Best Kerala

Koottu curry is a traditional South Indian dish from Kerala that combines cooked vegetables and legumes with ground coconut. The ingredients are blended into a semi-solid, aromatic side dish seasoned with spices like turmeric and cumin. It serves as an essential component of the Sadhya, a vegetarian...

Erissery is a traditional vegetarian dish from the South Indian state of Kerala, frequently served as part of the Onam sadya feast. The recipe consists of mashed pumpkin or yam cooked alongside mild legumes, such as cowpeas. Its distinguishing feature is the final tempering of roasted grated coconut...

Sabarimala Shrine is a Hindu hilltop temple complex located in the Western Ghats of Kerala, India, at an elevation of 914 meters. It is dedicated to the deity Ayyappa and is the destination for one of the largest annual religious pilgrimages in the world. Devotees undertake a 41-day period of auster...

Erissery is a traditional Kerala dish from South India featuring pumpkin and cowpeas or red beans, notable for its roasted coconut and cumin spice base.

Avial is a South Indian curry originating in Kerala. It’s characterized by a dense consistency achieved through blending vegetables like pumpkin, squash, beans, and spinach with coconut yogurt and grated coconut. This dish is traditionally served as part of the elaborate Sadya feast associated with...

Vembanad Lake is a significant lagoon located in Kerala, India. It’s notable as the longest lake within the country and the largest in Kerala state. The lake forms part of the expansive backwaters system, offering unique coastal ecosystems. Vembanad supports diverse aquatic life and is particularly...

Aviyal is a Kerala vegetable dish of mixed vegetables cooked in a coconut and yogurt sauce and finished with coconut oil and curry leaves, considered an essential part of the traditional Kerala Sadya feast.

Kerala Fish Curry represents a significant part of coastal South Indian cuisine. This flavorful curry features fish simmered in a sauce combining coconut milk, tamarind (kudampuli), and often water. It’s notable for its distinctive sour taste and reflects Kerala's rich seafood heritage. The dish is...

Kadala curry is a traditional vegetarian dish from the South Indian state of Kerala, made primarily from black chickpeas cooked in a spiced, roasted coconut gravy. The legumes are typically simmered with a blend of coriander, turmeric, and garam masala, creating a thick, aromatic stew. It is most co...

Molagootal is a traditional lentil stew originating in Palakkad, Kerala. This dish features a creamy base created with coconut and lentils, typically red lentils. It incorporates vegetables like spinach or beans alongside spices including cumin and black pepper – reflecting the flavors of Iyer cuisi...

Kerala cuisine is a regional culinary tradition stemming from Kerala, South India. It’s recognized for its heavy use of coconut milk, fresh seafood, and complex spice blends including curry leaves and black peppercorns. The resulting dishes offer distinctive flavors appreciated by those seeking auth...

Cherupayar Curry is a traditional Kerala dish made from whole green gram simmered in roasted coconut and spices, notable as a highly nutritious staple frequently served with appam or rice.

Olan is a traditional Kerala dish featuring white pumpkin and cowpeas cooked in coconut milk, notably serving as an essential component of the region's elaborate Sadya feasts during Onam.

Prawn moilee is a seafood curry associated with Kerala and the broader cooking traditions of India's Malabar Coast. It consists of prawns gently cooked in a mild coconut-milk sauce commonly flavored with turmeric, ginger, green chilies, curry leaves, and other aromatics. Unlike many heavily spiced c...

Twenty-Eight is a South Asian partnership trick-taking game commonly played by four people using 32 cards from a standard pack. Players bid for the right to choose trumps, and in each suit the jack ranks highest, followed by the nine, ace, ten, king, queen, eight, and seven. Only jacks, nines, aces,...

Parippu Vada is a traditional savory fritter from the South Indian state of Kerala, typically enjoyed as an evening snack with tea. The patties are made by soaking and coarsely grinding split chickpeas, known as chana dal, which are then mixed with ingredients like chopped onions, green chilies, gin...

Meen Moilee is a fish curry from Kerala, India, made with coconut milk and turmeric that gives it a characteristic yellow color and mild flavor. The dish is associated with the Syrian Christian and Anglo-Indian communities of Kerala, reflecting historical Portuguese culinary influences in the region...

Kalaripayattu is an ancient Indian martial art originating in Kerala, characterized by its fluid movements, striking techniques, and emphasis on therapeutic practices alongside combat training, developed over centuries.

Ashtamudi Lake is a large estuarine lagoon located in the Kollam district of Kerala, India. Its name translates to "eight braids" in the local Malayalam language, referencing the palm-shaped body of water with multiple branching channels. The lake is a major component of the Kerala backwaters, featu...

Moilee, also known as Fish Mole, is a mild curry from the Goa region of India that reflects historical Portuguese culinary influence. The dish features fish or seafood gently poached in a thin, fragrant broth made from coconut milk. It is distinctly yellow due to a heavy use of turmeric, and relies...

Mappas is a mild curry associated with the Syrian Christian community in Kerala, India. The dish features fish, chicken, or beef slow-cooked in a rich base made from thick and thin coconut milk. It is distinguished by the addition of white vinegar, which provides a subtle tanginess and acts as a nat...

Vanpayar Thoran is a traditional Kerala dish of sautéed cowpeas and grated coconut, notable as a nutritious side dish frequently paired with steamed rice in southern Indian households.

Padmanabhapuram Palace is a historic royal palace complex located in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India, roughly 20 kilometers from Nagercoil. It served as a principal administrative center of the Kingdom of Travancore before the capital was shifted to Thiruvananthapuram in the late 18th centur...

Pazhankanji is a traditional South Indian dish consisting of cooked rice that has been left to soak and ferment in water overnight. This natural fermentation process cultivates beneficial lactic acid bacteria, making it a highly valued probiotic food in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The resulti...

Ishtew, also known as ishtu, is a traditional stew from Kerala, India, adapted from European stews introduced during the colonial period. The dish is distinguished by its use of coconut milk instead of dairy and is typically flavored with native spices like black pepper, cardamom, and cinnamon. Comm...

Mattancherry Palace, commonly known as the Dutch Palace, is a historical building located in Kochi, Kerala, India. Originally constructed by the Portuguese around 1545, it was later renovated and extended by the Dutch. The palace features traditional Kerala architectural style and is renowned for it...

Pathiri is a thin, delicate flatbread made from roasted rice flour, originating from the Malabar region of Kerala, India. It is a staple of the local Mappila Muslim community and is prepared by cooking a simple dough of rice flour and water on a flat griddle. The bread is noted for its soft texture...

The Edakkal Caves petroglyphs are ancient rock engravings located in the Wayanad district of Kerala, India. Discovered in 1894, the site features prehistoric carvings that uniquely combine human figures, animals, and abstract symbols. These engravings represent multiple periods of human settlement,...

Varkala Beach is a coastal area in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, India, situated along the Arabian Sea. The beach is geologically distinct due to its steep laterite cliffs, a feature relatively rare along the Kerala coast. These cliffs have been recognized as a national geological monum...