Kerala is a beautiful destination just beside the Arabian Sea. Due to its natural beauty, it attracts lots of travelers every year. Besides, it is also the spice capital of India. Quality spices grow here in large quantities. This factor has a significant influence on its cuisine, and most of the dishes are wonderfully spiced.Nature has blessed the land with a long coastline and famous backwaters, which has immensely contributed to the fish industry of Kerala. Besides, there is a vast harvest of different fruits and vegetables and cereals.Due to nature’s contribution, the food basket of Kerala is blessed with beautiful fruits, vegetables, fish, and seafood. Hence, exploring no other cuisine will be more interesting than Keralian cuisine.In Keralian food, spices are balanced masterfully. It is never a lot and never too less. It is always an exquisite blend of a wide range of spices.When Keralian cuisine is considered, vegetarian items are on the same foot as non-vegetarian items. The reason behind this is the broad harvest of fruits, cereals and vegetables and the presence of vast range of fish and seafood at the same time. Besides, this cuisine includes beef and pork along with chicken and mutton. Both the vegetarian and non-veg platter has several ingredients to it. Hence, both are on the same foot, and no one beats another.Finally, the cuisine of Kerala is so vast that it is a challenging task to count it on a single platter.Below given are some of the spicy variants of Kerala foods. Give it a try when you visit ‘god’s own country.’
1.Nadan Meen Curry
It is a famous fish curry in Kerala. It is a traditional recipe. Abundant spices are used to cook this dish. It is a spicy red curry cooked with Malabar tamarind or kodumpuli and shallots. Spices like red chili, coriander, fennel, and black pepper are used for cooking this dish. It is served with rice or cooked tapioca(kappa).
2.Nadan Kozhi Curry
It is a rustic chicken curry which is an absolute favorite to all. It is cooked with onion, ginger, garlic, and, many spices. In this dish, the onion is cooked until it is soft and caramelized. The spices have to be roasted and combined well with the onion. The chicken is finally cooked in this spice mix. Everything is done on a low flame and slowly. Slow cooking is one of the main reasons behind its lip-smacking taste. It can be served with chapati, pathiri, appam, plain rice, etc.
3.Thalassery Biryani
It is entirely a specialty of Kerala. The use of Kaima rice and not Basmati rice makes it unique. Kaima or jeerakasala rice is a short-grained rice that is also known as Biryani rice in Kerala. Cooked with meat and a multitude of spices the process of cooking is similar to Hyderabadi biryani. It is one of the most exotic dishes in Kerala. It is specially made during the eid in the Malabar regions of Kerala.
4.Kerala Beef Curry
It is a unique recipe for Kerala. Besides being spicy and famous, it is also an incomparable pair-up with parotta or fried Indian flatbread. Kerala beef curry is especially popular among the Keralian Christian community.
5.Kadala Curry
Kadala curry is one of the spiciest, most delicious, and flavorful curries in Kerala. It is made with black chickpeas, coconut, herbs, and a lot of spices. It is generally served as breakfast with a traditional dish called ‘puttu.’ Kadala curry and puttu form a famous breakfast in Kerala.
6.Nadan Kozhi Varuthathu
Nadan khozhi varuthatu or Kerala chicken fry, is renowned for its spicy and rich flavor. The chicken here is deep-fried in coconut oil and has a unique taste. This fried chicken is cooked with several spices to form this fantastic dish. It is one of the popular and spiciest dishes in Kerala.
7.Karimeen Pollichathu
Karimeen pollichathu is a spicy dish made up of a unique blend of spices. A whole fish is skillfully cooked in this unique blend of spices. Generally, it is served in a banana leaf. It is a prevalent dish in Kerala.
8.Meen Vevichathu
It is a Kerala-style red fish curry. It is from the region of Kottayam in Kerala. It is also known as Kottayam-style fish curry. In this dish, fish slices are marinated in spices and then cooked into a lip-smacking curry. Many spices, along with coconut, ginger, and garlic, are used in it. It is best served with piping hot rice.
9.Thattu Kada Style Chicken Fry
Thattu kada chicken fry is generally made in the ‘thattus’ or street food vans. This dish is usually sold by vendors on the street sides of Kerala. It is a tangy, spicy chicken fry that is utterly irresistible. This is a must try if you are in Kerala.
10.Kappa Biryani
This unique dish is prevalent amongst the Keralites. Especially the Christian community is fond of making it at Christmas. This biryani is entirely made of tapioca or kappa and without rice. It is also known as ‘Ellum Kappayam’ locally. It is cooked with meat and spices along with tapioca. It is immensely popular for its taste.
11.Chemeen Theeyal
Theeyal is another famous delicacy in Keralian cuisine. It is a curry made in roasted coconut gravy. Vegetables, meat, or prawns are cooked in this gravy to make theeyal. The variety made with prawns is as delicious as its other variants. It is best served with rice.
12.Fish Molee
It is a mildly spiced fish stew. It is made with fish spices and coconut milk and has a creamy texture. Although mildly spiced, the dish is versatile in its use of coconut milk and different spices and herbs. In this dish, the use of black pepper and green chilies controls the spiciness to a certain level. It is best served with appam.
13.Erachi Varutharacha Curry
It is a type of mutton curry. ‘Varutharacha,’ in other words, means ‘roasted.’ In this dish, the spices like coriander seeds, dry chilies, fennel seeds, cinnamon, and curry leaves are roasted along with coconut. The mutton is cooked in this roasted spices to give it a traditional taste.
14.Mussel Stir Fry
It is also known as ‘kallumakkaya Varattiyathu’ locally. It is a famous Malabari dish. In this dish, the mussels are cooked with aromatic spices and coconut to create a delicious side dish.
15.Kerala Prawn Curry
It is also known as Nadan Prawn Curry or Chemmin Curry. It is a tangy, creamy, and spicy dish. It is a celebration of fresh local seafood. The bird eye chilli keeps it distinctively hot, but on the other hand, there is coconut milk to balance it. It is served best with piping hot rice.
16.Kerala Mutton Roast
Locally it is also known as ‘Erachi Ularthiyathu Varattiyathu.’ In Malayalam, ‘Erachi Ularthyiathu’ means roasted. In this dish, the of mutton pieces are cooked with freshly ground spices, onions, and coconut. It is slowly roasted to get a dark brown color. Slow cooking gives the dish a delicious taste and aromatic flavor. It is yet another ‘thattukada’ or ‘street shop’ food.
17.Mutta Curry
It is also known as Kerala-style egg curry. It is a spicy hot curry made with spices and coconut milk. It can be served with appam, dosa, parotta, chapati, or bread.
18.Parippu Curry
Parippu is one of the most delicious dishes in Kerala. It forms one of the main dishes in ‘sadya’ the Hindu feast of Kerala. It is made of ‘moong’ dal, coconut, and spices. This dal-based dish serves as a comforting food besides rice.
19.Erissery
It is a lentil stew made with pumpkin. It is one of the most popular dishes of Kerala. Erissery is also included in the famous keralian feast called ‘Sadya’ or ‘Kerala Sadya.’ It is generally served with rice.
20.Kerala Beef Fry
Also known as ‘Nadaan beef fry,’ it is a renowned dish. Cooked with abundant spices and herbs, this dish is most popular in Kerala. The use of curry leaves adds to the taste of the dish. It is often served with Malabar parotta.