The way Indian food is cooked and eaten in the UK is changing. Instead of heading to local curry houses to eat Anglicised versions of Indian dishes with no sense of where they come from in the country, we’re getting to grips with just how diverse and exciting regional Indian cooking can be. We now know that you’ll rarely find a coconut curry from the north of the country, and naan breads are virtually non-existent in the south. Whether we’re cooking at home or looking for somewhere to eat out, more and more of us are looking for authenticity and real flavours above all else, hoping to discover the flavours of a particular part of India to learn more about its culture.
One of the regions that has risen to prominence in recent years is Kerala, a southern state along India’s Malabar coastline. It’s easy to see why, with its beautiful palm trees and golden beaches by the sea, rolling hills further inland and striking, rugged mountain ranges to the east. But what Kerala is really becoming known for in the UK is its food – a wonderful array of fresh, fragrant, often coconut-heavy dishes which make the most of the local ingredients.
To understand Keralan cuisine, you have to look at the history of the region. As one of the most important locations for trading spices for over 5,000 years, it has always had visitors either passing through or settling down in its cities, towns and villages, who would bring with them new ingredients or cooking methods. Even today, just over half of Keralans are Hindu, a quarter are Muslim and eighteen percent are Christian, making it one of the most multicultural states in India. Over time, these different communities have been influenced by each other, taking on cooking and eating habits to create a new type of cuisine entirely.
It would be impossible to cover every aspect of Keralan cuisine in just one article, but if you’re after a basic grounding in the ingredients, flavours and dishes that make the state one of the most exciting places to eat, read on.