Kerala cuisine

Kerala cuisine offers a multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry and red meat with rice as a typical accompaniment.

Most modern-day Hindus do not observe religious dietary restrictions, except a few belonging to specific castes that do not consume beef or pork.

A full-course sadya, consists of rice with about 20 different accompaniments and desserts, and is the ceremonial meal of Kerala eaten usually on celebratory occasions including weddings, Onam and Vishu.

[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.

[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.

[6] The vast majority of Kerala's Hindus, except certain communities and ovo-lacto vegetarians, eat fish, red meat (beef, carabeef, and lamb) and chicken.

[9][10] [11] The snacks include unnakkaya (deep-fried, boiled ripe banana paste covering a mixture of cashew, raisins and sugar),[12] pazham nirachathu (ripe banana filled with coconut grating, molasses or sugar),[12] muttamala made of eggs,[8] chatti pathiri, a dessert made of flour, like a baked, layered chapati with rich filling, arikkadukka,[13] and more.

[15] Other dishes include piralen (chicken stir-fried), meat thoran/ roast/ullathiyathu (dry curry with shredded coconut), seafood and duck roast, and meen molee (spicy stewed fish).