Local Cuisine You Cannot Afford To Miss in Kerala
Kerala cuisine has ample of authentic flavours which makes it a must try. May it be savoury or sweet they are acing at it!
Kerala offers a plethora of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes which you can’t afford to miss. The speciality of this cuisine is not only that it is full of rich and distinctive flavours but also the nutritive value that it has.
So, when in Kerala, trying on the authentic Kerala cuisine is indispensable. The uniqueness of this cuisines comes from the generous use of very basic and traditional ingredients which are locally grown in Kerala itself and the food is cooked in a very simple manner with less oil and you will find uniqueness in every item you taste.
The North Indians, mostly who avail the Kerala tour packages from Delhi are the most delighted ones to explore the cuisine from the opposite pole.
To make your job easy we have listed a few dishes that are a must try:
Wholesome Breakfast
Kerala has a good number of cuisines to be served on the breakfast table which will keep you full till the time of lunch.
These items are not only healthy but also very delicious and prepared in limited oil. Do not miss to taste these delicacies at the local outlets and do take home the best flavours of Kerala.
Apart from Idlis and Dosas which are known to be the typical breakfast items of the south, Kerala has a long list of breakfast items.
Flavoursome dish to start your day with, Puttu is a type of rice cake, moulded in a cylindrical shape and stuffed with grated coconut. It is usually served with Kadala (black chickpeas) curry and is also the staple food of Kerala. Though it looks simple appearance wise, you will enjoy having this steaming dish.
Another breakfast item known as Idiyappam or the rice noodles is one of the beloved breakfast items of Kerala and the staple food of Malayalis. The dish has a lovely texture and tastes best with egg curry. Idiyappam can be enjoyed with coconut milk too.
Sadhya
The king of vegetarian food of Kerala, Ela Sadhya is a lip-smacking royal lunch served on banana leaf offering a wide variety of specialities of Kerala with authentic flavours.
It is typically prepared as a traditional dish to be served on festivals such as Onam. The food is very simple, yet each item has its own distinct flavour and the meal is truly delicious.
Flavours of Malabar
The Malabar cuisine of Kerala, offers a wide variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian items with aromatic and distinctive flavours, having a confluence of various cultures. These dishes are unique and come with no replacement.
The mouth-watering Malabar parotta is a flat layered Indian bread made from the plain flour and is fried using oil or ghee. It just melts in your mouth and you will surely ask for more even if you are full. Malabar parotta is usually eaten with meat curry which enhances its flavour.
Lip-smacking Malabar style chicken biryani having intense flavours of the rich and aromatic spices served along with salad prepared in curd will make your meal a perfect one. Biryani lovers must try this delicacy.
Relishing Curries
Authentic curries of Kerala usually prepared in coconut milk with flavours of typically added ingredients like mustard seeds, red chillies, tamarind, asafoetida, etc. enhances the taste of these relishing curries. You will surely look for the recipes to try these at home.
If you ask any Keralite about their favourite dishes, Fish molee will definitely top in their favourites list.
Molee in Malayalam means ‘stew’. Fish molee is considered as one of the finest fish curries in Kerala. This dish is prepared by first marinating the fish pieces then shallow frying it and then by cooking it in coconut milk. The fish generally used are the fleshy ones like Kingfish or Pomfret. This dish definitely is a real treat to your taste buds.
Chemmeen curry or Kerala style prawns curry is one of the best prawns’ items of Kerala with flavours of asafoetida and a perfect blend of spices cooked in creamy coconut milk. It is truly a mouth-watering dish.
The Authentic Veggies
Avial or mix vegetable is one of the healthiest dishes cooked in curd and coconut paste and flavoured with some coconut oil. It is a thick gravy and usually had with rice. You will truly adore the multiple flavours of the mix vegetables of the dish.
Palatable Banana
You will find endless plantations of banana trees in Kerala. Being the most loved and widely found fruit in Kerala, the state has a speciality in preparing multiple items using the banana as the basic ingredient.
Ethakka appam/ Pazham Pori (Banana Fritters) is all time favourite snack item usually had with tea of coffee. These fritters are made by deep frying long sliced ripe plantains dipped in flour batter and you will relish the perfect sweetness of this dish.
Crunchy and golden banana chips, made from raw plantains, deep fried in coconut oil are very popular.
It is a favourite snack of Keralites as well as outsiders and mostly available at street shops. Do not forget to fill up your shopping bags with different varieties of banana chips for you and your friends.
Some Sweet Delicacies
Palada Payasam is a traditional mouth-watering dessert, a kind of rice pudding with rich flavours of dry fruits. It is usually prepared during festive times and loved by all.
Resembling somewhat like lasagna, Chattipathiri, a snack savoured in Malabar, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, is a sweet delicacy having rich flavours of dry fruits and makes for an amazing must-try dessert.
Mutta Maala is one of the unique and classic desserts in Malabar which you can’t miss to try. ‘Mutta’ means ‘egg’ and ‘Maala’ means ‘string’. The entire dessert is made up of egg, sugar, water with a hint of cardamom. The yolks and the whites are separated before cooking.
The yolks are used to make the lacy strings and the whites are whisked along with sugar syrup and the steamed. This dish is made on special occasions or for special guests.
The cuisine of Kerala offers a multitude of dishes with varied delicacies prepared in an unembellished manner, suitable to all in all the seasons and relished by all the tourists of all the age groups.
Kerala tour packages from Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, etc. are much in demand for the food places they suggest.
