kerela cuisine

The Cuisine of Kerala

Introduction

(Malayalam: കേരളീയ പാചകശൈലി) The cuisine of Kerala is linked in all its richness to the history, geography, demography and culture of the land. Since many of Kerala's Hindus are vegetarian by religion, and because Kerala has large minorities of Muslims and Christians that are predominantly non-vegetarians, Kerala cuisine has a multitude of both vegetarian and dishes prepared using fish, poultry and meat.

For over 2000 years, Kerala has been visited by ocean-goers, including traders from Greece, Rome, the eastern Mediterranean, Arab countries, and Europe (see History of Kerala). Thus, Kerala cuisine is a blend of indigenous dishes and foreign dishes adapted to Kerala tastes. Coconuts grow in abundance in Kerala, and consequently, grated coconut and coconut-milk are widely used in dishes and curries as a thickener and flavouring ingredient. In fact, the literal meaning of Kerala is Land of Coconuts Kerala's long coastline, numerous rivers and backwater networks, and strong fishing industry have contributed to many sea- and river-food based dishes. Rice is grown in abundance, and could be said, along with tapioca (manioc/cassava), to be the main starch ingredient used in Kerala food. In Kerala, Tapioca is known as the poor mans starch. Having been a major production area of spices for thousands of years, black pepper, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon play a large part in its food.

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Spices in Kerala Cuisine

As with almost all Indian food, spices play an important part in Kerala cuisine. The main spices used are cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, green and red peppers, cloves, garlic, cumin seeds, coriander, turmeric, and so on. Few fresh herbs are used, unlike in European cuisine, and mainly consist of the commonly used curry leaf, and the occasional use of fresh coriander and mint. Tamarind, Kodampuli

( botanical name: Garcinia Cambogia) from the Cocum family, and lime are used to make gravies sour, as sour sauces are very popular in Kerala. Sweet and sour dishes are however, rare, but exceptions like the ripe mango version of the pulissery and tamarind-jaggery-ginger chutney known as pulinji or injipuli are popular.

Historical and cultural influences

Pre-independence Kerala was split into the princely states of Travancore and Kochi in the south, and the Malabar district in the north; the erstwhile split is reflected in the recipes and cooking style of each area. Both Travancore and Malabar cuisine consists of a variety of vegetarian dishes using many vegetables and fruits that are not commonly used in curries elsewhere in India including plantains, bitter gourd ('paavaykka'), taro ('chena'), Colocasia ('chembu'), Ash gourd ('kumbalanga'), etc. However, their style of preparation and names of the dishes may vary. Malabar has an array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes such as pathiri (a sort of rice-based pancake, at times paired with a meat curry), porotta (a layered flatbread, said to come from South-East Asia), and the Kerala variant of the popular biriyani, probably from Arab lands. Central Travancore region boasts of a parade of dishes that is largely identified with the Christians of the region.

In addition to historical diversity, the cultural influences, particularly the large percentages of Muslims and Syrian Christians have also contributed unique dishes and styles to Kerala cuisine, especially non-vegetarian dishes. The meat eating habit of the people has been historically limited by religious taboos. Brahmins eschew non vegetarian items. However, most of modern day Hindus do not observe any dietary taboos, except a few who belong to upper caste (Nambudiris, Nairs of Malabar). Muslims do not eat pork and other items forbidden by Islamic law.

Based on the religions and topography, “Keraliya paachaka shailee” is sub divided into three distinct but very overlapping categories. The differences show up only in a few of the dishes which are a speciality that are made on religious occasions. The three categories are Hindu cuisine, Malabar and Syrian Christian cuisine; all three of which are discussed upon in the following pages.

Hindu Cuisine

Being a Hindu state from the very beginning, almost everything that all the other cuisines have is similar or slightly modified version of the original Hindu cuisine in Kerala; all but with a few variations giving way to the vast diversity to Keralite cuisine. To understand it furthermore we shall discuss the other two cuisines.

Malabar Cuisine

Malabar forming the northern Kerala is a mix of cultures. Malabar cuisine is noted for its variety of pancakes and steamed rice cakes made from pounded rice. Malabar food is generally mildly flavoured and gently cooked.
The mutton is cooked tender, the rice flaky and delicately spiced with the right portions of condiments, to leave the taste lingering for long. That is the special brand of Malabari Moppila biriyani. Biriyani - whether mutton, chicken, fish or prawn - is the USP of Malabar cuisine.

Syrian Christian (Suriani)

The cuisine of the state of Kerala, India, is influenced by its large Christian minority. A favourite dish of Kerala Syrian Christians is stew: chicken, potatoes and onions simmered gently in a creamy white sauce flavoured with black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, green chillies, lime juice, shallots and coconut milk. They also prepare stews with chicken, lamb, and duck.

Other dishes include piralen (chicken stir-fries), meat thoran (dry curry with shredded coconut), fiery vindaloos, sardine and duck curries, and meen molee (spicy stewed fish). This is eaten with appam. Appams, kallappams, or vellayappams are rice flour pancakes which have soft, thick white spongy centres and crisp, lace-like edges. Meen vevichathu (fish in fiery red chilli sauce) is another favourite item.

In addition to chicken and fish, Syrian Christians also eat red meat. For example, erachi orlarthiathu is a beef or mutton dish cooked with spices.

Traditional Kerala Cooking Equipments

Traditional Kerala cooking involved the use of some quaint equipment and primitive fires. These equipment depended on human effort (instead of electric power) to pound, grind, blend and cook. This was available in sufficient quantities in the predominantly rural and agricultural Kerala households.

The equipment and practices are becoming almost extinct and we thought it would be a good idea to record these before the specimens disappear completely.

The hand pounder pictured right was used to de-husk paddy and to powder grains and other foodstuff. The paddy or other material was put in the largish cup in the middle, and the long pole was used to pound it (just right) to produce rice or powder.

The ammi pictured left was used to make pastes. For example, coconut gratings might be put at one end, water added in small quantities and the round stone was rolled over the material to turn them into a paste. When spices like chillies and ginger were added to the coconut, the resulting paste would be chutney.

The wet grinder (pic right) was used to make different kinds of pastes. A typical use was for making iddali or dosa paste. Rice and water were put in the cup and the heavy stone worked round and round by hand to convert it into a liquid paste. Next urad dal and water were converted into paste similarly. The two pastes were mixed and fermented overnight to make the mixture that was the raw material for iddali and dosa.

The hand mill pictured left seems to be one item that is yet to have a modern version. It is used to split dals like black gram and green gram. After splitting and soaking, it becomes quite easy to remove the husk and process the dals. Split and soaked black gram is ground into a liquid batter for iddali and dosa. Split green gram is used as an ingredient in curries. The hand mill could also be used to granulate grains.

Cooking was done in mud pots over an open fire (see pic left). Three stones placed at three corners supported the pot above the fire. In these days, open fires have been replaced by "smokeless" wood-burners which draw the smoke away through pipes.

Burning firewood is still practiced in rural areas, even where gas and electricity are available. In a typical rural household, there would be a plentiful supply of combustible materials - dry branches and twigs, dry leaves and so on. It would be wasteful to let these rot and use more modern (and far more expensive) fuel.

In practice, few Kerala households use even one of these traditional methods now. At best, there might be a smokeless wood-burner. Mostly however, it is electric grinders, gas or electric stoves and stainless steel utensils that you would find in today's kitchen.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENTS:

• Chembu: It is a vessel made out of copper or brass used for steaming or boiling food. Now aluminium is more frequently used.
• Puttu kuti: It is used for steaming rice flour paste called puttu. It has a round base pot in which water is boiled, and a tall cylindrical tube above this base in which rice flour and coconut are layered and steamed.
• Cheena chatti: Literally meaning “Chinese pot”, this is a round-bottomed vessel with two handles similar to a wok. The round bottom spreads the heat evenly through the base and into the food; which makes it ideal for sautéing and deep frying.
• Appam chatti: This is a heavy round bottomed vessel made of iron with a lid similar to the cheena chatti. It is used to prepared stews.
• Kalam: It is a large rice vessel in which water, tapioca or rice is boiled.
• Urali: This is a wide mouthed squat vessel made of bell metal which gradually warms up and retains heat for a long time. It is multipurpose: it is used to fry and roast meat, to cook halwas and to dry roast rice flour.
• Meen chatti: It is a round bottomed earthen pot used to prepare fish curries.

INSIGHT INTO A TRADITIONAL KITCHEN:

In the traditional homes of Kerala called tharavads, the cooking centres around the hearth, that has four to six stoves called adupus. Chopping and food preparation is accomplished on the kitchen table, using little wood handled knives for vegetables and a large cleaver for meat and seafood. Equally important is the little stone mortar and pestle in which small amounts of spices or chillies are crushed or pounded.

The kitchen countertop holds the grinding stone on which most of the daily spices are crushed or ground. It also contains several large blocks of wood on which meat and fish are chopped. A deep stone sink for pot wash can be found in a smaller room adjoining the kitchen.

A storeroom, adjacent to the kitchen is where large reserves of staples and farm produce are kept. Larger homes have separate rooms for various tasks. For e.g., the granary or nellu ara is a large wooden room within the kitchen where the food grains are stored, or the ora pera, which is a large room in which large amounts of rice flour, halwa and snacks called palaharam are prepared.

Many traditional kitchens function in the above manner even today with a smaller modern kitchen close to the main kitchen, housing conveniences like gas stoves, electric grinders, microwave ovens and coffee makers.

A Typical Day

Breakfast

Kerala cuisine offers many delicious vegetarian breakfast dishes that are often relatively unknown outside the state. These include Puttu (made of rice powder and grated coconut, steamed in a metal or bamboo holder) and kadala (a curry made of black garbanzo beans (chana), iddali (fluffy rice pancakes), sambar, dosa and chutney, pidiyan, Idiyappam (string hoppers - also known as Noolputtu and Nool-Appam), Paal-Appam, a circular, fluffy, crisp-edged pancake made of rice flour fermented with a small amount of toddy or wine, etc. Idiyapam and Paalappam are accompanied by mutton, chicken or vegetable stew or a curry of beef or fish moilee (the most common dish is fish in a coconut based sauce).

Lunch and dinner

The staple food of Kerala, like most South-Indian states, is rice. Unlike other states, however, many people in Kerala prefer parboiled rice (Choru) (rice made nutritious by boiling it with rice husk). Kanji (rice congee), a kind of rice porridge, is also popular. Tapioca, called kappa in Kerala, is popular in central Kerala and in the highlands, and is frequently eaten with fish curry

Rice is usually consumed with one or more curries. Accompaniments with rice may include upperis (dry braised or sautéed vegetables), rasam, chips, and/or buttermilk (called moru). Vegetarian dinners usually consist of multiple courses, each involving rice, one main dish (usually sambar, rasam, puli-sherry), and one or more side-dishes. Kerala cooking uses coconut oil almost exclusively, although health concerns and cost have led to coconut oil being replaced to some extent by palm oil and vegetable oil.

Popular vegetarian dishes include sambar, aviyal, Kaalan, theeyal, thoran (dry curry), pulisherry (morozhichathu in Cochin and the Malabar region), olan, erisherry, pulinji, payaru (mung bean), kappa (tapioca), etc. Vegetarian dishes often consist of fresh spices that are liquefied and crushed to make a paste-like texture to dampen rice.

Common non-vegetarian dishes include stew (using chicken, beef, lamb, or fish), traditional or chicken curry (Nadan Kozhi Curry), chicken fry (Kozhi Porichathu/Varuthathu), fish/chicken/mutton molly(fish or meat in light gravy), fish curry (Meen Curry), fish fry (Karimeen Porichathu/Varuthathu), lobster fry (Konchu Varuthathu), Spicy Beef Fry (Beef Ularthiyathu), Spicy Steamed Fish (Meen Pollichathu) etc. Biriyani, a Mughal dish consists of rice cooked along with meat, onions, chillies and other spices.

Although rice and tapioca may be considered the original Kerala starch staples, wheat, in the form of chappatis or parathas (known as porottas in Kerala), is now very commonly eaten, especially at dinner time. Numerous little streetside vendors offer an oily parathas (akin to the croissant in its flakiness and oiliness) with meat, egg, or vegetable curry for dinner. Grains such as ragi and millet, although common in the arid parts of South India, have not gained a foothold in Kerala

Sweets and Desserts

Due to limited influence of Central Asian food on Kerala, the use of sweets is not as widespread as in North India. Kerala does not have any indigenous cold desserts, but hot/warm desserts are popular. The most popular example is undoubtedly the payasam: a preparation of milk, coconut extract, sugar, cashews, dry grapes, etc. Payasam can be made with many base constituents, including Paal payasam (made from rice), Ada payasam (with Ada, a flat form of rice), Paripu payasam (made from dal), Pazham pradhamam (made from banana), Gothambu payasam (made from wheat). Ada payasam is especially popular during the festival of Onam. Most payasams can also be consumed chilled. Jaggery or molasses is a common sweetening ingredient, although white sugar is gaining ground. Fruit, especially the small yellow bananas, are often eaten after a meal or at any time of the day. Plantains, uncooked or steamed, are popularly eaten for breakfast or tea.

Other popular sweets include Unniappam (a fried banana bread), pazham-pori (plantain slices covered with a fried crust made of sweetened flour), and kozhukkatta (rice dumplings stuffed with a sweet mixture of molasses, coconut etc.). Cakes, ice-creams, cookies and puddings are equally common. Generally, except for payasam, most sweets are not eaten as dessert but as a tea-time snack.

Pickles and other side-dishes

Kerala cuisine also has a variety of pickles and chutneys, and crunchy pappadums, banana chips, jackfruit chips, kozhalappam, achappam, cheeda, and churuttu.

Beverages

Being mostly a hot and humid area, Keralites have developed a variety of drinks to cope with thirst. A variety of what might be called herbal teas is served during mealtimes. Cumin seeds, ginger or coriander seeds are boiled in water and served warm or at room temperature. In addition to the improved taste, the spices also have digestive and other medicinal properties. Sambharam, a diluted buttermilk often flavoured with ginger, lime leaves, green chilli peppers etc. was very commonly drunk, although it has been replaced to some extent by soda pop. Coffee and tea (both hot) drunk black, or with milk and white sugar or unrefined palm sugar (karippatti), are commonly drunk. Numerous small shops dotted around the land sell fresh lime juice (called naranga vellam, or bonji sarbat in Malayalam), and many now offer milk shakes and other fruit juices.

Best Dishes :	Meen Moilee, Mutton Biryani, Theeyal, Duck Roast with Malabar Porotta, Chilly Fried Crabs, Lacy Idiappam, Crisp Meen Porichathu, Appam with Mena Curry, Fresh Toddy, Parippu Kari, Kuttanad Fish Curry, Chemmeen Coconut Fry, Fish Korma.
Cuisine Exotica :	Puttu, Vattayappam, Kallappam, Idiappam.
Non Veg Dishes :	Fishes like Pomfret, Sardines, snapper, crustaceans, Karimeen, Egg and Poultry, Mutton, Beef and Pork.
Veg Dishes :	Mix Vegetable Avial, Stew with Coconut Milk, Cheena Molagu (local Cuisine), Puzhukku- Root Vegetables.
Feasts for all Occasions :	Sadyavattams, Aviyal, Olan, Kootu Curry, Puli-inji, Kaalam, Koova.
Famous Drinks :	Drinks - Kattan Kapi, Black Coffee, Chooku-Kapi (Dried Ginger Brew).
Not To Be Missed :	Dishes like Crisp Appam, Parakka Kerdatam, Parippu Vada with Coconut Chutney, Vada Sambhar.
Frying Spree :	Alathur Chips, Nendrankai, Chakkara Varattina Varuval – (Thick Chip cut in Halves or Quarters), Jackfruit (Chakka) Chips.
Mouth Fresheners:	Murukkan (Betel Leaves and Nuts), Chewing Tobacco.
Festival Dishes :	Sambar/Kuzhambu Varieties, Rasam Varieties, Kootu/Curry Varieties, Payasam Varieties, Keerai Varieties, Podi Varieties, Rice Delights.
Sweet Dishes :	Mango Pachadi, Kheema Pulao, Payasam, Sweet Sauce, Milk Rice, Coconut Rice, Vermicelli sweetened with Jaggery, Avalose.
Traditions of Central Kerala :	Erachi Olathiyathu (Fried Mutton, beef or Pork), Meen Mullgattathu (red fish Curry), Meen Pollichathu (Fish Roasted in plaintain leaf), Prawn Mappas, Peera Pattichattu (fish dish with grated Coconut), Duck Roast and Kozhi Piralen (a fried Chicken).
Grand Fiesta with Sadhya :	Sadya is Traditional Big Feast. An improperly laid Ela (plantain Leaf) is an indicator. The leaf is laden with Lime Curry, Mango Pickle, Puli-Inji, Lime Pickle. Remaining area is studded with Thoran, Vegetable Strew or Olan, Avail (thick Mixture of Vegetables), Pachadi (Raw Mango and Curd Mixture), Elisseri (Vegetable like Pumpkin or Green Banana). Rice served at the bottom and Rasam (Fiery Pepper Soup) is served throughout the course of the meal.

ONASADHYA

Onam heralds the harvest festival and is also according to folklore the time of the year when the king Mahabali, the legendary ruler of an ancient golden era in Kerala, returns from the depths of the nether world to visit his beloved subjects.

Onasadhya is the most delicious part of the grand festival called Onam. It is considered to be the most elaborate and grand meal prepared by any civilisation or cultures in the world. It's a feast which if enjoyed once is relished for years.

Onasadhya is prepared on the last day of Onam, called Thiruonam. People of Kerala wish to depict that they are happy and prosperous to their dear King Mahabali whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam.

Rice is the essential ingredient of this Nine Course Strictly Vegetarian Meals. All together there are 11 essential dishes which have to be prepared for Onasadhya. Number of dishes may at times also go up to 13. Onasadhya is so elaborate a meal that it is called meals, even though it is consumed in one sitting. Onasadhya is consumed with hands; there is no concept of spoon or forks.

Traditional Onasadhya meal comprises of different varieties of curries, upperies - things fried in oil, pappadams which are round crisp flour paste cakes of peculiar make, uppilittathu - pickles of various kinds, chammanthi - the chutney, payasams and prathamans or puddings of various descriptions. Fruits and digestives are also part of the meal.

The food has to be served on a tender Banana leaf, laid with the end to the left. The meal is traditionally served on a mat laid on the floor. A strict order of serving the dishes one after the another is obeyed. Besides, there are clear directions as to what will be served in which part of the banana leaf.

These days Onasadhya has toned down a little due to the urban and hectic living style. Earlier, Onasadhya used to be even more elaborate. There were about 64 mandatory dishes - eight varieties each of the eight dishes. At that time three banana leaves were served one under the other to accommodate all the dishes. How exactly they were accommodated in the tummy...Is a food for thought!

INGREDIENTS AVAILABLE IN THE MARKET:

• Ash gourd : Kumbalanga
• Asafetida: Kaayam
• Banana : Pazham, Ethapazham
• Bengal gram : Mani Kadala
• Bitter gourd : Kaipakka (Pavakka)
• Black pepper : Kurumulaku
• Cabbage : Mottakkoosu
• Cardamom : Elakkaya
• Cashew nut : Kasuvandipparippu
• Cinnamon : Karuvapatta
• Clove : Karayampoo
• Coconut oil : Velichenna
• Coconut : Nalikeram, Thenga
• Colocasia : Chembu
• Coriander : Malli or Kothamalli
• Cucumber : Vellarikka
• Cumin : Jeerakam
• Drumstick : Muringakkaya
• Egg plant : Vazhuthananga, brinjal
• Fennel : Perumjeerakam
• Fenugreek : Uluva or Vengayam
• Garlic : Veluthulli
• Ginger : Inji
• Gooseberry : Nellikka
• Green Chili : Pacha mulaku
• Green gram : Cherupayar
• Guava : Perakka, Poyyakka, Koyyakka
• Jack fruit : Chakka
• Jaggery : Sarkara (bellam or vellam)
• Milk : Paal
• Mustard seeds : Kaduku
• Nutmeg : Jathikka
• Okra / Lady's finger: Vendakka
• Onion : Ulli, Savala, Sabola
• Papaya : Karmosa, Omakaya, Koppakaya, Papakaya, Pappali , Kappalanga
• Pea : Payar
• Groundnut : Kappalandi or Nilakkadala
• Red gram : Van Payar
• Plantain : Nendrakkaya, Etheka
• Potato : Urulakkizhangu
• Pumpkin : Matthanga
• Raisin : Unakka munthiri, kismis
• Salt : Uppu
• Shallot : Chuvannulli or Cheriyulli
• Snake gourd : Padavalanga
• Sugar : Panjasara
• Tamarind : Puli
• Tapioca : Kolli, Kappa, Marichini, Poolakizhaghu
• Taro : Cheambu
• Tomato : Thakkali
• Black gram : Uzhunnu

Vernon Coelho

Ihm Mumbai

2010-2011