While wandering through the green landscape of Kerala, you will come across street vendors and restaurants selling regional delicacies like meen vevichathu, pathiri, avial, Thalassery biryani, ola, etc. These dishes are a part of the culinary heritage of God’s Own Country.
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It is inevitable for a traveller to explore Kerala without tasting the local food. It helps you understand the tapestry and culture better than beach hopping, temple visits, and shopping. To understand the food scenes of the state, you need to acquaint yourself with its micro cuisines.
Syrian Christian Cuisine
When you hear people say that Kerala is a melting pot of cuisines, it’s because of the cultural diversity that it boasts. The central parts of the state - Ernakulam, Kottayam, and Alleppey - have Syrian Christian households where flavourful dishes consisting of red meat and duck are prepared. They use coconut, meats, and curry leaves to prepare lip-smacking delights. Some of the popular dishes in the region include kozhi pidi (rice dumplings with chicken gravy), appam with chicken or veg stew, meen vevichathu (red fish curry), and pork ularthiyathu (pork meat stir-fried in coconut and spices).
Thalassery Cuisine
Whenever anyone talks about the North Malabar region, Thalassery is often recommended to foodies for their exploring rich delicacies like Thalassery biryani, unnakkaya (sweet snack made using mashed bananas), and kallumakkaya (fried and spiced mussels). It is believed that when Europeans and Arabs settled here, they brought a rich blend of spices that give Thalassery micro cuisine its unique identity.
Malabar Cuisine
From Kozhikode to Malappuram and Kannur, Malabar cuisine shapes the gastronomic landscape of Kerala. The local dishes are influenced by the Arab traders who initially settled here. Devout seafood enthusiasts cook with multiple spices and coconut to make a dish taste rich and flavourful. If you are in this region, you must try Malabar Biryani, kozhi nirachathu (stuffed spicy whole chicken), pathiri (flatbread made of rice flour), and chatti pathiri (layered pastry).
Mappila Cuisine
Mappila cuisine is associated with the Muslim communities of Malabar region. You will find a rich blend of flavours of Arab and Kerala in the dishes. Meat and rice dishes are quite common here and a must-try for every foodie. Kozhikode halwa made from rice, ghee, and sugar will satisfy your craving. The mutton biryani prepared by the community is an example of culinary art, and ari pathiri with coconut-based gravies is a comforting meal.
Travancore Cuisine
In the southern parts of Kerala, like Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram, local delights flaunt subtle flavours and moderate use of spices. Seafood, coconut, and plantains are central pillars of this micro cuisine. Signature dishes include erissery (pumpkin curry with coconut base), karimeen pollichathu (fish grilled in banana leaves), puttu with kadala curry, and avail.
Kuttanad Cuisine
In the Alleppey region, also called the rice bowl of India because of the abundant cultivation of grains, seafood is quite prominent. A foodie can also find duck-based dishes cooked here. Backwater and paddy fields are responsible for the delights cooked in this region. If you are sailing through the backwaters of Kerala, you must savour meen moilee (fish cooked in coconut sauce), duck roast (duck cooked in traditional spices), and karimeen fry (pearl spot fish fried and cooked in spices).