Kerala Cuisine - by food author Howard Hillman

Kerala Cuisine

Indian
regional cuisine
Kerala

a concise guide
for diners & travelers

Why the cuisine of
Kerala is special

Kerala is widely praised for flavorful fish and prawns freshly caught along its tropical palm-fringed sea coast.

Insights on the
cuisine of Kerala

Coconut

It is widely used in Kerala cooking (Kerala means "coconut" in the local language).

Spices

They are freely used (Kerala is on the fabled Malabar Coast, known for millennia by spice traders).

Famous specialties
of Kerala

Fish Curry

This simple name doesn't do justice to Kerala's version made with the excellent local pomfret fish or the tuna-like seerfish netted in the ocean the same day the cook prepares it.

Fish Mollee

Cooked in a coconut milk based broth. It's best when made with the commendable freshwater kerimeen (pearl spot) fish, caught daily in Kerala's beautiful tropical backwaters.

Grilled Keralan prawns

These rich flavored crustaceans deserve their premium price.

Appam

A spongy, soft stringy textured rice bread, similar to the idiappam of Karnataka. It's perfect for sopping up Kerala's savory sauces.

Palm Toddy

A potent local juice ranging in alcoholic strength from sweet-weak to sour-strong.

Kerala's
Inland waterways

Not only are they a rich source of fish, the tropical inland waterways of Kerala boast some of the world's most serenely beautiful vistas.

Click a Indian region to
learn about its cuisine
and famous dishes

Also learn

about these exciting

world cuisines

My food & wine
credentials
My books have been critically acclaimed by major magazines and newspapers. Click the button below to read a sampling (in Acrobat format).