TOP 5 DISHES of KERALA
Exploring a place is never complete without having tasted some of its best cuisines. Kerala has a lot to offer in this regard. The south Indian cuisine greatly differs from that of the northern part of the country especially due to the use of coconut milk in dishes and the presence of boiled or cooked rice in almost every meal. The dishes (especially the non-vegan) are extra spicy. So for those who have not yet tried these spicy flavors from this part of the country, you are in for a real treat!
Here, Nithin Upendran from Kollam, Kerala shares 5 dishes of Kerala with you.
KANJI:
The first on my list is the simple yet tasty dish that we, the south Indians call kanji. It is a rice diet, essentially rice soup or a thick pudding made without straining the water out of the cooked rice. The dish in itself has a plain taste and goes best with a spicy green or red chutney and pickle. A burned (not fried in oil) ‘pappad’ is an unavoidable accompaniment with kanji. The dish is often used as a medicinal food for indigestion or stomach ailments, with certain additional ingredients. So if your days were packed with all sorts of junk food, kanji is the dish you need.
RASAM:
Rasam is a curry unlike our first dish but it stands out from the rest because it is very thin and often very spicy. The common ingredients are tomato, tamarind, garlic and an optional amount of pepper ;-). It is normally used as a side dish for cooked rice, but can also serve as an appetizer before a healthy meal or to wash down a heavy one.
FISH:
The variety of fish in Kerala is simply marvelous. The fish variety here, whether curried or fried is a treat to our taste buds. The quantity and type of spices used varies throughout the state. I take the liberty of including prawn in this category because it is treated as ‘fish in effect’ ;-).
POROTTA:
Though we joke that porotta is the ‘official state dish’ of Kerala, it has quite a good amount of truth in it. It is similar to the western pancake in shape and size and is made of maida which is a kind of wheat flour used commonly in fast food centers. A rather heavy dish, it is served with a variety of curries, both vegan and non-vegan and goes well with all of them.
SADYA:
Though not essentially a ‘dish’ in itself, I would be doing injustice to Kerala itself if I don’t include this feast in the list. A sadya is a whole meal, with rice being the main dish and consists of curries and pickles of all sorts separated into various courses. Served during festivities, it is an unavoidable element in the culture of Kerala. Starting with the ‘parippu’ which is similar to the north Indian daal, a preparation of pulses and ending with curd (diluted or custardised), the sadya in itself is a travel through a huge variety including most of the curries in Kerala.
