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The Malabar Coast of Kerala is a treasure trove of delicious and flavorful cuisine that is sure to tantalize your taste buds. Known for its use of aromatic spices and fresh ingredients, Malabar fare is a culinary experience like no other. At the heart of this cuisine are ingredients like coconut oil, coconut milk, and Malabar tamarind that infuse every dish with a unique and unforgettable flavor. In this article, we'll explore seven must-try recipes that showcase the best of Malabar cuisine and allow you to savor the flavors of Kerala's coastline from the comfort of your own home. Get ready to embark on a culinary journey filled with bold flavors and tantalizing aromas!
Appam and Mutta Curry
Appam is a popular South Indian breakfast dish that is soft and fluffy in the center with a crispy edge. To make appam, first soak raw rice and grated coconut for a few hours. Grind the soaked rice and coconut into a smooth batter, and let it ferment overnight with some yeast. The next day, add some salt to the batter and cook it on a nonstick appam pan. Swirl the batter in the pan to spread it evenly, and cook until the edges become crisp and the center is soft and fluffy. Mutta Curry is a delicious curry made with boiled eggs and coconut milk. To make Mutta Curry, sauté onions, ginger, and garlic in oil until they become translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they become mushy. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, and coriander powder, and stir until dissolved. Add coconut milk and some water, and bring it to a boil. Add hard-boiled eggs and cook until the gravy thickens. Place an appam on a plate and top with Mutta Curry to serve. The combination of the soft and fluffy appam with the creamy and flavorful Mutta Curry is a heavenly match. This dish is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner.
Taste: rich and creamy with a hint of spice.
Total Time: 50 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Calories per serving: 255
Puttu and Kadla Curry
Puttu and Kadla Curry is another traditional breakfast dish from Kerala. Puttu is a unique preparation that is made by steaming a mixture of ground rice and grated coconut in specially designed metal cylinders, while Kadla Curry is a spicy and flavorful black chickpea curry. To make puttu and kadla curry, first mix rice flour with water and grated coconut to create a crumbly texture. Add this mixture to a puttu maker and steam it until cooked. Sauté onions, garlic, ginger, and curry leaves in a generous amount of coconut oil. Add the diced tomatoes and cook until mushy. Follow up with generous spoonfuls of spices such as turmeric, coriander, and red chili powder and cook until fragrant. Add boiled black chickpeas and cook until the mixture thickens. Serve the Kadla curry with puttu. This dish is a healthy and satisfying way to start the day.
Taste: rich and spicy
Total Time: 50 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Calories per serving: 475
Kappa Meen Curry
Kappa Meen Curry is a classic Kerala dish that combines spicy fish curry with mashed tapioca. The tapioca is boiled until it becomes soft and then mashed with coconut milk, salt, and pepper. The fish curry is made by cooking fish in a mixture of coconut milk, tamarind, and spices. For Kappa Meen Curry, peel the skin of the tapioca and cut it into small pieces. Boil it in water with salt until it becomes soft. In another pan, temper onion, garlic, ginger, and curry leaves until crispy. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, and red chili powder, and stir until fragrant. Follow up with a generous splash of coconut milk and fresh fish in the pan, and run the mixture till the fish has cooked through. Serve the kappa hot with the fish curry on the side. This dish is a perfect balance of spice and creaminess and a must-try for seafood lovers.
Taste: spicy with a sour undertone.
Total Time: 50 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Calories per serving: 490
Chakka Vevichathu
Chakka Vevichathu is a sweet and spicy jackfruit curry from Kerala. The jackfruit is boiled and then mashed with tumeric, curry leaves, coconut, and spices to create a flavorful and unique dish. To make Chakka Vevichathu, boil jackfruit in water with a pinch of salt until it becomes soft. Drain the water and set it aside. Add the grated coconut along with a few dashes of the aforementioned spice powders. Cook until it thickens and forms a pudding-like consistency. Serve with fish curry for a rich and filling meal.
Taste: neutral palate with a touch of salt
Total Time: 50 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Calories per serving: 220
Avial
Avial is a mixed vegetable curry that is popular in Kerala. It is made by cooking a variety of vegetables in a coconut and yogurt-based sauce with a blend of spices. To make avial, cut vegetables such as carrots, beans, and drumsticks into long pieces. Cook them in boiling water with salt until they become soft. Grind grated coconut, green chilies, and cumin seeds into a fine paste. Add this paste to the cooked vegetables and stir to coat. Finish with a tempering made with curry leaves and mustard seeds cooked in coconut oil. This dish is known for its balanced flavor profile and is often served as a side dish with rice.
Taste: rich and tangy
Total Time: 50 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Calories per serving: 85
Tharavu Roast
Tharavu Roast is a spicy duck roast that is commonly served on special occasions in Kerala. The duck is cooked with a mixture of spices, coconut oil, and onions until it becomes tender and flavorful. For Tharavu Roast, marinate duck pieces with red chili powder, turmeric powder, and salt. In the meantime, sauté onions, garlic, green chilies, and ginger in coconut oil until golden brown. Add the marinated duck pieces and cook for 10–15 minutes. Add tomato paste, garam masala, and curry leaves, and cook for another few minutes. The dish is typically served with rice or porotta.
Taste: rich and spicy
Total Time: 50 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Calories per serving: 430
Porotta Chicken
Porotta chicken is a popular street food in Kerala. It is made by layering dough and then stretching it out to create a flaky and crispy flatbread. It is typically served with chicken curry, which is made by cooking chicken in a mixture of spices and coconut milk. Start by making the chicken curry. Heat coconut oil in a pan, add chopped onions, garlic, ginger, and green chilies, and sauté until golden brown. Follow with curry-cut chicken, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and salt; cook for 10-15 minutes. Finish by adding tomato puree, garam masala, and coriander leaves. Run the mixture until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with freshly fluffed parottas. This hearty combo is usually eaten for lunch or dinner.
Taste:
Total Time: 50 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Calories per serving: 580
The cuisine of the Malabar coast is a testament to the rich history and diverse cultural influences of the region. From the tangy-sweet notes of Malabar tamarind to the creamy richness of coconut milk, every ingredient in Malabar cuisine adds depth and character to each dish. By exploring the seven must-try recipes we've covered in this article, you too can experience the diverse and vibrant flavors of Kerala's coastline and bring a taste of this incredible cuisine into your own kitchen. So don't be afraid to experiment with the spices and flavors of Malabar fare—you might just discover your new favorite dish!
