Kerala Dishes

The Kerala is known as the "land of Spices". Even the Kerala cuisine is known for its spicy and hot foods. Traditionally, in Kerala food is served on a banana leaf. One has to take food with right hand. Almost every dish prepared in Kerala has coconut and spices to flavour the local cuisine giving it a sharp pungency that is heightened with the use of tamarind, while coconut gives it its richness, absorbing some of the tongue-teasing, pepper-hot flavours. Tender coconut water is a refreshing nutritious thirst quencher. The crunchy papadam, banana and jackfruit chips can give french-fries a run for their money any day.

Kerala cuisine is a combination of Vegetables, meats and seafood flavouredKerala Foods with a variety of spices. Seafood's are main diet of Coastal Kerala. Whereas Vegetable is the main diet in plains of Kerala and Meat is the main course among tribal and northern Kerala.

Rice
While Plain Steamed rice is usually taken with dishes in Sadya (Vegetarian), it is the basic ingredient. Biryanis (in Non vegetarian meals of the Arabic tradition).

Avil
Combination of vegetables like pumpkin, drumstick, potato, chilly etc and coconut sauce, it is a very popular side dish. Even mango, jackfruit and cashew nuts are included in Avil.

Thoren
Vegetables like Cabbage, Coconut, and Green chilly and mustard seed are either fried or steamed with spices like turmeric. Sometimes green papaya is used.

Sambar
It is made out of drumstick, tomato, potato, onion etc mixed with turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander seeds and many more spices.

Olen
Beans and gourds mixed with several spices like chilly powder.

Kaalen
Made using Banana and curd mixed with coconut paste and green chilly.

Rasam

Rasam is a best for digestion. It is similar to a clear broth; Rasam may be flavoured tamarind, lemon, tomato, lentils and/or pepper.

Pachadi
Main ingredients are Pumpkin, Coconut milk and curd with green chilly. A pleasing finish to the meal.

Paayasam
Sugared rice or noodles, served as a sweet.

Snacks
Popular snacks include banana chips, yam crisps, Tapioca chips deep-fried with chilly powder. .

Avalose is a rice-based sweet rolled into a ball with jaggery. Unniappam is pulped jackfruit, mixed with rice flour and jaggery, wrapped in a leaf and steamed.

Prathaman is lentils boiled with coconut, cardamom and ginger. Jaggery and cashew nuts are also added. Halwa is made from bananas.

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Breakfast

Aappam is a Kerala favourite and there are many varieties. For breakfast this pancake is usually made from a rice flour and toddy batter. It has a thick, spongy center and very fine lacy outer section. It's usually taken with spiced sauce, sometimes with fruit.

Puttu is another popular breakfast dish. It is made from rice flour dough combined with shredded coconut steamed in a bamboo stick. It is served with banana or plain with sugar.

Idi-appam is rice noodles usually served with coconut milk but they may also accompany meat dishes.

Indian/English Name Malayalam name
tuar dal - thuaran parippu
urad dal - uzhunnu parippu
masoor dal - parippu
chana dal (bengal gram) - kadala parippu
moong dal - parippu
hing (asafoetida) - kayam
tamarind - puli
coriander - malli
cayenne pepper - mulaku podi
methi (fenugreek) - uluva
cilantro leaves - malli ila
cumin (jeera) - jeerkam
mustard - kaduku
okra - vendakka
pumpkin - mathanga
cucumber - kumbalanga