Kerala Cuisine

Cuisine in Kerala is diversified like its people. Coconut plays an important part be it in food or medicinal or beauty products. Keralities do find a way to add its favorite fruit in all its preparations. Spices are found in abundance in this state and hence its lavish usage in most non-vegetarian dishes. Kerala is famous for its Aviyal, Olan, Kalan, appam, papadums, Ada pradhaman etc,.

Potato Stew

Stews are common in most countries. It is vegetables or meat slow cooked in water or any stock. Irish stew, Gumbo from America, Peperonata an Italian stew, Nikujaga a Japanese stew, Jjigae a Korean stew.

Potato stew is common with appam another Keralite breakfast delicacy. Well, the stew is also made with nothing but coconut milk.

Recipe:

grated coconut, potatoes, onions, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves.
Grind the coconut with water and extract the milk from it.
Boil potatoes and cube them. Heat oil, saute onions, chillies, grated ginger and curry leaves. Add potatoes and salt, coconut milk & little water. Boil them in low heat until it has reached required consistency. Garnish with curry leaves.

Goes great with appam.

Arachuvitta Sambar

Sambar is vital part of any South Indian meal. It is prepared in so many different ways in every region of the southern states. Some sambars just for idlis and dosas and some for rice. It is an easy preparation but a slight change in the process can make it a complete disaster. It is an elaborate process of blending lentils and vegetables with tamarind and spices. It is rich in flavor and ingredients while being healthy too.

Keralites just love to add coconut in anything and thus Arachuvitta sambar came in existence. It is mostly prepared in Palghat brahmin households and is a part of most feasts or sadhyas. Any vegetable can be used like drumstick, potatoes, brinjal, carrots, capsicum, ladies finger etc. If you are making karela/bittergourd or muli/radish sambar or small onion / shallots sambar they generally don't add other vegetables with it.

Recipe:

2 tbsp Coriander Seeds, 1/4 tspn Methi Seeds, 1/2 cup grated coconut, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp ural dal, 5 red chillies. Roast these ingredients with a little oil and grind them to a paste.
2/3 cup toor dal, 1/3 cup pasiparuppu / split moong dal ( A combination of dals give the sambar a little more flavor to it ).
2 cups of vegetables - potatoes, drumstick, ladies finger, yam etc,.
Tamarind pulp.
Asofoetida, turmeric, salt, mustard seeds, curry leaves, coriander leaves.
Onions - optional.

Pressure cook the dals with a little turmeric, salt, few curry leaves and few drops of oil. Boil the tamarind pulp with vegetables and 1 tsp of the ground paste. When they are partially cooked add half of the cooked dal and rest of the paste. More chilly pwd maybe added if it is not spicy enough. When it comes to a boil and all vegetables are tender switch the stove off. Heat a spoonful of oil and let the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves and asofoetida and garnish the sambar with this mixtures and coriander leaves.

Aviyal

Aviyal is a major dish in Kerala, it is vital in any 'sadhya' or feast. It is said that Bheema of the Pandava brothers created this dish. It is prepared in different ways in different communities. It is basically a mixture of vegetables cooked in coconut gravy.

Recipe:
equal amounts of raw banana, beans, long beans / karamani, carrots, potatoes, drumstick, pumpkin, yam / sennai.
grated coconut 1 cup, green chillies, jeera, turmeric pwd, salt, curry leaves, coconut oil 1 tsp.

Grind coconut with jeera and green chillies.
Boil vegetables with a little water and turmeric pwd. When they are partially cooked add the paste. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Garnish with coconut oil and curry leaves .



Theeyal

Theeyal is made with vegetables like brinjal, drumstick, potato, small onions or shallots.

We can use the same preparation for shrimp or chicken. Shallot theeyal is really special to most people.

Recipe:

Shallots or vegetables of your choice, 1 cup grated coconut, 3 tbs coriander seeds, red chillies, turmeric, tamarind pulp, mustard seeds, curry leaves.

Roast coconut, coriander seeds, red chillies, few curry leaves. Some prefer to roast the coconut and coriander seeds separately, some roast them all together. Grind them with little water to a fine paste. Cook vegetables with little water, tamarind water, turmeric and salt, half way through the process add the paste and cook until vegetables are soft. garnish with sauted mustard seeds and curry leaves.


Puli Inji

Puli Inji is part of any meal (sadhya) in Kerala. It is a ginger based pickle like curry which can be stored for many weeks. It is good for digestion specially after a heavy meal.

Finely chopped tender ginger pieces 1 cup, Chopped Green Chilli pieces 1/4 cup, Tamarind (lemon size) soaked in 1 cup of water, Jaggery (gooseberry size), Salt to taste, Hing
for tempering: Oil (Gingely Oil), Mustard Seeds, fenugreek seeds, Curry Leaves, Dry Red Chillies

Heat Oil in a wok / kadai and temper Mustard Seeds, fenugreek seeds, Curry leaves and Red Chillies. Add Chopped Ginger and Green Chilli pieces for a fry for few minutes. Add thick Tamarind extract, Jaggery, Salt and Hing. Cook on low flame till oil floats on top. Store in a cool place.


Moru Kozhambu

Moru kozhambu is common in TamilNadu and Kerala, just the method of preparation varies in different parts of the states. Moru kozhambu is soothing and a light preparation. In Kerala it is mostly made with yams like colocasia, elephant yam, pavakkai/karela/bittergourd. In TamilNadu you can find pumpkin, ladies finger, sundakai/dry turkey berry ( it is used to make vathal kuzhambu ).

Cooked chopped colocasia, 1 1/2 cups curd or yoghurt blended with a little water, 1/2 cup grated coconut, 2tsp jeera, 4-5 green chillies, turmeric powder, curry leaves, mustard, dry red chillies.
optional : garlic to grind with coconut.

Blend the curd with a little water with your hand mixer and bring to thick lassi/buttermilk consistency. Grind coconut with green chillies and jeera well.
Heat oil in a pan and fry mustard seeds, curry leaves and chillies. Add vegetable, turmeric pwd fry for some time. Add the coconut paste and little water and salt to taste. Boil till the vegetables are cooked. Leave it to cool a little, when it is almost cold keep it on low heat and mix the curd. Take it off the heat immediately before the curd separates. The hint is not to boil the curd, the mixture just needs to blend in warm temperature.
Serve with rice and some applams.