Cuisine
of Kerala has mild flavours, cooked very gently, taste extremely delicious,
generally rich in nutrients and are very soft on the stomach.
The different varieties of spices used makes the cuisine more delicious.
Infact, the unique cuisine of Kerala greatly supplements tourism in the
state.
Pootu
Pootu is a favourite breakfast delicacy. Rice flour and grated coconut are
steamed in hollow bamboo cylinders and then sprinkled with sugar or mashed
bananas before consuming.
Pulaos, Pilaffs and Biriyanis: Boiled rice, onion and a lot of spices are
used in preparing these heavy items generally preferred for both lunch and
dinner. Malabar biriyani is always taken with crispy, crunchy pappads.
Chicken or mutton pieces are added to rice for lovers of non-vegetarian
food.
Iddlis and Dosas
While Idlis are round and thick in size, dosas are like white coloured
chappatis. They are made up of yeasty rice and lentil batter. While idlis
are steamed, dosas are light fried in a similar way as paranthas and may be
served with different varieties of chutneys. Idlis and dosas are not
indigenous Keralan cuisine and made their way from neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
Sambar
Sambar
is consumed mainly with idlis, dosas and rice. A liquid delicacy taken as a
supplement, it contains smashed lentils, cooked vegetables and spices.
Thorans
These are dishes minus any gravy. They are made of finely chopped boiled
vegetables with meat and sea food. Mustard seeds are sprinkled to give the
dish an assertive flavour.
Avial
Avial is a dish exactly opposite to Thorans. It is a mixed vegetable gravy
dish thickened with coconut and yoghurt. Often added are drumsticks and
mangoes.
Olen
Olen is also a very gravy dish made of ash gourd and drum beans. The
contents are generally mixed with coconut milk
Banana Chips
Bananas are very popular and extensively used fruit in Kerala. A few
different varieties of banana are found in the state. The bananas are sliced
and deep fried as chips. By frying and dipping them in jaggerey or sugar
syrup, sweet dishes are also prepared. Cooked in thick yoghurt and mixed
with chilly, turmeric, cumin seed and curry leaves, Kaalan is made of them.
Stew
EA dish exclusive to the Syrian Christians of Kottayam is stew. Chicken and
potatoes are cooked in a white sauce and added are black pepper, cinnamon,
cloves, green chillies, lime juice, shallots and coconut milk. They are
consumed with Appams, the rice flour pancakes.
