Slowly drifting through the maze of canals, lakes, rivers and lagoons that are the backwaters of Kerala is a truly out-of-this-world experience. No technology and nothing to do but wait for life to emerge, often quietly against the serene, green backdrop of shores dotted with palm trees. Kettuvallam, “tied together” in the local language, are the ancient rice boats made without nails, using coconut fiber coir knots to lash together jack wood planks. Today you can travel as a guest, but they were originally designed as the workhorse to navigate remote locations along the backwaters, transporting rice, spices and more.

Spices have always been the mainstay of Kerala’s cuisine. Often called the “land of spices”, Kerala uses indigenous spices in Ayurvedic practices holistically, including topical as well as culinary uses. For the oo’mämē Indian Chile Crisp, we carefully select from the rich array available in southern India, and blend turmeric, fennel, mustard seed, tamarind, star anise, reshampati peppers, Kashmiri chiles and tamarind into our own garam masala. To that backbone of chiles and pungent spices, we add a layer of umami, roasted peanuts, grated coconut and sweet papaya.

Like a Kerala Garam Masala, oo’mämē Indian Chile Crisp revolutionizes a dish with just a dash. Add a spoonful of oo’mämē to curries or lentil dals, or simply stir onto drained, canned garbanzo beans. That 30‑second trick will transform garbanzos — chana — to something magical. From basic to brilliant with one quick stir. Elevate your cooking game to Master Chef status!