The food of any place is a true reflection of its resources, culture and the tastes and preferences. The cuisine of any place is to a great extent dictated by the available resources and also the weather conditions. Food is an important part of the culture of Kerala state .Kerala is the land of Coconut and the name fits just right for this land which has an abundance of coconut trees. This provides us with the apt explanation behind the dishes thus; coconut forms the base for most dishes here. In fact, meal time is one wherein all the members of the family get together and spend time with each other. Festivals and special occasions in the family or the society is also one where food takes centre stage.
The cuisine of Kerala state, rice is the staple food here. Closeness to the sea ensures easy availability of the choicest seafood. Kerala state are known for their exotic dishes and a delicious spread consisting of mouthwatering biriyanis, pathiri ( a pancake made out of rice flour), fish moilee(fish cooked the traditional way in coconut milk), meen pollichattu(fish cooked in a banana leaf) and other delicacies vegetable dishes .
Kerala Meals are prepared with a lot of care and attention to detail and constitute an important part of every household. A day would usually start with tea or coffee, followed by breakfast. Breakfast in the lower segments of the society is mainly rice gruel or kanji. However, dishes like dosa, idli, vada, upma, poori, pootu (steamed cakes made with rice flour) and appam are very popular.These dishes are also eaten for dinner in many homes. Lunch consists of rice served with delicious curries(like sambhar, dal or parippu,olan, kalan) dry vegetables(like thoran and avial), non-vegetarian dishes, pickles, pappad and the popular banana chips. The traditional meal of Kerala state served on the banana leaf is indeed very famous. This is a practice that has been followed for several hundred years and still continues in several homes. Known as the “Sadhya”, the meal served on fresh banana leaves consists of rice, curries, dry vegetables, pickles, pappads, banana chips and payasam. The payasam or kheer is the traditional sweet dish. It may be made with rice, milk and sugar or can even be any one of its delicious variants. The array of payasams range from the basic rice pudding to one made with lentils and jaggery and coconut milk. Believe me each one them is truly mouthwatering. Weddings and other auspicious occasions are not complete without an elaborate sadhya.
With coconut being available in plenty, coconut oil is the main medium of cooking. However, there has been a significant shift in preferences in the recent times. With the health aspect gaining prominence, many Keralites are shifting to low fat cooking oils. However, the flavor and taste of a dish cooked purely in coconut oil still remains unmatched. Discover the delicious cuisine of Kerala state on your next Kerala tour and you are sure to be left licking your fingers.
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