Dining
Kerala offers several gastronomic opportunities. Spices that flavour the local cruisine give it a sharp pungency that is heightened with the use of tamarind, while coconut gives it its richness absorbing some of the tongue-teasing, pepper-hot flavours. As in much of South India, there is a tendency towards vegetarian. However there is a good deal of sea food available, and the prawn recipe in coconut gravy are exceptionally good. Curries are eaten usually with plain steamed rice. Small, steamed rice cackes called Idalis and this crepe-like pancakes called Dosas served with chutney and sambar are the usual menu for a typical Kerala breakfast. Other delicacies include Appam a puffy variation of dosa (fermented coconut water or Toddy is mixed for making appams) and can be had either with egg masala, chicken curry or vegetable or mutton stew.

World’s best breakfast : Kerala wakes up to one of the best breakfast in the world-both in terms of taste and nutritional value. Some of the items that usually occupy the morning table are the puttu (made of rice flour and coconut) and kadala (gram) curry; idiappam (noodle like rice cakes) and egg/vegitable curry; appam (soft centered lacy pancakes) and mutton/vegetable stew. Little wonder the Travel & Leisure chose Kerala’s morning spread as one of the best breakfast of the world.

Non veg delights : With a long coastline, over 44 rivers, innumerable lagoons and lakes, Kerala has abundant marine wealth. Among the seafood delicancies are prawns, lobsters, crabs, mussels etc, all enticingly cooked with exotic spices. Karimeen or pear spot, a backwater fish is famous for its great taste.

Sadya
Sadya is a traditional Kerala feast served on a clean green banana leaf. It is a sumptuous spread of rice and more than 14 delicious vegetable dishes, followed by different varieties of payasams. The dishes include parippu curry,sambar, rasam, olan, kalan, pachadi, kichadi, aviyal, and thoran.
Sadya is served in a very unique way. The banana leaf is placed before a person so that its narrow part always points to the left side. Sadya is served from the top left corner of the leaf, on which is placed in order, a small yellow banana, sarkara upperi, Upperi and papad. Then the mango pickle, injipuli (a thick ginger tamarind curry), lime pickle, thoran, olan, avial, pachadi, and kichadi are placed in order on the rest of the upper half of the leaf.

Once all these items are placed, the rice is served at the bottom center of the leaf. First parippu is served. Then sambar and kalan are served in that order. On completion of the meals, a variety of payasams, including pal payasam, are served. Palada Pradhaman is famous in north Kerala. Rasam is served after the sweet payasams. A small amount of curd is served at the end of the meal to aid digestion.

Fish Curry

Fish Curry is a one of the traditional favorites of Malayalees. Coconut oil, chilli powder and a special tamarind (kodampuli) are necessary ingredients. Ground coconut or coconut milk is added in some versions of the curry. It is traditionally made in an earthen vessel, known as chatti which contributes to the great taste of the curry. The curry leaves added enhances the flavor of the Kerala fish curry. The recipe has many regional variations. This curry, served with rice and Kappa Vekichathu, is a part of the daily menu of the Malayalees.




Appam with Mutton Stew
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 or chicken or mutton stew, thoroughly mellowed with thick coconut milk and garnished with curry leaves.

Bannana chips
Banana chips are produced from underripe bananas, of which slices are deep-fried in oil, which are then dried, and to which preservatives are added. These varieties of chips can be very oily, due to the deep-frying process.Another form of fried banana chips, usually made in Kerala and known locally as 'upperi', is fried in coconut oil. Both ripe and unripe bananas are used for this variant. Sometimes they are coated with masala or jaggery to form both spicy and sweet variants. It is an integral part of the traditional Kerala meal called sadya had during weddings and traditional festivals such as Onam. To avoid confusion, it may help to understand the difference between banana and plantain. In Kerala, contrary to commonly accepted definitions, plantains are the small sweet fruits and bananas are the large fruits. So in Kerala, unripe bananas are used to make salted and sweet chips. Partially-ripe plantains are also fried into chips.

Puttu and Kadala
Puttu is a culinary specialty in Kerala. It is also popular in certain areas of Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu. It is made by steaming moistened rice powder. It is key that only enough water to wet the flour be added, and that slowly. This should not have the consistency of dough, but rather a damp coarse mixture. Of late, other variations with wheat flour, flour made from tapioca, corn and ragi and even maida are also used. Puttu is also served with various dishes, most popularly papadam, yellow Kerala plantain, chicken curry, kadala curry etc.

Kappa and Fish Curry
Kappa or Tapioca is very traditional keralite dish usually served in almost every nook and corner of kerala . Tapioca is the second important staple food in Kerala after rice.Kappa with fish and ulli chammanthi /shallots chutney is a delicious dish.The ordinary tapioca root or 'Kappa' is a main course when boiled and sautéed with coconut and spices (puzhuku) and served with spicy Fish Curry or Chutney. Boiled Tapioca is also sautéed with meat; either beef or mutton and potato to make 'Kappa Kozhachathu'. Tapioca is also sliced into big pieces and boiled and served by itself with chutney or curds or it is sliced fine, salted and fried as chips or as a sweet dish when steamed with coconut and jaggery.