South Indian food has to be one of the most delicious cuisines of India. Be it Karnataka. Tamil Nadu or Kerala, the authentic traditional dishes will leave you amazed with their aroma and taste. Here we have the list of Top 20 Must-Have Dishes in Thiruvananthapuram for you to consider on your next trip to the city.
1.Dosa With Kerala Sambar
Who doesn’t loves Dosa? Dosa is one of the most famous dishes of the whole South India. The Dosa is cooked with fermented rice and lentils and served with chutneys and sambar. When filled with Kerala, special Sambhar would surely leave you licking your fingers. Hence on your visit to the city next time, don’t forget to have the famous Dosa With Kerala Sambar.
2.Idiyappam
Idiyappam, also locally known as Noolappam, is a traditional dish of Kerala served with coconut-based egg curry. Idiyappam is a noodle prepared with flour, salt, and water dough, then put through a hand press. The whole dish is then served on steamed banana leaves, adding a more authentic flavor. Moreover, explore the local vendors of Thiruvananthapuram before heading towards any 5-star hotel, as the local vendors still prepare the dish with the traditional methods, which give it an authentic taste of Kerala.
3.Malabar Parotta With Nadan Beef
Visiting Thiruvananthapuram not having Malabar Parotta? Not happening. The layered Parottas cooked on hot tawa, all hot and crisp, are a treat to your tastebuds. The Parottas are then served with spicy and hot beef, which will blow your senses. The Malabar Parotta and Nadan Beef are the deadliest combinations you can have in the city.
4.Puttu With Rich Kadhala Curry
Puttu is a cylindrical dish prepared with steamed rice. It is then garnished with layers of grated coconut. You can have Puttu along with Rich Kadhala Curry, which is authentically prepared with chickpeas, traditional spices, and curry leaves. You will indeed find this delicious dish at the local street vendors. It is a breakfast dish of Kerala and is as traditional as Idli or Dosa.
5.Appam
Appam is another famous breakfast dish of Thiruvananthapuram which is a rice pancake. Prepared with the batter of fermented rice, it has a thin and crisp outer layer and a thick texture in the inside layer. It is then served with different traditional coconut chutneys. You can enjoy the mouthwatering dish at any restaurant or roadside stall.
6.Thiruvananthapuram Fish Curry
Thiruvananthapuram Fish Curry is a delicious authentic dish served with rice or appam. The fish pieces are cooked and stir-fried in tangy coconut curry, which makes the dish more unique and delicious. The heavenly aroma would leave you stunned, and you would never forget the mouthwatering taste of the dish.
7.Idli
Idli is not only the famous food of South India but is a famous dish all around India. Idli is a steamed rice pancake prepared with fermented rice batter. The steamed rice pancake is served with chutneys and Sambar, a curry prepared with boiled vegetables and authentic spices. You can find Idli at any local street vendor or any restaurant.
8.Kerala Prawn Curry
No wonder Kerala is a coastal region famous for its staple seafood. Kerala Prawn Curry is one of the renowned seafood dishes of Thiruvananthapuram. The dish has a tangy, tingling-hot flavor with a creamy texture. The creamy texture is made with coconut milk, and the savory and hot spicy flavor comes with tamarind and hot red chilies combined to create a mouthwatering curry. You can find the dish anywhere around the city, with similar tastes.
9.Paal Payasam
Try something sweet to balance your tastebuds after all these spicy and tangy dishes. Paal Payasam is the best dessert you can have. It is a sweet dish prepared with boiled rice and milk. It is then garnished with dry fruits, nuts, and cardamom. You can have it both hot and cold. Paal Payasam is generally made during the festival season, especially the Onam season. Therefore, if you are in Thiruvananthapuram around Onam, get ready to taste the best Paal Payasam in the city.
10.Ghee Roast Dosa
Another famous local recipe for Dosa is Ghee Roast Dosa in Thiruvananthapuram. You can find it in any corner of the city. The fermented rice and lentils batter is cooked into a thin round-shaped bread-like dish and then turned into a crispy Dosa roasted with ghee. The Dosa is then served with Sambar and coconut chutney.
11.Fish Molee
Fish Molee is another traditional seafood dish of Kerala. This mouthwatering recipe is a Fish curry with coconut milk, green chilies, tomato, and pepper. The fried fish pieces are then added to the curry, making this unique dish. We are very sure you would love this lip-smacking spiced Fish Stew. You can have it with steamed rice or an appam.
12.Erissery
Erissery is a pure vegetarian traditional dish of Kerala. It is also one of the main dishes of the traditional feast of Kerala, also known as “Sadya,” made during the Onam festival season. It is a vegetable curry made with coconut paste and other essential South Indian ingredients. However, the dish’s main component is pumpkin, which gives the curry a mildly sweet flavor.
13.Sadya
Sadya is a feast prepared during the Onam festival season. It is a 9-course vegetarian meal that includes around 26-28 dishes. It is traditionally served on a banana leaf. You can find it in any restaurant in the city.
14.Varutha Kozhi
We are sure that if you are a South Indian or Malayali, you might have had this dish once in your lifetime. Varutha Kozhi is a traditional chicken curry recipe. The curry is prepared with coconut paste and authentic spices, and the chicken pieces are added. The curry is a perfect combination with appam, chapatti, or idiyappam.
15.Karimeen Pollichathu
Karimeen Pollichathu is one of the most famous dishes in Kerala. It is known to be the specialty of Kerala. The dish is prepared with Karimeen or pearl spot fish, which is quite popular in the region. The fish is coated with onion and tomato masala, wrapped in banana leaf, and then cooked. The banana leaf gives it an authentic taste that would blow your senses.
16.Kappa And Meen Curry
Kappa And Meen Curry are a combination of two dishes. Kappa is a boiled and mashed mixture of Cassava Plants. It is eaten with the Meen or Fish curry. The fish curry is prepared traditionally with a combination of spices, onion and tomato paste, coconut, and tamarind, which are roasted together and made into a delicious curry. You need to try this dish once. You can get it at any restaurant around the city.
17.Thalassery Biryani
Thalassery Biryani is a unique Chicken Biryani recipe not made with the usual basmati rice. It is made with a special kind of short-grain rice known as Jeerakasala. Thalassery Biryani is known for its unique aroma and taste that comes from the traditional Kerala spices added to it.
18.Erachi Varutharacha Curry
Erachi Varutharacha Curry is made with typical spices, including coriander seeds, coconut, cloves, and dried red chilies. The mutton is roasted and then added to the prepared curry. It is a mouthwatering spicy dish that is balanced with grated coconut added to it. You will surely love this dish once you have it.
19.Kallumakkaya Ularthiyathu
Kallumakkaya Ularthiyathu is a seafood dish prepared along with shells. The Mussells are roasted and sauteed in spices and grated coconut. It is then served as a side dish with rice, idiyappam, or appam as an appetizer. It is a spicy and tangy dish you would want more than once.
20.Aviyal
Aviyal is one of the essential dishes of Sadya. It is an authentic traditional recipe of Kerala. It is prepared with curd, coconut oil, spices, grated coconut, fresh curry leaves, and other spices. It is served with steamed rice, rotis, idiyappam, or appam. It is one of the most delicious you’ll have in Thiruvananthapuram.
