Those in-the-know in the Ottawa food scene will recognize the name Joe Thottungal, the award-winning creative and industrious Kerala-born chef behind beloved national capital restaurants Coconut Lagoon and Thali. Ottawa Chef of the Year in 2008, winner of regional and national levels of the Canadian Culinary Championships, and mentor to new and renowned chefs alike, Chef Thottungal is known for his inventive yet soulful takes on Kerala cuisine – the food traditions of his homeland – and fellow Ottawa residents are certainly grateful for it.
I had the opportunity to chat with Chef Thottungal about the many rich influences that led to his cookbooks Coconut Lagoon and My Thali and the philosophy he carries through each culinary endeavour.
*This conversation has been edited for clarity and length*
Q: How would you describe your style and philosophy as a creator?
A: I try to follow Mahatma Gandhi’s quote: “in a gentle way you can shake the world.”
Q: How do you navigate writing recipes that are accessible to home cooks (e.g., time and money restraints, varied skill levels)?
A: I follow my wife’s cooking practices and try to incorporate those guidelines. She is the one who always cooks at our house.
Q: How do you know when a recipe you’re developing is ready for print?
A: By making sure the end result is what I am looking for and whether my guests will enjoy those dishes in their dining rooms. With more than 28 years of working in Canada, I have gotten to know what many Canadians enjoy in Indian Cuisine.
Q: What’s one ingredient you cannot live without?
A: Coconut
Q: With so many recipes available online today, why should home cooks and cooking enthusiasts still purchase physical cookbooks?
A: Cookbooks inspire creativity and preserve culinary heritage. Cookbooks showcase the chef’s and author’s philosophy, memories, culture, and personal journey. Cookbooks help readers dream, learn, and travel through food and connect with the author’s vision.
Q: How long have you been engaged in recipe development?
A: 30 plus years
Q: What motivated you to publish a cookbook and at that specific point in your career?
A: I wrote the first book after running the Coconut Lagoon for 15 years. The second book was during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Q: Who is your greatest culinary inspiration?
A: My Mum.
Q: What strategies do you recommend for managing creative blocks?
A: Be yourself and take your time.
Q: What is one piece of advice you’d like to offer to aspiring recipe developers?
A: Create recipes with honesty not just for popularity.
Q: Is there a new project you’re working on that you’d like to tease?
A: The third edition of Flavours of Bharat.
You can find Chef Thottungal’s cookbooks online or by visiting his restaurants with (almost) the same names: Coconut Lagoon at 853 St. Laurent Blvd, Ottawa and Thali at 136 O’Connor St, Ottawa. To follow Chef Thottungal, be sure to follow him on Instagram at @Coconutlagoon_joe.
