I’m always looking for good foodie recommendations, so when a Keralite working at one of the Oxford hospitals recently suggested Thejus Eats for Keralan food, I was immediately intrigued.

Kerala is rightly famous for its diverse, delectable cuisine, so discovering a new local source of this South Indian deliciousness could only be good, right? Before you could say ‘Saturday lunch’ we were on our bikes heading over to try them out. And I’m very glad we did.

Unless you live right in the Marston-Barton area, the restaurant might seem rather out of the way. It’s tucked into a row of shops on Westlands Drive that also features Thejus Foods (same owner), Rosie’s Iranian/Persian shop, and a wine store. But I wasn’t there to do my shopping. We had arrived on a mission to get an early lunch.

Inside the small, bright space, we found 8 or so tables and nabbed one by the window. To the sound of loud music videos playing on the TV overhead, we browsed a menu of familiar favourites – vada, dosa, biryani, kadala and fish curries – and made our choices. That was the plan, at least, until the friendly manager Toni came over to tell us about the Saturday special. This, he told us, was the day to try Pothichoru, a traditional meal with rice wrapped up inside a banana leaf. Who was I to doubt Toni, especially as I hadn’t tried Pothichoru before?

Well, we did insist on starting with a dish of vada, two deep fried lentil fritters, often served as a snack.

These crispy savoury doughnuts had a soft exterior with a subtle kick of chili and were wonderful dunked right into the pot of sambal on the side. Accompanied by a sweet and aromatic masala tea, they were a strong introduction to the Thejus Eats kitchen.

It was the arrival of the Pothichoru, however, that really made my day. The foil-wrapped parcel opened to reveal the vivid green of the inner banana leaf, inside which was a copious feast for two. It looked like what it was – food squeezed together for easy transport – so it wasn’t beautifully photogenic. But much more importantly, it was lovely to eat. Cooked matta rice was accompanied by a chili-flecked omelette, fried anchovies, chicken 65 (flavourful fried chicken goujons), and two types of veggies (carrots and
beans). And there were condiments mixed in too. The pickle added a slightly bitter note, while the dry coconut chutney brought in some sweetness. It was best when I scooped up a mix of all these elements in the right proportion. That way I could fully enjoy the contrast of flavours from sweet to salty and mild to hot, and the textures that ranged from soft to crunchy. Though as an aside – deep-fried anchovies might just be good with everything!

The matta rice (a staple in Kerala) also deserves special mention as the ideal base for the whole dish.

Light coloured when cooked, with small flecks in each grain, it had a rich earthy taste and was slightly chewy. When I asked Toni about it, he showed me the uncooked grains, which have a distinctive brownish-red colour. I learned later that this is due to the outer bran layer that stays on even after processing. FYI – you can buy matta at the shop next door if you want to try cooking it for yourself. I now have an enormous
bag at home, though I’ll leave the Pothichoru to Ashif, the chef.

Overall, we enjoyed our Thejus Eats experience very much. The food was tasty, with enough chili to keep things spicy, and we appreciated the friendly atmosphere. I will definitely be going back soon to sample more dishes, especially as I haven’t yet tried the dosa. I was also too full to have the gulab jamun dessert on my first visit, so I’ll need that too.

Thejus Eats
59 Westlands Dr, Oxford OX3 9QS