Cuisines

Kerala wholeheartedly welcomes the vacationers with its unique and scrumptious cuisine that is very unusual from the rest of the world. Kerala cuisine is predominantly flavored with coconut – chopped, grated or garnished, or with the use of coconut milk and oil. As Kerala is blessed with an extensive coastal line of about 36,000 kilometers, traces of delectable sea-food can be found in plenty in its cuisine. The influence of foreign invasion strongly reflects in the non-vegetarian delicacies of Kerala. So, if you are planning to take a trip to Kerala, make sure that you relish its exotic cuisine.

Kerala cuisines can be divided into the meat based Malabar (North Kerala), the primarily vegetarian Travancore/ Palghat / Thrissur cuisine and a rare, but delectable collection of Syrian Christian dishes.

  • Delectable gastronomy from North Kerala

     

    biriyaniA mellowing blend of Malabar Muslim, Mughal, and Arabic cuisines makes the food of North Kerala tantalizing. Malabaris (people of North Kerala), known for their hospitality never overlook a reason to make merry. The cuisine of Malabar is basically non-vegetarian with a true blend of spices.

     A typical Malabari meal starts with the traditional soup `Jeeraka Kanji' (rice cooked soft with ground coconut and cumin seeds). Malabari Biriyani - usually cooked with mutton, chicken, fish or prawn, flavored with spices and garnished with nuts, raisins and pineapple.  - is the key among North Kerala cuisine.

     The delight of Malabari cuisine are the exotic  dishes, which include `Kozhi Nirachathu’(stuffed chicken), `alisa' - an Arabic delicacy - wheat cooked with chicken, ‘Kozhi Curry’ (chicken curry), ‘Beef/Erachi Varatiyathu’ - a tasty meat preparation with very little gravy, 'Aadu Porichathu' - whole roasted goat stuffed with chicken and egg, Kozi Varathatu – chicken fry, Mutton Ishtu, Meen Vevichathu (fish in fiery red chilly sauce), Nadan Mathi Pulyum Mulakum (a flavoured spicy dish made of sardine), Ayala(mackeral) Curry, Brinjal Prawn Curry, Masala Lobster, Fish Pickle, Cherupayar Ishtu (moong dal curry), and Mango Pulisheri (made of ripe mangoes). Kozhi Pidi, a specialty of the Ramzan celebration, reminds one of Kannadiga's Kadubu, steamed rice dumplings in rich creamy non-vegetarian gravy, served hot.

     The juicy `Muttamala' (yolk of egg cooked in thin strings, in sugar syrup), `Pancharapatta'(layers of eggs cooked on a slow fire in hot oil), Prawn Kebab, Prawn Tikka, Spicy Prawn (a piquant Malabar recipe), Rava Ladoo( a popular Malabar sweet) Pazhampori ( banana fritters) are  a few among the appetizing recipes whose monopoly is vested only to North Kerala.

     Kerala Porotta, layered roti prepared in Maida, finds a main position among the Malabar dishes. However, modern variants of the traditional Porotta like Chilly Porota (Kothu Porotta), Erachi Porotta, Fish Porotta, Chicken Porotta, Vegetable Stuffed Porotta, Cheese Mushroom Porotta, etc., can also be found.

     The tender and tempting, thinnest ‘pathiri’ (roti prepared from rice flour or rice tortilla) itself comes in variety of mouth-watering choices -   ‘Meen Pathiri’ (steamed rice flour pie with fish), ‘Adaku Pathiri’ (layered rice and egg), Chatti Pathiri , Nei Pathiri, Poricha  Pathiri, or Orottis (thick roti made using rice flour and grated coconut). These yummy pathiris when combined with chicken gravy, fish curry, beef curry, egg curry, or green peas curry gives an oh-I-can’t-stop-eating feel.

     The crispy banana chips, the yummy 'Kozhikode Halwa’ also forms a part of the North Kerala cuisine.

     


  • Enticing and Flavorsome Central Kerala Cuisine

     

    Kerala offers an exuberant variety of vegetarian cuisines and has rice as the staple food. Rasam, sambar, morukootan, pitla, poricha kutoo, vattal kozhambu, olan, rasam, kalan, eriseri, pulungari, pulusseri, mulagusiam and molaguvellam form an excellent combination with rice. Coconut oil and coconut pieces add savor to these delectable vegetarian cuisines. Tur dal is used normally with all the dishes and rice powder is used for thickening the gravy. Green chilies are used to spice up the cuisines.

     

    Iddilis, a fluffy white steamed rice muffin-like dumplings, and Dosas, thin pancakes made of yeasty rice and lentil batter, served with sambar and chutney (a flavored, spicy side dish made from coconut) is much preferred by the vacationers as breakfast.

                                             The major Brahmin settlements of Kerala are found in Palghat. The scrumptious menu from the Iyers (Brahmins) of Palakkad includes a varied yet delicious combination of Tamil Brahmin and the Keralite Namboodri cuisines. The prominent among them are Arachu Kalakki (prepared using mangoes or gooseberries preserved in salt), Mezhukku Peratti, Manga Kari (a spicy pickle from mango), Puliyitta Keerai- made either from amaranth leaves or tender colacasia (Chembu) leaves, Puliya Kuthi Upperi – an aromatic dish from plantains, brinjal, ash gourd (or chowchow), Parpu (Tur dal) Kari, Puli inji(made of ginger), etc.

     


  • South Kerala Cuisine Synonym of Piquancy

     

    To explain how a Syrian Christian Cuisine tastes is a taxing task. The exotic Kerala Syrian Christian cuisine is the much acclaimed among the cuisines of South Kerala. An epicurean journey through the South Kerala cuisine offers the delicacies including Meen Moilee (fish slices simmered in a mild gravy of coconut milk with spices), Chilly Fried Crabs, Meen Porichathu (Kerala fish fry), Fish Curry, Chemmeen (Prawn) Coconut Fry , Karimeen (Pearlspot) Fry, Meen Mullagittathu, Meen Pollichathu ( Fish Roasted in plantain leaf), Prawn Mappas (an exceptional and flavored one from coconut milk), Fish Korma, Kuttanad Fish Curry, Meen Vevichathu, Peera Pattichattu (fish in grated coconut), and Aavoli (Pomfret) fry. The vegetarian can savor the Theeyal, Parpu Kari, Chena Molagu (local cuisine using elephant yam) and Puzhukku - a delicious combination of cooked root vegetables. The menu of Syrian Christian Cuisine is rich with non-vegetarian delicacies flavored in red chilies, cloves, onions, cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, fried coconut chips, and vinegar.

    Lacy Idiappam with potato curry made in coconut milk/kadla curry (black chana)/sugar /sweetened coconut milk, Vattayappam, Kallappam, Idiappam, Vellayapam - a frilly, lacy-edged pancake prepared from fermented rice paste, INRI Appam (eaten to commemorate the Last Supper), Kappa (tapioca) cooked with fish curry, etc., are the other culinary delicacies from South Kerala.
    Kerala is known for its ambrosial drink Toddy – prepared through the fermentation of the sap of coconut tree. These toddy shops (Kallu shaapu! that’s the native version) are very well-known as the poor man’s substitute for expensive taverns and usually have great crowds in the weekends. They are known for the delicious and the immense variety of traditional Keralite non-veg cuisines. Wine is also an essential part of Kerala Syrian Christian Cuisine.
    Tourists can also go for jackfruit (chakka) chips, achappam (rose cookies), kuzhalappam (a cylindrical crisp cookie) or ever-present ethekka appam (banana fritters) for the tea-time munching.

     


  • Seafood Delicacies of Kerala

     

    Varieties of fishes including shrimp, cuttlefish, squid, oil sardines, mackerel, prawn, silver bellies, tuna, sting rays, shark, crabs, mussels, and oysters comprise the popular seafood items of Kerala. Mussels are unprecedented among the list: a special dish consisting mussel and rice flour, cooked in the shell called arikadukka is highly praised by tourists visiting the land. Ecstasy of having sea food reaches its zenith in Kerala where you will be served with spicy fish fry and fish curry cooked with Kerala spices, coconut and vegetables. Karimeen Mappas - fried fish, fish moilee, meen vevichathu - fish in fiery red chilly sauce, and prawn curry in coconut gravy are the much appreciated among the sea foods in Kerala. Rejoice in the flavor of grilled fish covered with spiced onion and wrapped in a banana leaf, delectably spiced kingfish, jumbo prawns served with a dash of lemon juice accompanied by loads of lightly-spiced calamari rings and a delectable vegetable platter, and some exclusive preparations of lobsters and scampi, which are scrumptious cuisines of Kerala.