Kerala cuisine is characterized by the prominent use of coconut and spices. Seafood is very popular and consumed at every meal. Common dishes include sadya (a traditional vegetarian feast served on a banana leaf), appam, idiappam, puttu, avial (mixed vegetables in coconut milk), fish moilee, egg curry, and fried chicken with coconut. Popular breakfast foods are appam, idiappam, puttu, and dosa served with curries. Kerala is also known for desserts like payasam, ada pradhaman, sharkarapuratti, and basundi.

1. KERALA CUISINE
കേരളം പാചശാല
(kēraḷaṁ pācaśāla)
Submitted By: Vidya Anant

2. About Kerala Cuisine
One of Kerala's popular attractions is its
delicious Kerala cuisine. The unusual
cuisine of Kerala brings to the fore the
culinary expertise of the people of Kerala.
Producing some of the tastiest foods on
earth.
The cuisine of Kerala is characterized by
the use of coconut, either chopped or grated
and used as garnishing, coconut milk or
paste is used to thicken gravies and coconut
oil is used for cooking. Though one can't
imagine Kerala food without chilies, curry

3.  Seafood is very popular in Kerala and
consumed with every meal. Various fish
including sardines, mackerel, tuna, rays and
shark are eaten, as are crabs, mussels and
oysters. "Karimeen" or fried fish is a popular
dish as is fish curry called "Fish Moilee."
Various locally available vegetables such as
tapioca, cassava and yam form part of the
cuisine of Kerala. Seasonal fruit such as
papaya, jackfruit, mangoes and lime are eaten
at different times of year. Bananas and coconut
are available year round and are a staple of the
Kerala diet. The refreshing juice of the tender
coconut is a delightful drink.

4. LUNCH DISHES
Sadya
Mean(fish) curry

5. Sadya
Sadya is the traditional vegetarian feast of Kerala.
Usually served as lunch, it consists of par boiled pink
rice, side dishes, savories, pickles and desserts spread
out on a plantain leaf. Tradition insists that the
tapering end of the leaf points to the left of the seated
guest. Rice is served on the lower half of the leaf.
The feast begins with the serving of Parippu, a liquid
curry made of small gram and ghee. The second course
is Sambar, the famous South Indian vegetable stew in
which any available combination of vegetables is boiled
in a gravy of crushed lentils, onions, chilies, coriander
and turmeric and with a pinch of asafetida.
Avial, is a blend of vegetables(Yam, Drumsticks,
cucumber, Snake gourd, long beans, Raw Mango),
coconut paste and green chilies. It is seasoned with a
spoonful of fresh coconut oil and some raw curry leaves
stirred in immediately after the dish is taken off the
stove.

6. • Some of the other important side dishes
include Thoran, and Olan.
• The savories include Upperi, Pappadam,
Ginger pickle, Pachadi and Kichadi.
• Desserts are served mid-way through the
meal. The Payasam is a thick fluid dish of
sweet brown molasses, coconut milk and
spices, garnished with cashew nuts and
raisins. There could be a succession of
Payasams, such as the Palada Pradhaman
and Parippu Pradhaman.

7. • Pazham, a ripe golden yellow plantain, is
usually had along with the payasams. After
the payasams, rice is served once more with
the spicy Rasam. Rasam is a mixture of
chilly and peppercorn powders boiled in
diluted tamarind juice.
• Kaalan, seasoned buttermilk with turmeric
powder and green chillies, and plain sour
buttermilk that comes salted and with
chopped green chillies and ginger, are also
served before the feast is finally wound up.

8. Sambhar
Avial
Thoran
Olan

9. Upperi
Papaddams Ginger Pickle
Pachadi Cucumber kichdi Rasam

10. BREAKFAST DISHES
Idiappam &
kurma
Puttu &
kadala(Chickpeas)
curry
Appam & Kurma Idli with chutney

11.  Appam is the soft pancake made from
toddy fermented rice batter, with a soft
spongy middle, which is laced with crispy
edges. It is generally consumed with either
vegetable, chicken or mutton stew’
 Puttu A type of steam cake, 'Puttu' is
made from rice flour and steamed in long
hollow bamboo or metal cylinders.
Depending on the taste preference, Puttu
can be had with steamed bananas and
sugar or with a spicy curry

12. Idiyappam is a kind of breakfast dish popular
in kerala It is also called as noolappam. Made
of rice flour, salt and water, it is one of the
simplest breakfasts that can be made. Served
with vegetable egg or meat dishes.
Dosa Regular dosa batter is made from rice
and split, skinned urad bean blended with
water and left to ferment overnight. (A
modified form of the same batter can be used
to make.
IDLI The idlis are usually two to three inches
in diameter and are made by steaming a batter
consisting of fermented black lentils (de-

13. OTHER SPECIALITIES
Egg Curry
Fried Coconut & Chicken
Curry

14. 1. Ada Pradhaman
2. SHARKARAPURATTI
3. Prawns Roast
4. BANANA CHIPS (KAYA VARUTHATHU)
5. BASUNDI
6. CHAKKAVARATTIYATHU
7. Medu Vada
8. ILAYADA(Banana Leaf Pancakes)
9. FISH MOILEE Jackfruit

15. Ada pradhaman
Sharkarapurrati
Prawn Roast Banana Chips

16. Basundi Chakka Varatti
Medhu Vada
Ilayada
Meen Moilee