Popular Kerala Breakfasts

When we talk about the Indian state of Kerala, often the discussion digresses to topics like education, literacy, football, Mohanlal, Shashi Tharoor, the NRI connection and yes, of course, religion and politics. 

Of course, one thing that does unite people of all faiths and ideologies and often, surprises tourists who come to Kerala is the amazing cuisine. A state that has embraced so many cultures including Zamorin and Chirakkal across centuries was bound to end up with distinct variations of its own. Ranging from the basic method of preparation to the spice levels to even the principal ingredient used, Kerala's traditional dishes offer so much variety. 

In this article, I would like to discuss the meal that begins the day in God's own country. Yes, these are Kerala's most popular breakfasts. 

 

Appam (and Egg Curry)

Also known as 'hoppers' in Sri Lanka, the humble appam is actually an extremely healthy breakfast option. They fit the bill: gluten-free, less calories, vegan. The key ingredients in its preparation are rice and coconuts (two things you associate a lot with Kerala cuisine!) They tend to have a nice fluffy center and crisp edges which immediately gives you two textures on a single bite! Appams tend to be served traditionally with egg roasts or vegetable stews in the morning.

 

Of course, if you ascend to the Malabar regions of Kerala, you will be graced with these lovely appams served with mutton or chicken stew even for breakfast (and most definitely for dinner!)

The Malabar version of this dish also has a variation wherein, after pouring the fermented rice - coconut batter into the piping hot circular cooking pot, you break an egg directly into it, resulting in a chimera of an appam with crispy edges on the out and a fluffy center WITH a nice "sunny side up" egg in the middle. Imagine that.

A nice variation of this is Kallappam, where instead of using yeast for fermentation, we use alcoholic toddy!

Idiyappam 

 

A variation of the appam, the fancy la-di-dah name of this dish is the 'string hopper' (If you want the cook to look at you with a weird smirk and identify you as an outsider, ask for string hoppers. If you would rather blend in, you could get away with calling it a nool puttu too.)

Think of it as rice flour pressed into thin noodle-like bits, then combined together into small discs and steamed. Again, very healthy and absorbs the curry it sits on well. Like the appam above and the puttu below, that makes it a versatile option to go with stews and spicy curries as well as just coconut milk and sugar, if you want. 

Puttu (and kadala curry)

One of my personal favourites is the puttu, another humble yet supremely versatile dish that - like the appam - you can find in the homes of billionaires and the small tea stalls being relished every morning in Kerala.

This easy-to-prepare dish is again made using the combination of rice flour and coconut, steamed in a unique cylindrical dish called the puttu kutti. The most common curry it is served with is black chickpeas (kadala), the words 'puttu and kadala curry' enough to light up the eyes of any Malayali.  Another popular vegetarian combination in Kerala is puttu and cheru payar (green gram) curry. 

Like appams, the puttu is an absolute all rounder and goes with many combinations. You could serve it with bananas alone or bananas and some sugar if you have a sweet tooth.

Likewise, it goes great with spicy and mild gravies alike, easily pairing with vegetarian stews, beef, chicken, pork and seafood without any discrimination.

Oh yes, and before I forget, you can also make puttu by substituting the rice with other commonly available ingredients like corn, wheat and ragi. Seriously, what more can you ask for??

Kappa (and Fish Curry)

  

Kappa or tapioca tuber is as essential a part of Kerala cuisine as puttu and appam. Like the dishes above, boiled kappa and meen curry (fish curry) too is had both as a breakfast option as well as for dinner and can be found everywhere, from tea stalls to luxury restaurants. 

P.S. Yes, we do have fish curry for breakfast. This is Kerala, y'all.

Anyway, variations involving the kappa would surprise you - we have a kappa biryani (where it substitutes the rice) as well as kappa puttu (where it, well, substitutes the rice again!)

Plain Dosa

Yes, indeed. We do love our 'fermented rice pancakes'. The main ingredients being urad dal and rice, this is an absolute delight which most Indians are already familiar with but do you know of some of the variations, I wonder?

You have the perfectly crisp one with no filling, served with a chutney or two (or three or four, if you find the right restaurant in Tamil Nadu!).  

Masala Dosa

The more popular variation is the masala dosa filled with a potato based filling. Of course, if you have visited any of the branches of the famous Indian Coffee House franchise across Kerala, you would find the yellow potato filling replaced with a dark pink filling because their version uses beetroots.

Outside Kerala, I have had the luxury of trying out variations on the masala dosa which included fillings based on green peas, paneer, prawns and cauliflower.

Gothambu Dosa

The lesser spoken off cousin brother of the famous dosa, the gothambu dosa is actually a healthier alternative made by substituting wheat instead of rice. A very different taste which is quite nice. 

Two other variations that come to mind are the Thattu dosa (smaller, thicker and spongier; served with sambhar or even chicken and beef curries) and the Uttapam (thicker with vegetable toppings usually)

Idli

For better or worse, Southern states of India tend to be collectively called the 'idli dosa' eating crowd. There is a slightly derogatory aspect to that labeling but let that not dissuade you from trying these 'steamed rice cakes' made using a special cooking pot and involving (yet again) a fermented batter involving rice!

They often come served with sambhar and chutneys.

Uzhunnu Vada

 

Not really a healthy breakfast option but oh, so tasty. The uzhunnu vada (medu vada) resembles an Indian doughnut but is made with lentils. It is deep fried resulting in a dish that is crisp on the outside and fluffy within. 

Traditionally served with sambhar and chutney.

Upma

 

Upma is a humble breakfast akin to a porridge, made with semolina and vegetables. The amount of water you add during preparation can make the difference between having a sticky version or a dry version, both of which are loved by different audiences. 

Traditionally served with chutney.

Porotta

Kerala's most popular flatbread, the porotta, is commonly served for lunch and dinner. However, in the Kannur, Calicut and Malappuram districts, you are very likely to find this tasty served for breakfast alongside an egg roast or curry.

Much like how 'puttu and kadala curry' rolls off the tongue easily for a Keralite, the 'porotta and beef' combination goes hand in hand, both as a food in tea stalls as well as in mainstream restaurants. 

Poori

I can hear the grumbling already and you have a valid point: the combination of poori bhaji has its origins from North India. The deep fried Indian bread has over the decades been incorporated into Kerala cuisine quite seamlessly though and as you can imagine by now, found its way to the breakfast table accompanied by Kerala favourites like kadala curry and egg stew. 

KozhaKatta

Raise your hand if these words sound familiar: rice and steamed. 

Yes, these are steamed rice dumplings, filled with sweet jaggery mixtures or else spicy meat combinations. Served as a breakfast option or an afternoon snack, actually.

I hope you enjoyed reading up on these dishes. Have you tasted any? Do tell me your experience?

If you want to read up more on Kerala cuisine, I would recommend these other posts of mine -

1. 14 Dishes of Malabar Cuisine

2. Kerala Meals - How Much Can You Get For a Dollar?

3. Fun Facts about Kerala's Onam Sadya

Authors note 

I am linking this post with Esha and Natasha for #WordlessWednesday. You can find more picture based posts there and add your own too.