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{{Short description|Culinary style that originated in Kerala}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2019}}
{{Indian cuisine}}
'''Kerala cuisine''' is the culinary style originated in [[Kerala]], a [[States and territories of India|state]] on the southwestern [[Malabar Coast]] of [[India]]. It includes both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using [[Fish (food)|fish]], [[poultry]] and [[red meat]], with rice as a typical accompaniment. [[Chili pepper|Chilli]]es, [[curry leaves]], [[coconut]], [[mustard seeds]], [[turmeric]], [[tamarind]], [[asafoetida]] and other [[spice]]s are also used in the preparation.

Kerala is known as the "Land of Spices" because it traded spices with Europe as well as with many ancient civilizations, with the oldest historical records of the Sumerians from 3000 BCE.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/of-kerala-egypt-and-the-spice-link/article5625620.ece | location=Thiruvananthapuram, India | work=The Hindu | title=Of Kerala Egypt and the Spice link | date=28 January 2014 | access-date=12 August 2015 | archive-date=21 November 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121222745/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/of-kerala-egypt-and-the-spice-link/article5625620.ece | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=gOrvghLklKoC ''Striving for sustainability, environmental stress and democratic initiatives in Kerala''] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413124003/https://books.google.com/books?id=gOrvghLklKoC |date=13 April 2023 }}, p. 79; {{ISBN|81-8069-294-9}}, Srikumar Chattopadhyay, Richard W. Franke; Year: 2006.</ref>

==Historical and cultural influences==

In addition to historical diversity, cultural influences, particularly the large introduction of [[Muslims]] and [[Christians]], have added dishes and styles to Kerala cuisine, especially non-vegetarian dishes. Some Hindus in Kerala do not consume beef and pork according to religious dietary restrictions.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/07/08/eight-in-ten-indians-limit-meat-in-their-diets-and-four-in-ten-consider-themselves-vegetarian/ |title=Eight-in-ten Indians limit meat in their diets, and four-in-ten consider themselves vegetarian |last=Corichi |first=Manolo |date=8 July 2021 |website=Pew Research Center |access-date=13 March 2026}}</ref> Most Muslims do not eat pork and other food [[Haraam|forbidden by Islamic law]]. [[Alcoholic beverage|Alcohol]] is available in Kerala in many hotels, bars and liquor stores.

==Overview==

A traditional Kerala meal is the vegetarian ''[[sadya]]''. A full-course ''sadya'' consists of rice with about 20 different accompaniments and desserts, and is the ceremonial meal usually eaten on celebratory occasions in Kerala, including weddings, [[Onam]] and [[Vishu]]. It is served on a [[Cooking banana|plantain]] leaf.<ref name="Iyer 2018">{{cite web | last=Iyer | first=Meenakshi | title=Onam 2018, here's why Sadya is the most balanced meal, full of nutritional value – more lifestyle | website=[[Hindustan Times]] | date=25 August 2018 | url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/more-lifestyle/onam-2018-here-s-why-sadya-is-the-most-balanced-meal-full-of-nutritional-value/story-2gwLfWrIj9L3VSnBVFxUfK.html | access-date=20 September 2018 | archive-date=20 September 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920234525/https://www.hindustantimes.com/more-lifestyle/onam-2018-here-s-why-sadya-is-the-most-balanced-meal-full-of-nutritional-value/story-2gwLfWrIj9L3VSnBVFxUfK.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>

Because of its rich trading heritage, over time, various indigenous Kerala dishes have been blended with foreign dishes to adapt them to local tastes. [[Coconut]]s grow in abundance in Kerala, so grated coconut and [[coconut milk]] are commonly used for thickening and flavouring.<ref>{{cite book |title=Zero Oil South Indian Cook Book |date=21 February 2008 |publisher=Dr. Bimal Chhajer |isbn=978-8128805127 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YcaFp3g36l8C}}</ref>

Kerala's long coastline and numerous rivers have led to a strong fishing industry in the region, making seafood a common part of meals. Rice is grown in abundance along with [[tapioca]] and is the main starch ingredient used in Kerala's food.<ref>{{cite book |author=[report prepared by] Planning Commission, Government of India |title=Kerala development report|year=2008 |publisher=Academic Foundation |location=New Delhi |isbn=978-8171885947 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ul-OkF5gUJQC}}</ref>

Having been a major production area of spices for thousands of years, Kerala makes frequent use of black pepper, cardamom, clove, ginger, and cinnamon. Kerala also has a variety of breakfast dishes like ''[[idli]],'' ''[[Dosa (food)|dosa]],'' ''[[appam]],'' ''[[idiyappam]],'' ''[[puttu]],'' and ''[[pathiri]]''.<ref name="Laveesh2009">{{cite book |last=Laveesh |first=Bhandari |title=Indian States at a Glance 2008–09: Performance, Facts and Figures – Kerala|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MG1SoemjeXAC&pg=PT36 |year=2009 |publisher=Pearson Education India |isbn=978-81-317-2340-1 |pages=36–}}</ref>

==Snacks==

Well-known snacks from Kerala include:
* [[Banana chip]] - Thinly sliced raw bananas fried in coconut oil, often flavored with salt or jaggery.
* [[Achappam]] - A crispy, flower-shaped, deep-fried snack made from rice flour, coconut milk, and eggs.
* [[Appam#Kuzhalappam|Kuzhalappam]] - A cylindrical snack made from rice flour, coconut, cumin, and sesame seeds.
* [[Unni appam]] - Deep-fried rice cakes made with jaggery, banana, and coconut.
* [[Ada (food)|Ela ada]] - A steamed snack made with rice flour dough, filled with jaggery and grated coconut, wrapped in banana leaves.
* [[Banana fritter|Pazham pori]] - Bananas are slit lengthwise after peeling and dipped into a batter made from all-purpose flour, salt, turmeric powder and sugar. This is then deep-fried in oil until golden brown.
* [[Neyyappam]] - A sweet rice-based fritter fried in [[ghee]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://zesterdaily.com/cooking/sweet-hindu-offerings-fit-gods-india/|title=Sweet Hindu Offerings Fit For The Gods In India - Neyyappam - Ammini Ramachandran|date=7 February 2014|publisher=|accessdate=16 June 2016}}</ref>
*[[Kozhukkatta]] - Steamed rice dumplings filled with sweet coconut and jaggery.
*[[Sukiyan]] - A deep fried fritter made from [[mung bean]], jaggery and maida.
*'''Undampori''' - A deep-fried, round fritter made from wheat flour, mashed bananas, and jaggery.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="134">
File:പഴം‌പൊരി.JPG|[[Banana fritter|Pazham pori]]
File:The real South Indian Bonda.jpg| [[Bonda (snack)|Bonda]]
File:Undampori.jpg|Undampori
File:Achappam.jpg|[[Achappam]]
File:Unniappam.jpg|[[Unni appam]]
File:Banana chips.jpg|[[Banana chips]]
File:Kozhukkatta.jpg|[[Kozhukkatta]]
File:Ada or Ela Ada.jpg|[[Ada (food)|Ela Ada]]
</gallery>

==Breads==

Kerala has a variety of traditional breads prepared by baking or frying.

* [[Appam]] - A bowl-shaped pancake made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk, typically paired with stew or egg curry
* [[Parotta]] - It is a layered [[flatbread]] made from [[maida (flour)|refined flour]] and oil.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-27 |title=A Taste of Kerala: The Malabar Parotta |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/travel/a-taste-of-kerala-the-malabar-parotta-news-203829 |access-date=2024-10-27 |website=Outlook India |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Dosa (food)|Dosa]] - It is a thin, savoury crepe in Indian cuisine made from a fermented batter of ground black gram and rice.
* [[Pathiri]] - Thin rice flour flatbread popular among the Malabar Muslim community, paired with coconut milk-based curries.
* [[Puttu]] - Steamed cylinders of rice cake made of ground rice layered with coconut shavings, sometimes with a sweet or savory filling on the inside.
* [[Appam#Vattayappam|Vattayappam]] - It is made from rice flour, sugar, and coconut. It is an oil-free tea-time snack.
* [[Kalathappam]] - A soft, fermented rice pancake made with coconut milk and toddy (or yeast).
* [[Idiyappam]] - Thin, steamed rice noodles shaped like nests, served with coconut milk, sugar, or spicy curries.

<gallery mode="packed" heights="134">
File:Appam by Connie Ma.jpg|[[Appam]]
File:Parotta 1.jpg|[[Parotta]]
File:Idiyappam and curry in Green leaf plate.jpg| [[Idiyappam]]
File:Puttu (Rice Flour steamed cake).jpg|[[Puttu]]
File:കലത്തപ്പം.jpg|[[Kalathappam]]
File:Vattayappam.jpg|Vattayappam
File:Pathiri.jpg|Pathiri
File:Dosa.jpg|Dosa
</gallery>

== Religion-specific cuisines ==

=== Hindu cuisine ===

{{further|Sadya}}

<gallery mode=packed widths=200 heights=165>
Sadhya DSW.jpg|A typical ''[[sadhya]]'', where [[banana leaves]] are used as plates
Sadhya Items.jpg|''[[Sadhya]]'' items ready to be served. Clockwise from top: ''[[paayasam]]'' or ''[[Ada pradhaman|pradhaman]]'', bitter gourd ''[[thoran]]'', ''[[aviyal]]'', ''[[kaalan]]'', lime pickle, ''[[Sambar (dish)|sambar]]'', and buttermilk with boiled rice in center
</gallery>

The vast majority of Kerala's Hindus, except certain communities and [[Ovo-lacto vegetarianism|ovo-lacto vegetarians]], eat fish, red meat (beef, carabeef, and lamb) and chicken. There are many vegetarians in Kerala, also throughout India.<ref>{{cite book |last=Chatterjee |first=editors: Ashok K. Dutt, H.N. Misra, Meera |title=Explorations in applied geography |year=2008 |publisher=Asoke K. Ghosh, Prentice-Hall of India, Private Limited |location=New Delhi |isbn=978-8120333840 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YcaFp3g36l8C |edition=Eastern economy}}</ref>

=== Mappila cuisine ===

{{See also|Thalassery cuisine}}

<gallery mode="packed" widths="200" heights="165">
Pathiri.jpg|''[[Pathiri]]'', a pancake made of [[rice flour]], is one of the common breakfast dishes among [[Malabar Muslims|Mappila]]s
KallummakkayaNirachath.jpg|''Kallummakkaya nirachathu'' or ''arikkadukka'' (mussels stuffed with rice)
South Indian Biriyani - Kerala - IMG 2392.jpg|Thalassery ''biryani'' with ''[[raita]]''
Calicut Halwa.jpg|Halwas are popular everywhere in Kerala
</gallery>

[[Halal|Muslim cuisine]] or [[Malabar Muslims|Mappila]] cuisine is a blend of traditional [[Kerala]], [[Cuisine of Iran|Persian]], [[Arab]], [[Portuguese cuisine|Portuguese]] and [[Western world|Western]] food culture.<ref name="MC">{{Cite news|title=Straight from the Malabar Coast|url=https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/straight-from-the-malabar-coast/article27942808.ece|last=Sabhnani|first=Dhara Vora|date=June 14, 2019|access-date=January 26, 2021|work=The Hindu|archive-date=20 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120164620/https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/straight-from-the-malabar-coast/article27942808.ece|url-status=live}}</ref> This confluence of culinary cultures is best seen in the preparation of most dishes.<ref name="MC"/> ''Kallummakkaya'' ([[mussels]]) [[curry]], ''irachi puttu'' (''irachi'' meaning meat), ''[[Pathiri]]'' (a type of rice pancake),<ref name="MC"/> and ''[[ghee]]'' rice are some of the other specialties. The characteristic use of spices is the hallmark of Mappila cuisine—[[black pepper]], [[cardamom]], and [[clove]] are used profusely.

''Kuzhi Mandi'' ([[Mandi (food)]]) is another popular item, which has an influence from [[Yemen]]. Malabar biriyani is known as Thalassery biriyani which uses kaima rice for preparation and is called dum biriyani. Malabar biriyani originated from [[Thalassery]] and spread to other places.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/thalassery-biryani-the-south-indian-cousin-of-the-famous-mughlai-dish-774518|title=Thalassery Biryani: The South Indian Cousin of the Famous Mughlai Dish|access-date=16 June 2021|archive-date=24 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624195703/https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/thalassery-biryani-the-south-indian-cousin-of-the-famous-mughlai-dish-774518|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Chicken and rosewater biryani recipe|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chicken_and_rosewater_70042|access-date=2021-05-13|website=BBC Food|language=en|archive-date=26 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126110050/https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chicken_and_rosewater_70042|url-status=live}}</ref>

The snacks include ''[[Unnakai|unnakkaya]]'' (deep-fried, boiled ripe [[banana]] paste covering a mixture of cashew, [[raisins]] and [[sugar]]),<ref name="MC_2">{{Cite news|title=Flavours unlimited from the Malabar coast|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/Food/flavours-unlimited-from-the-malabar-coast/article6170291.ece|last=Kurian|first=Shijo|date=July 2, 2014|access-date=January 26, 2021|work=The Hindu|archive-date=20 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120164617/https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/Food/flavours-unlimited-from-the-malabar-coast/article6170291.ece|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Pazham pori|pazham nirachathu]]'' (ripe banana filled with [[coconut]] grating, [[molasses]] or sugar),<ref name="MC_2"/> ''[[Fios de ovos|muttamala]]'' made of [[egg as food|eggs]],<ref name="MC"/> ''[[chatti pathiri]]'', a [[dessert]] made of flour, like a baked, layered ''chapati'' with rich filling, ''arikkadukka'',<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-30|title=Arikkadukka - Spicy Stuffed Mussels|url=https://www.facesplacesandplates.com/arikkadukka-spicy-stuffed-mussels/|access-date=2021-05-13|website=Faces Places and Plates|language=en-US|archive-date=4 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404174604/https://www.facesplacesandplates.com/arikkadukka-spicy-stuffed-mussels/|url-status=live}}</ref> and more.<ref name="MC"/>

=== Christian cuisine ===

{{main article|Theenmura}}

<gallery mode=packed widths=200 heights=165>
Kozhukatta Nasrani food.jpg|''[[Kozhukkatta]]'' is prepared by [[Saint Thomas Christians]] on the Saturday prior to [[Palm Sunday]].
Nasrani Pidi Kozhi.jpg|''Pidiyum kozhiyum''
Fish Moilee Kerala Style (aka KeralaFish Molly).JPG|''Meen molee''
ബീഫ്ഫ്രൈ.jpg|''Beef ularthiathu''
</gallery>

Christians of Kerala, especially Nasranis ([[Saint Thomas Christians]]), have their own cuisine, which is a blend of [[Indian cuisine|Indian]], [[Middle Eastern cuisine|Middle Eastern]], [[Syrian cuisine|Syrian]], [[Jewish cuisine|Jewish]] and [[Western cuisine|Western]] styles and flavours of cooking.

A commonly served dish among Kerala Christians is ''mappas'', or [[stew|''ishtu'']].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Manchanda |first=Monika |title=Chicken Mapas Recipe - Chicken in Coconut Milk Curry |url=https://www.archanaskitchen.com/chicken-mapas-recipe-chicken-in-coconut-milk-curry |access-date=2021-05-13 |website=Archana's Kitchen |language=en |archive-date=13 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513150448/https://www.archanaskitchen.com/chicken-mapas-recipe-chicken-in-coconut-milk-curry |url-status=live}}</ref> For this dish, chicken or beef, potatoes, carrots, green peas and onions are simmered gently in coconut milk flavoured with black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, mint, cloves, green chillies, lime juice, and shallots. In Central Kerala, this is made only with beef or lamb; the usage of chicken in stew is very rare.<ref name="gilmarks">Marks, Gil (2010), Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, John Wiley and sons</ref> Lamb and duck can replace chicken in the stew recipe.

''[[Pidiyum kozhiyum|Pidi]]'' is another dish made mainly by Syrian Christians from Central Kerala, consisting of dumplings made from rice flour boiled in a mixture of coconut milk, cumin seeds and garlic.<ref name="gilmarks" />

Other dishes include ''piralen'' (chicken stir-fried), meat ''thoran/roast/ullathiyathu'' (dry curry with shredded coconut), seafood and duck roast, and ''[[meen molee]]'' (spicy stewed fish).<ref name="gilmarks" /> This is eaten with ''[[appam]]''.<ref name="gilmarks" /> Pork vindaloo and [[Malabar Matthi Curry|meen mulakittathu or meen vatichathu]] (fish in fiery red chilli sauce) is another commonly served item.<ref name="gilmarks" />

[[Latin Catholics of Malabar|Latin Christian]] ceremonial food includes bread and stew. They are served after cake and wine at the banquet, followed by a meal that includes fish, cutlets, salads, pork, vindaloo, fish moli, duck roast and mustad (mustard and coriander skins fried in vinegar).<ref name="gilmarks" />

''Irachi ularthiathu'', also known as [[Kerala beef fry]], is a beef dish cooked with spices.<ref name="gilmarks"/>

==References==

{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==

{{Commons category|Cuisine of Kerala}}
* [[b:Cookbook:Cuisine of India|Wikibooks Cookbook: Cuisine of India]]

{{Kerala topics}}
{{Indian Dishes}}
{{cuisines}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuisine Of Kerala}}

[[Category:Kerala cuisine| ]]
[[Category:South Indian cuisine]]
[[Category:Indian cuisine by state or union territory]]

Kerala cuisine - Revision history

BernardoWebb158 at 08:20, 5 May 2026