The
cuisine of Kerala is as varied as the state itself. The traditional food
in Kerala is served on banana leaves and is eaten with right hand. The
best part about Kerala cuisine is that there is no dearth of variety.
You will find a huge variety of items and each will have a unique taste
of its own. The people of Kerala use many types of spices in their
cooking. The staple food is rice and along with rice, you will get a
wide variety of gravy and non-gravy curries. Curd also forms an
important part of the cuisine of Kerala.A very popular dish of Kerala is "Appam". This is basically a rice pancake with a fluffy center that is eaten with vegetable or mutton stew. Pouring coconut milk softens the center of Appam. Another popular dish is "Rasam" which is either mixed with rice and eaten or simply drunk. It is a thin concoction of tangy spices, chilies, and tamarind water with other spices like pepper and turmeric. It is almost like soup and is often taken as appetizer. You will find generous use of coconuts and curry leaves in Kerala's cuisines. Both are inseparable from the kitchen of a Kerala household!
Another famous dish is the "Puttu" that is prepared from rice flour steamed in long hollow bamboo sticks. This is then eaten with steamed bananas or spicy stew of grams or peas. Desserts form an integral part of Kerala cuisine. "Payasam" is a popular dessert, which is an absolute must if you are visiting Kerala. Another type of payasam that is known as "Adapradhaman" is made of rice and milk. It is very popular during any function and family get together.
