Gods own country is known for its exotic locales that have caught the imagination of the world. Tourists flock to the state all through the year. They soon discover that besides the sublime locales they can also lay their hands on some of the finest vegetarian & non-vegetarian cuisine anywhere in the world.
The Kerala cuisine is largely of two types, Malabar from north Kerala & Travancore & Kochi from South Kerala. Christian & Muslim influence on the non-vegetarian Kerala cuisine is palpable, giving it a tone of versatility,making it all the more remarkable.
Kerala produces the highest number of coconuts in the world & the cuisine does show the presence a lot of coconut cream & coconut milk in the everyday meals. The staple diet is rice & cassava (Tapioca).The Keralites prefer a healthier form of Rice (Choru) which is a variety boiled with rice husk that gives it a better nutritional value.
Delicious breakfast includes the much-love Puttu (Grated coconut with rice powder brought to heat in a bamboo holder), Palappum & Idiyappam which can be had in combination with fish ,mutton, Chicken, or vegetable stew.
Payasam amongst the desserts is the most known & comes in various types. Ada Payasam, Parripu Payasam , Gothambu Payasam are some that come to mind immediately as the choice of many.
An array of herbal teas underlines the Keralite bent toward a healthy lifestyle. These teas are served during the main meals & are generally made from ginger or coriander along with cumin seeds giving them a healthy medicinal value.
From the Kerala fish spread there is a variety of dishes to pick from. You can have your Kerala styled Baked Fish, the Meen Ularthiyatu (A variety of stir fry fish) or the mouth-watering hot & Sweet fish fingers to satiate your urge for the netted variety. In the shell fish class try the Unnaka Cheemeen Podichatu or the Powdered dry prawns, the Vazuthananga Unakka Cheemeen Mezhkkupuratti – a Brinjal Dried Shrimp Saute or the Shrimp Bell Pepper Masala are perennial delights.
The delicious Sadya, the traditional vegetarian meal of Kerala served on a banana leaf is what many find impossible to resist. This meal was usually reserved for special occasions like Onam or marriage receptions, but has caught on & how! It is rare to find a visitor to Kerala who forgets to have his Sadya treat.
Kerala is also home to a variety of chips, pickles & chutneys. The Banana & Jackfruit chips are favourites all over. The Ginger pickle from Kerala is widely exported, amongst others. The Pappadums from the region have a large following too.
The contribution of Syrian Christian cuisine to Kerala has resulted in an admired preparation the Appam & the Lamb Stew. While the Appam is batter with scraped coconut & soaked & ground rice made in a wok, the Tender lamb is made in coconut milk & spices to give it that memorable taste & flavour.
Multi cuisine restaurants all over have further popularised Kerala fare. Try the Idiappam & the Egg Curry combo, the Malbari Mappilla Biryani, the Kuttanandan Duck roast, the Chicken Mappas the much loved Puttu & the Kadala Curry to get a fair idea of the gastronomic delight on offer.
You will then agree that Gods own country also has some heavenly food to go with it.
Mother's Recipe 