Besides being a heaven of beaches and a scenic delight, the “Land of Spices” Kerala will take you on a tasty journey. It takes pride in offering a wide variety of exclusive traditional cuisines. Rightly called the “God’s Own Country”, this place offers us some delightful cuisines to dig in. Being the land of coconut most of the dishes have coconut in some or the other form and savoury spices in them. Here’s a selection of 5 delicious you must try when in Kerala.
Sadhya:
‘Sadhya’ translates to ‘feast’ in the local language. This is the most traditional vegetarian dish of the state usually savoured in lunch or during a special occasion. Being served in a plain banana leaf, this can be enjoyed as a buffet. The dish encompasses roughly 24 items with some dessert. It is a full packed meal which comes with boiled rice, sambar, a variety of side dishes, a banana, pickles, papads, different kinds of gravies made with vegetables, curd, lentils, rice and ‘payasam’(dessert).
Thalessary Biriyani:
Popularly known as Malabar Biriyani or Kerala Biriyani, this variant of biriyani is special on the grounds of choice of rice. This appetizing dish is cooked with fragrant, small-grained, thin variety rice named Khaima rice and not Basmati. The dish uses green chillies, garam masala and completely avoids red chilli powder, coriander powder, and other spices, which gives it a unique taste. Decked with chicken, mutton or beef cooked with masala on a slow heat and layered with rice, this dish is definitely one to die for.
Fish Molee:
This famous Keralan fish curry is easy to prepare where fish is stewed in coconut milk and mildly flavoured with masalas. This dish has a moderately spicy and a unique tangy taste which will make you addicted to it. This unique Syrian Christian delicacy is a must try dishes of Kerala. Generally, kingfish or seer fish is used and the stew contains spices like turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper. Lunch becomes an indelible event when this dish is on the table.
Kerala Prawn Curry (Chemmeen Curry):
The Kerala prawn curry comes from the Malabar region and is a signature dish of the state. It is made with a blend of fenugreek, black mustard, fennel seeds, coconut milk, green chilli and a special local ingredient called ‘kudampuli’ (also known as brindleberry) which gives it a sour taste, also it uses drumsticks and raw mango to add that spicy, tangy flavour.
Idiyappam (Rice Noodles):
Also known as Nooputt or ‘string hoppers’, Idiyappam is made of rice flour, salt, and water. It is a cake of thin noodles with a plain but elegant texture. This speciality of Kerala is served in the form of the main course at breakfast or dinner. The dish can be complemented with any Keralan curry like egg roast curry and coconut chutney. This dish is one of the healthy delicacies in your list and remains as a must try.
Now that you have an idea regarding Kerala’s mouthwatering delicacies, it will be impossible for you to resist having them when you reach there. Thus, instead of running after the world cuisine when in Kerala, walk into a local restaurant and experience that flavour of Kerala’s unique recipes.