Food (Kerala)

Malayali cuisine is a popular cuisine in India. Kerala being a part of South India does not include just idli or dosa. The food of Kerala has plenty of dishes up its sleeve to make you fall in love. Influenced by travellers from Arab, Portugal, and other different parts of the world in early years, Kerala has developed a unique cuisine of its own which includes looks of the western world but flavours original of Kerala. You will find so many dishes here that have a resemblance to western food items but taste entirely Indian. It has generous use of curry leaves, chilli and pepper making the food spicier and mouth-watering. There are many wonderful desserts to complement the heat of the main course.

Every day we ate authentic Kerala dishes and trust us, it was wholesome. So much so that we tried cooking the same in our kitchen but could not recreate the flavours. The food in Kerala is cheaper than other tourist places. An average restaurant has comfortable ambiance and well-priced dishes. You will never feel like you are over paying for what you ate. We are enlisting some of the food items of Kerala that we tried in our trip.

Appam/Idiyappam

This is a staple breakfast item along with puttu. Appam are small pancakes made of fermented rice batter and steamed and/or fried. It is a plain dish often which one may consume with sambhar and chutney. Idiyappam is a version of appam. They are Idlis of rice noddles. It does not need fermentation, hence, quick and easy to make. You may consume it with sambhar or kadala curry or any other curry of your choice. The appam or idiyappam do not have a pronounced flavour of their own. Instead, they soak the flavours of the curry/sambhar.

Puttu and Kadala curry

Puttu is one of the staple food items of Kerala. Again, rice flour is mixed with coconut shreds or coconut milk. Then roll it into a cylindrical shape and steam. The texture is medium to dry, hence, Kadala Curry which is a chickpea curry in Kerala style often accompanies it. A very popular as a breakfast and even as dinner. There are many versions of puttu including few with sweet or savoury fillings.

Sadhya meal

This a vegetarian delight of Kerala, often consumed during festivities specially Onam. It is a version of Thali and has many items, sometimes 26, served on a banana leaf. The food items served may vary in number and variety. The most common items include local steamed rice, dal, sambhar, rasam, kootu curry (yam cooked with gram), cabbage thoran, kalan (any root vegetable cooked with coconut), Moru curry or pulissary (seasoned buttermilk), erissery (pumpkin cooked in coconut milk), chutneys, papadam, pickles, banana chips and payasam. A simple dish yet, packed with different flavours. It is very fulfilling, therefore, you may have it for lunch or dinner, though, lunch is more suitable. It is an authentic Kerala dish and an excellent option for vegetarians.

Parotta

Malabari parotta is famous all over the world. It is a layered and flaky flat bread quite like the lachcha paratha except for the use of refined wheat flour (maida) for the Malabar parotta which gives a different texture to both. It is a popular street food item. You may have it with chicken or paneer curries.

Sea food

Being a coastal state Kerala is a sea food paradise. The crab curry is a very popular dish in Kerala. The seaside restaurants offer the sea food of your choice where you can buy them and then have them cooked and served in house. It is a wonderful experience. Having said that, the sea food in Kerala does not come cheap, since, most of the catch is exported.

Prawn/Crab curry

Prawn curry and the crab curry are popular sea food. Kerala style crab or prawn means cooking with coconut milk and curry leaves. Slight sour taste comes from the tamarind paste, a widely used ingredient in Kerala cuisine. Definitely give it a try in Kerala.

Thalassery Biryani

No matter where we visit in India, every place has its own version of Biryani which is very different from any other we have had and equally relishing. No wonder Biryani always tops the list of most ordered food items on food delivery apps. Thalassery Biryani has its origins in the town of Thalassery in Northern Kerala. The rice used in this biryani is kaima rice unlike the regular basmati rice in other biryanis. The spices and the technique of cooking give it a unique flavour. Slightly tangy, its flavours are a welcome change from the other Biryanis of different parts all over India.

Mutton/chicken perattu

Surprisingly, this was the dish that won our hearts. Undoubtedly, non vegetarian food in Kerala is exquisite. This dish is nothing but chicken/mutton pepper fry. Its preparation includes marinated meat fried in large quantity of onion and perfect blend of spices with pepper being the dominant ingredient. The choice of meat is yours but the flavours are Kerala certified. The succulent meat, packed with flavours that burst in your mouth. The meat disintegrates as soon as you place it in your mouth. If you are a non vegetarian this dish is a much recommended one.

Karimeen fry

Karimeen is the official state fish of Kerala. Spotted Karimeen is a popular fish native to the backwaters of Kerala. Karimeen fry is the most sought after dish even though you may have it in a variety of ways including curry. If you have not tried this wonderful fish, packed with health benefits, then you have probably not enjoyed Kerala’s true essence.

Chatti pathiri

This is one dish in Kerala that is an excellent display of how the Malabari cuisine is an ensemble of everything that influenced Kerala. It is a layered dish with stuffings on top of each layer. The stuffings are mostly prepared with meat and can be customised as per dietary requirements. You mat have the sweet as well as savoury options. It is indeed the Kerala version of the lasagna.

Banana fritters

Banana chips are synonymous with Kerala. Raw bananas are used in making the chips. However, it is amazing to know that Kerala uses ripe bananas as yummy snacks. The ripe bananas are either mashed or sliced after which coat in a batter of flour with or without egg. Later, deep frying to perfection gives it a beautiful golden brown colour and crispy texture. It is a sweet snack sold as a street food all over Kerala.

Payasam

When you are in Kerala, Payasam doesn’t mean just one dish. Kerala has many versions of payasam by just tweaking the main ingredient. Payasam is made with rice, rice flakes, wheat, vermicelli, tapioca pearls, and fruits like plantains, mango, pineapple, jack fruit, etc. We suggest try a different version after every meal as it is a dessert.

Coconut

All you can see everywhere in Kerala are tall coconut trees. It makes you wonder if the coconuts are sold cheap in Kerala. Although coconut trees are found in abundance but the availability of tender coconut is less making them pricier. This is mostly due to exports. The coconuts are comparatively much cheaper but even their price is on the rise due to exports, processing for coconut oil and heavy input costs. Having said that, tender coconuts of Kerala are huge and the only respite in the scorching heat along with one other very popular drink in Kerala.

Tender toddy

Toddy is a coconut like fruit albeit much smaller in size. It is an ideal fruit to cool down the body temperature during summers. The fruit is transparent and slightly sweet to tasteless but many health benefits. It is the toddy drink that remains a popular drink throughout South India. The unfermented sap called toddy is equally healthy like the fruit but once fermented it becomes an alcoholic drink. This is so popular in Kerala that you will find stalls selling tender toddy at every 100metres and labelling themselves as Toddy Bar. It has also been legalized by the Kerala government.