across Kerala, visiting more than 300 homes and 100 toddy shops, testing around 800 recipes and perfecting rare home cooking techniques. This led to his flagship KCK’s Chennai launch in 2018, followed by Bengaluru.
“When we went around Kerala, we realised our cuisine has so many hidden treasures, which we wanted to bring to the world. But I didn’t want to rush it,” says Mathew.
The restaurant maintains deep ties with Kerala’s farming communities. “We are still bringing our spices from India because I’m particularly picky about what spice I should use. Peppercorns are sourced from Pulpally in Wayanad, jaggery from Marayoor, fresh tea leaves from Munnar, and cold-pressed coconut oil from a homemakers’ collective in Ernakulam,” says Mathew. Beyond spices, key ingredients like tapioca, coconut, jackfruit, and seafood are imported directly from Kerala. He collaborates with small enterprises and women’s groups for hand-picked spices and artisanal blends as well.
Mathew smiles as he recalls the toddy shops of his youth in Kottayam. “Growing up, we weren’t allowed to visit these places. My mother would worry, thinking, ‘I sent him to college, and he’s off to a toddy shop instead!'” he chuckles.
But now with Chatti, Mathew has created a cultural bridge, bringing the warmth and conviviality of Kerala’s toddy shops to the world.
