A man with a rare distinction for cooking for tens of thousands of people both in India and abroad, over a career spanning 38 years, recently visited Oman accompanied by his close aide and prepared meals for over 4,000 people as part of the Onam celebrations, catering to both expatriates and Omanis.
Ilayidam Devan Namboodiri, a traditional mass feast chef from Sreekrishnapuram in Palakkad, embarked on this profession out of pure passion for nearly four decades. He was trained by his uncle, Thrivikraman Namboodiri, a former military man and renowned chef from 1980 until his passing in 2015.
“Behind every single task of cooking for hundreds or thousands, it’s all about calculations, measurements and above all, God’s mercy — because you are feeding thousands of hungry people and the food must be equally delicious”, says Devan. He specialises in Valluvanadan Sadya cooking, a distinctive style of traditional Kerala cuisine.
Throughout his illustrious career, he has cooked for nearly 10,000 to 11,000 students at Nehru College in a single sitting, for mass feasts at various temples, numerous food donation programmes and has been part of festivities at the Vadakkumthala Bhagavathi Temple, Mulayankavu, Ottapalam Manissery Killikavu, among others. A particularly notable event was the mass feast at Kadambuzha Bhagavathi Temple, where 20,000 people dined during Karthika.
He recalls having cooked for over 5,000 feasts around the world, averaging about 100 feasts each month. This is his sixth visit to Oman for such occasions. Through his venture, SK Catering, which serves temples, weddings and other large events, Devan and his close aide Vijayan are experts in combining perfect proportions of ingredients and creating unique recipes that cater to people from different continents.
Devan Namboodiri has disciples worldwide, who continue to serve the masses. He believes that preparing and serving food is a divine act.
“Those who cook the food may not be there tomorrow, but the tradition of feeding thousands of hungry mouths must continue. That is why I train many at no cost, so they can uphold this tradition”, Devan, who is also a temple tantric, adds.
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