Cuisine of Kerala
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The cuisine of Kerala, a state in the south west of India, is linked to its history, geography, demography and culture. Kerala cuisine offers a multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry and red meat with rice a typical accompaniment. Chillies, curry leaves, mustard seeds, tamarind and asafoetida are all frequently used.
Kerala is known as the "Land of Spices" because it traded spices with Europe as well as with many ancient civilizations with the oldest historical records of the Sumerians from 3000 BCE.[1][2] Food is traditionally served on a banana leaf and almost every dish has coconut and spices added for flavour, giving its cuisine a sharp pungency that is heightened with the use of tamarind. Seafood is the main diet in coastal Kerala, whereas vegetables are the main diet on the plains. Meat is served as the main course in tribal and northern Kerala. Dishes range from simple 'kanji' (rice gruel) to extravagant feasts or 'sadyas'
Ingredients
Coconuts grow in abundance in Kerala, and consequently, coconut kernel, (sliced or grated) coconut cream and coconut milk are widely used in dishes for thickening and flavouring. Kerala's long coastline, numerous rivers and backwater networks, and strong fishing industry have contributed to many sea and river food based dishes. Rice and cassava (Tapioca) form the staple food of Kerala. All main dishes are made with them and served along with Kootan; the side dishes which may be made from vegetables, meat, fish or a mix of all of them. The main dish for lunch and dinner is boiled rice. The Kerala breakfast shows a rich variety; the main dishes for which are made from rice flour, or fresh or dried cassava.
Historical and cultural influences
In addition to historical diversity, cultural influences, particularly the large percentages of Muslims and Christians, have also contributed unique dishes and styles to Kerala cuisine, especially non-vegetarian dishes. The meat eating habits of the people were historically limited by religious taboos. Brahmins eschew non vegetarian items. However, most of modern-day Hindus do not observe any dietary taboos, except a few of those belonging to upper castes who do not consume beef or pork.[3] Most Muslims do not eat pork and other items forbidden by Islamic law.
Overview
Traditional Kerala food is vegetarian and includes Kerala Sadhya, which is an elaborate banquet prepared for festivals and ceremonies but contemporary Kerala food also includes Non-vegetarian dishes. A full-course Sadya, which consists of rice with about twenty different accompaniments and desserts is the ceremonial meal of Kerala eaten usually on celebratory occasions including marriages, Onam and Vishu. It is served on a plantain leaf. Because of its rich trading heritage, over time various cuisines have blended with indigenous Kerala dishes with foreign dishes adapted to local tastes. Coconuts grow in abundance in Kerala, so grated coconut and coconut milk are commonly used for thickening and flavouring.[4] Kerala's long coastline and numerous rivers have led to a strong fishing industry in the region, making seafood a common part of meals. Rice is grown in abundance along with tapioca. It is the main starch ingredient used in Kerala's food.[5] Having been a major production area of spices for thousands of years, the region makes frequent use of black pepper, cardamom, clove, ginger, and cinnamon. Most of Kerala's Hindus, except its Brahmin community, eat fish, chicken, eggs and mutton.[6] The Brahmin community on the other hand is famed for their vegan cuisine, especially various varieties of Sambar and Rasam.In most Kerala households, a typical meal consists of rice, fish, and vegetables. Kerala also has a variety of breakfast dishes like idli, dosa, appam, idiyappam, puttu, and pathiri.[7]
Sadya
Kerala is known for its traditional banquet or sadya, a pure vegetarian meal served with boiled rice and a host of side-dishes served especially during special occasions and festivals. The sadhya is complemented by payasam, a sweet dessert native to Kerala. The sadhya is, as per custom, served on a banana leaf, and is a formal-style meal with three or more courses of rice with a side-dish (usually sambar, rasam, buttermilk, etc.). In south Kerala the Payasam in followed by more (butter milk) and rasam whereas in North Malabar it is considered to be the last dish to be served.
Malabar Cuisine
One of the main special cuisines is the Malabar biryani. Usually chicken is preferred as an ingredient but variants of mutton and egg are also experimented with. Cuisines of Kallummakaya (Green mussel) is another specialty. Numerous dishes like Arikkadukka are made of it. Prawns, crab, and other shellfish are used, as well.
Food offerings in rituals
Food is extremely important when it comes to rituals or festivals. Food offerings in ritual are important in Kerala and throughout South India. Food offerings are often related to the gods of religions. In India, there are numerous offerings for Hindu gods and there are many differences between food offerings in North and South India. Most offerings contain more than one type of food. There are many reasons why people use the practice of food offerings. Some are to express love, or negotiate or thank gods. It can also be used to "stress certain structural features of Hinduism".[8] Of course, not every ritual’s gods require food offerings. Most have a liking for certain foods. For example, butter is one of the preferred foods by the god Krishna. Also, wild orange and a sugarcane stalk are related to Ganapati.[8]
There is a division of the Hindu pantheon into pure and impure deities which is stressed, but shaped by food offerings. Pure deities are offered vegetarian foods while impure deities are offered meat due to their craving for blood.[9] A specific dish is offered to both pure and impure deities. That is a flour lamp which is made of sweetened rice-flour paste which is scooped out and packed with ghee. The flour lamp is only partially baked and then eaten.[9] Another aspect of food offerings is the hierarchy that foods have. It may seem strange that there is a hierarchy for foods, but it is because there is a dual opposition between the pure and impure deities which is hierarchal.[9] There are two gods which have this dual opposition. They are Vishnu and Siva. Ferro-Luzzi explains that Vishnu is viewed as kind while the offerings that are given to Siva are more frugal'. An offering to Siva might be likely to be plain rice with no salt or other toppings, while an offering to Vishnu may resemble a South Indian dish which can consist of rice with other side dishes. Specifically in South Indian offerings, they are offered in numbers. For example, the number three is important in Kerala offerings. There are the trimadhura which translates into 'the three sweets'.[10] All of these practices of food offerings in ritual are important in Kerala culture as well as South Indian culture.
Cooking as sacred ritual
The last decade has seen the rise of cooking as sacred ritual in South Kerala, almost exclusively by women. This practice, called 'Pongala' (derived from Tamil dish Pongal), seems to have been historically associated with the Attukal Temple in Trivandrum city which was begotten from Tamil tradition. According to the Guinness Book of Records, Attukal Pongala is the largest gathering of women in the world.[11] Women participants of the pongala come equipped with cooking pots, dry fuel (mostly dry leaves and spathes of the coconut palm) and ingredients such as rice flour, palm sugar and condiments, often the previous evening, and set up their hearths around the temple on the morning of the day of the festival.
Often, the women take over most of the roads and lanes of Trivandrum city during the pongala day. In 2009, the estimated number of women who participated was 2.5 million.[12] The women wait until the Attukal temple ceremoniously distributes the fire, and set about their cooking when the fire reaches them, passed from hearth to hearth. They go home with the cooked offerings by late afternoon. While males are not allowed in the area, they help out my providing support to arriving and departing women by organising transportation, and distributing free beverages. Trivandrum city, police and civil authorities have been successfully able to manage the festival, but it is quintessentially a women's festival.
Cuisine of the Christians
A favourite dish of Christians is stew. Chicken, potatoes and onions simmered gently in a creamy white sauce flavoured with black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, green chillies, lime juice, shallots and coconut milk.[13] and their food consists of coconut and sea food. They also prepare stews with chicken, lamb and duck.[13]
Other dishes include piralen (chicken stir-fries), meat thoran (dry curry with shredded coconut), sardine and duck curries, and meen molee (spicy stewed fish).[13] This is eaten with another dish known as appam. Appams, kallappams, or vellayappams are rice flour pancakes which have soft, thick white spongy centres and crisp, lace-like edges.[13] "Meen Mulakittathu" or "Meen vevichathu" (fish in fiery red chilly sauce) is another favourite item.[13] Njandu roast (crab roast) and tharavu roast (duck roast) are also popular with the Nazrani Christians.
In addition to chicken and fish, Christians along with some section of Hindus and all Muslims in Kerala also eat red meat. For example, beef ularthiathu is a beef dish cooked with spices.[13]
Glossary of vegetables, fruits, spices and other food stuff
| English name | Malayalam name | Malayalam (മലയാളം) |
|---|---|---|
| Asafoetida | Kaayam | കായം |
| Ash gourd | Kumbalanga | കുമ്പളങ്ങ |
| Banana | Vazhapazham, Pazham(Generic usage), Vazhakka(unripe) | വാഴപ്പഴം, പഴം, വാഴക്ക |
| Bilimbi cucumber fruit | Irumban Puli or Chemmeen Puli | ഇരുമ്പൻപുളി/ ചെമ്മീൻപുളി |
| Bird's eye chili | Kanthari Mulaku | കാന്താരി മുളക് |
| Bengal gram | Mani Kadala | മണിക്കടല |
| Bitter gourd | Kaipakka (Pavakka) | കൈപ്പക്ക(പാവക്ക) |
| Black pepper | Kurumulaku | കുരുമുളക് |
| Butter | Venna | വെണ്ണ |
| Cabbage | Muttakose | മൂട്ടക്കൂസ് |
| Cardamom | Elakkaya | ഏലക്കായ |
| Cashew nut | Kasuvandi, Andipparippu, Parrangiyandi or Parrangaandi | കശുവണ്ടി, അണ്ടിപരിപ്പ്, പറങ്കിയണ്ടി |
| Cheese | Paalkkatti | പാല്ക്കട്ടി |
| Chicken | Kozhi erachi | കോഴി ഇറച്ചി |
| Cinnamon | Karuvapatta | കറുവാപ്പട്ട |
| Clove | Karayampoo | കരയാമ്പു (ഗ്രാമ്പൂ) |
| Coconut oil | Velichenna | വെളിച്ചെണ്ണ |
| Coconut | Nalikeram, Thenga | നാളികേരം/തേങ്ങ |
| Coffee | Kaappi | കാപ്പി |
| Colocasia | Chembu | ചേമ്പു |
| Coriander | Malli or Kothamalli | മല്ലി / കൊത്തമല്ലി |
| Cowpea / Yardlong Bean | Van Payar | വൻപയർ |
| Cucumber | Kakkiri or Kakkirikka | കക്കിരി/ കക്കിരിക്ക |
| Indian Yellow Cucumber | Vellarikka | വെളളരിക്ക |
| Cumin | Jeerakam | ജീരകം |
| Curd/ Yoghurt | Thairu | തൈര് |
| Egg | Mutta | മുട്ട |
| Egg plant / Brinjal | Vazhuthananga, kathirikka | വഴുതനങ്ങ, കത്തിരിക്ക |
| Fennel | Perumjeerakam | പെരുംജീരകം |
| Fenugreek | Uluva or Venthayam | ഉലുവ, വെന്തയം |
| Fish | Meen | മീന് |
| Garcinia cambogia | Kodampuli | കൊടമ്പുളി |
| Garlic | Veluthulli | വെളളുത്തുളളി |
| Ginger | Inji | ഇഞ്ജി |
| Honey | Then | തേൻ |
| Indian Gooseberry (Amla / Emblica) | Nellikka | നെല്ലിക്ക |
| Ivy Gourd | Kovakka | കോവക്ക |
| Green chili | Pacha mulaku | പച്ചമുളക് |
| Green gram | Cherupayar | ചെറുപയർ |
| Guava | Perakkaya, Poyyakka, Koyyakka | പേരയ്ക്ക |
| Jack fruit | Chakka | ചക്ക |
| Jaggery | Sarkara (bellam or vellam) | ശർക്കര(വെല്ലം,ബെല്ലം) |
| Lemon | Narrenga | നാരങ്ങ |
| Lime | Cherunarrenga | ചെറുനാരങ്ങ |
| Mango | Maanga | മാങ്ങ |
| Meat | Irachi | ഇറച്ചി |
| Meat - Lamb/Mutton | Aattu Irachi | ആട്ടിറച്ചി |
| Meat - Pork | Panni Irachi | പന്നി ഇറച്ചി |
| Milk | Paal | പാല് |
| Mint leaves | Puthina ela | പുതിനയില |
| Moringa Fruit (Drumstick) | Muringakkaya | മുരിങ്ങക്കായ |
| Mustard seeds | Kaduku | കടുകു |
| Nutmeg | Jathikka | ജാതിക്ക |
| Okra / Lady's finger | Vendakka | വെണ്ടയ്ക്ക |
| Onion | Ulli, Savala, Sabola | ഉളളി, സവോള, സബോള |
| Orange | Madhuranarrenga | മധുരനാരങ്ങ |
| Papaya | Karmosa, Omakaya, Kappakaya, Papakaya, Pappaya,Pappali, Kappalanga | പപ്പായ, ഓമക്കായ, കപ്പ്ളങ്ങ |
| Pea | Attani, Attani Kadala | കടല |
| Peanut / Groundnut | Kappalandi or Nilakkadala | കപ്പലണ്ടി |
| Pigeon pea / Red gram | Thoovara | തുവര |
| Pineapple | Kaithachakka | കൈതച്ചക്ക |
| Plantain(Raw) | Nendrakkaya, Ethekkya | നേന്ത്രക്കായ, ഏത്തക്കായ |
| Plantain(Ripe) | Nenthrapazham, Ethapazham | നേന്ത്രപ്പഴം, ഏത്തപ്പഴം |
| Potato | Urulakkizhangu | ഉരുളക്കിഴങ്ങ് |
| Pumpkin | Matthanga, Mathangumblam | മത്തങ്ങ |
| Raisin | Unakka munthiri, kismis | ഉണക്കമുന്തിരി |
| Saba Banana | Robust | റൊബസ്റ്റ |
| Saffron | Kunkumam | കുങ്കുമം |
| Salt | Uppu | ഉപ്പു |
| Shallot | Chuvannulli or Cheriyulli | ചുവന്നുളളി, ചെറിയ ഉള്ളി |
| Shrimp / Prawn | Chemmeen, Konchu | ചെമ്മീൻ, കൊഞ്ച് |
| Snake gourd | Padavalanga | പടവലങ്ങ |
| Sugar | Panjasara | പഞ്ജസാര |
| Tamarind | Pulli | പുളി |
| Tapioca / Cassava | Kolli, Kappa, Marichini, Poolakizhaghu | കൊളളി, കപ്പ, മരച്ചീനി, പൂളക്കിഴങ്ങ് |
| Taro | Cheambu | ചേമ്പു |
| Tea leaves | Theyila | തേയില |
| Tomato | Thakkali | തക്കാളി |
| Vigna mungo ( Black Gram / Urad ) | Uzhunnu | ഉഴുന്ന് |
| Water | Vellam | വെള്ളം |
| 'Waxy rose' water apple | Champa or Champakka | ചാമ്പ / ചാമ്പക്ക |
| Yam / Elephant Foot Yam | Chena | ചേന |
References
- ↑ "Of Kerala Egypt and the Spice link". The Hindu (Thiruvananthapuram, India). 28 January 2014.
- ↑ Striving for sustainability, environmental stress and democratic initiatives in Kerala, p. 79; ISBN 81-8069-294-9, Srikumar Chattopadhyay, Richard W. Franke; Year: 2006.
- ↑ Social mobility in Kerala Kanjirathara Chandy Alexander
- ↑ Zero Oil South Indian Cook Book. Dr. Bimal Chhajer. ISBN 9788128805127.
- ↑ India, [report prepared by] Planning Commission, Government of (2008). Kerala development report. New Delhi: Academic Foundation. ISBN 8171885942.
- ↑ Chatterjee, editors: Ashok K. Dutt, H.N. Misra, Meera (2008). Explorations in applied geography (Eastern economy ed.). New Delhi: Asoke K. Ghosh, Prentice-Hall of India, Private Limited. ISBN 9788120333840.
- ↑ Bhandari Laveesh (2009). Indian States at a Glance 2008–09: Performance, Facts and Figures – Kerala. Pearson Education India. pp. 36–. ISBN 978-81-317-2340-1. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
- 1 2 (Ferro-Luzzi 1977, 508)
- 1 2 3 (Ferro-Luzzi 1977, 509)
- ↑ (Ferro-Luzzi 1977, 512)
- ↑ http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2008/03/080304.aspx
- ↑ Holy Cooking India Today - MARCH 19, 2007
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Marks, Gil (2010), Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, John Wiley and sons
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