The cuisine of Kerala is linked in all its richness to the
history, geography, demography and culture of the land. Kerala cuisine has a
multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish,
poultry and meat.
Ingredients
Coconuts grow in
abundance in Kerala, and consequently, coconut kernel, (sliced or grated)
coconut cream and coconut milk are widely used in dishes for thickening and
flavoring. Kerala's long coastline, numerous rivers and backwater networks, and
strong fishing industry have contributed to many sea and river food based
dishes. Rice and cassava (Tapioca) form the staple food of Kerala. All main
dishes are made with them and served along with Kootan; the side dishes which
may be made from vegetables, meat, fish or a mix of all of them. The main dish
for lunch and dinner is boiled rice. The Kerala fishbreakfast shows a rich variety;
the main dishes for which are made from rice flour, or fresh or dried cassava.
Owing to the weather and the availability of spices, the Kerala cuisine is
richly spicy especially the hot ones -chili, black pepper, cardamom, cloves,
ginger, and cinnamon.
Historical and cultural
influences
For over 2000 years,
Kerala has been visited by ocean-goers, including traders from Greece, Rome,
the eastern Mediterranean, Arab countries, and Europe (see History of Kerala).
Thus, Kerala cuisine is a blend of indigenous dishes and foreign dishes adapted
to Kerala tastes.
Pre-independence
Kerala was basically split into the princely states of Travancore & Kochi
in the south, and Malabar district in the north; the erstwhile split is
reflected in the recipes and cooking style of each area. Both Travancore and
northern Malabar cuisine consists of a variety of vegetarian dishes using many
vegetables and fruits that are not commonly used in curries elsewhere in India
including plantains (vazha-ppazham or ethaykka), bitter gourd ('pavaykka' in
Travancore and 'kyppakka' in northern Malabar), Yam ('chena'), Colocasia
('chembu'), Ash gourd (Kumbalanga), etc. However, their style of preparation
and names of the prepares dishes may vary. Northern Malabar has an array of
vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes such as pathiri (a sort of rice-based
pancake, at times paired with a meat curry), porotta (a layered flatbread, said
to come from South-East Asia), and the Kerala variant of the popular biriyani,
probably from Arab lands. Travancore region boasts of a parade of dishes like
appam that is largely identified with the Saint Thomas Christians (also known
as Syrian Christians or Nasrani) of the region.
In addition to
historical diversity, the cultural influences, particularly the large
percentages of Muslims and Syrian Christians have also contributed unique
dishes and styles to Kerala cuisine, especially non-vegetarian dishes. The meat
eating habit of the people have been historically limited by religious taboos.
Brahmins eschew non vegetarian items. However, most of modern day Hindus do not
observe any dietary taboos, except a few of those belonging to upper caste.[1]
Muslims do not eat pork and other items forbidden by Islamic law.
Mealtimes
Breakfast
Kerala cuisine offers
many delicious vegetarian breakfast dishes that are often relatively unknown
outside the state. These include Puttu (made of rice powder and grated coconut,
steamed in a metal or bamboo holder) and kadala (a curry made of black garbanzo
beans chana), idli (fluffy rice pancakes), sambar, dosa and chutney, pidiyan,
Idiyappam (string hoppers - also known as Noolputtu and Nool-Appam (or Idunni)
in Malabar), Paal-Appam, a circular, fluffy, crisp-edged pancake made of rice
flour fermented with a small amount of toddy or wine, etc. Idiyapam and
Paalappam are accompanied by mutton, chicken or vegetable stew or fish moli
(the most common dish is black pomfret in a coconut based sauce). In North
Malabar area,breakfast is known is Kathaladakkal and Praathal in rest of
Kerala.Most importantly almost all the dishes of kerala uses coconut oil for
cooking purposes.
Lunch and dinner
The staple food of
Kerala, like most South-Indian states, is rice. Unlike other states, however,
many people in Kerala prefer parboiled rice (Choru) (rice made nutritious by
boiling it with rice husk). Kanji (rice congee), a kind of rice porridge, is
also popular. Tapioca, called Kappa in Kerala, is popular in central Kerala and
in the highlands, and is frequently eaten with fish curry or beef curry.
Rice is usually
consumed with one or more curries. Accompaniments with rice may include upperis
(dry braised or sauteed vegetables), rasam, chips, and/or buttermilk (called
moru). Vegetarian dinners usually consist of multiple courses, each involving
rice, one main dish (usually sambar, rasam, puli-sherry), and one or more
side-dishes. Kerala cooking uses coconut oil almost exclusively, although
health concerns and cost have led to coconut oil being replaced to some extent
by palm oil and vegetable oil.
Popular vegetarian
dishes include sambar, aviyal, Kaalan, thoran, (Poduthol (dry curry),
pulisherry (morozhichathu in Cochin and the Malabar region), olan, erisherry,
puliinji, payaru (mung bean), kappa (tapioca), etc. Vegetarian dishes often
consist of fresh spices that are liquefied and crushed to make a paste-like
texture to dampen rice.
Common non-vegetarian
dishes include stew (using chicken, mutton, beef or fish), traditional or
chicken curry (Nadan Kozhi Curry), chicken fry (Kozhi Porichathu/Varuthathu),
beef fry, fish/chicken/mutton/beef molly(fish or meat in light gravy), fish
curry (Meen Curry), fish fry (Meen Porichathu/Varuthathu), prawn fry (Konchu
Varuthathu), Spicy Steamed Fish (Meen Pollichathu) etc. Biriyani, a Mughal dish
consists of rice cooked along with meat, onions, chillies and other spices.
Although rice and
tapioca may be considered the original Kerala starch staples, wheat, in the
form of chappatis or parathas (known as porottas in Kerala), is now very
commonly eaten, especially at dinner time. Numerous little streetside vendors
offer an oily paratha (akin to the croissant in its flakiness and oiliness) with
meat, egg, or vegetable curry for dinner. Grains such as ragi and millet,
although common in the arid parts of South India, have not gained a foothold in
Kerala.
Historically, Kerala
was part of the Tamil-speaking area, and Tamilian influence is seen in the
popularity of sambar, idli and dosa. European influence is reflected in the
numerous bakeries selling cakes, cream horns, and Western-style yeast-leavened
bread, and in Anglo-Indian cuisine. The import of potatoes, tomatoes, and chili
peppers from the Americas led to their enthusiastic use in Kerala, although
except for the ubiquitous peppers, the other ingredients are used more
sparingly.
Kerala is known for
its traditional banquet or sadhya, a vegetarian meal served with boiled rice
and a host of side-dishes served especially during special occasions and
festivals. The sadhya is complemented by payasam, a sweet dessert native to
Kerala. The sadhya is, as per custom, served on a banana leaf, and is a
formal-style meal with three or more courses of rice with a side-dish (usually
sambar, rasam, buttermilk, etc.). In south Kerala the Payasam in followed by
more (butter milk) and rasam whereas in North Malabar it is considered to be
the last dish to be served. A typical sadhya would have
Boiled Rice
Sambar
Parippu
Aviyal
Kaalan
Pachadi
Kichadi
Poduthol
Thoran
Pulisherry
Olan
Puliinji
Pappadam
Mooru
Kaya upperi
Sharkara upperi
Achar Pickle
Banana
Paayasam
Spicy fish from Kerala.
Due to limited
influence of Central Asian food on Kerala, the use of sweets is not as
widespread as in North India. Kerala does not have any indigenous cold
desserts, but hot/warm desserts are popular. The most popular example is
undoubtedly the payasam: a preparation of milk, coconut extract, sugar,
cashews, dry grapes, etc. Payasam can be made with many base constituents,
including Paal payasam (made from rice), Ada payasam (with Ada, broken strips
of baked starch from various sources), ari unda (made from rice powder)
'Parippu payasam (made from dal), Pazham pradhaman (made from banana), Gothambu
payasam (made from wheat) etc. Ada payasam is especially popular during the
festival of Vishu and Onam. Most payasams can also be consumed chilled. Jaggery
or molasses is a common sweetening ingredient, although white sugar is gaining
ground. Fruit, especially the small yellow bananas, are often eaten after a
meal or at any time of the day. Plantains, uncooked or steamed, are popularly
eaten for breakfast or tea.
Other popular sweets
include Unniappam (a fried banana bread), pazham-pori/ethakka-appam (plantain
slices covered with a fried crust made of sweetened flour), kozhakkatta (rice
dumplings stuffed with a sweet mixture of molasses, coconut etc.) and ilayappam
(rice, jaggery and coconut mixture covered in banana leaf). Cakes, ice-creams,
cookies and puddings are equally common. Generally, except for payasam, most
sweets are not eaten as dessert but as a tea-time snack.
Pickles and other
side-dishes
Kerala cuisine also
has a variety of pickles and chutneys, and crunchy pappadums, banana chips,
jackfruit chips, pakka vada (crunchy gram and rice flour chips), Kalathappam,
Kinnathappam kozhalappam, achappam, cheeda, and churuttu.
Beverages
Being mostly a hot and
humid area, Keralites have developed a variety of drinks to cope with thirst. A
variety of what might be called herbal teas are served during mealtimes. Cumin
seeds, ginger or coriander seeds are boiled in water and served warm or at room
temperature. In addition to the improved taste, the spices also have digestive
and other medicinal properties. Sambharam, a diluted buttermilk often flavoured
with ginger, lime leaves, green chili peppers etc. was very commonly drunk,
although it has been replaced to some extent by soda pop. Coffee and tea (both
hot) drunk black, or with milk and white sugar or unrefined palm sugar
(karippatti), are commonly drunk. Numerous small shops dotted around the land
sell fresh lime juice (called naranga vellam, or bonji sarbat in Malayalam),
and many now offer milk shakes and other fruit juices. Tender Coconut water is
also a very popular beverage in Kerala.
Cooking Utensils
There are utensils
that are used in Kerala which are significant to cuisine in Kerala. An aduppu
is a square hearth, Mun Chatti is cooking pot made from clay, Cheena Chatti
(literally Chinese pot) is a deep frying pan, a wok.
