Taste of Kerala Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. When you are in Kerala, you cannot miss any chances of breakfast. Such is the variety of food available here that the hungry tourist might just decide to settle here for eternity. Known for their culinary skills the people of Kerala are good at presenting the most delicious breakfast in the most unassuming way. So don’t forget to pay the nearby food joints a visit when one is in Kerala.

Thattu Dosa

While Dosa (a kind of hot and soft bread) is popular in all of south India, Tattu Dosa is a speciality in Kerala. Walk into any tea stall at around 8 am and one would find this thick and small Dosa which is served hot along with delicious coconut chutney. While many posh and star hotels have added this delicious preparation into their menu, a guide can only suggest the curious traveller to have it the traditional way. Mostly served in a set where the doses are decked one over the other the food can be quite filling.

Upma

Made of rave (corn) and finely chopped vegetables, Upma is your health food for breakfast. The pasty feel, the taste of vegetables mixed with sesame seeds and the aroma of the food would lure anyone to have a taste of it. Easy for digestion and readily available in all hotels, this food is best, had alone or with gram curry.

Malabar Rice Pathiri

Often had as breakfast and sometimes as one of the items in lunch, Pathiri from Malabar (north Kerala) area is a delicious and light food. Made from rice flour which is mixed with hot water and later rolled into a round and flat shape, the preparation is not doused in oil as it is only mildly heated on an earthen pan to bring out the cooked flavour. The Pathiri might taste bland and might melt in your mouth when had alone. But ideally it should be had along with any non vegetarian gravy or vegetable stew.

Uthappam

A food which can be categorised as thick Dosa on which onions chillies, ginger and salt is spread; Uthappam could be called a Kerala style Pizza! While the Dosa is thick and is heated only on one side, the toppings are not precooked and hence imbibe the flavour of the slightly sour dough on which they are spread. Spicy and a little less of oil content, the food could be devoured along with simple coconut chutney.

Idiyappam

Found in coffee shops across Kerala, Idiyappam could be called a local variety of noodles or spaghetti. The thread shaped item which is made of rice flour is had along with a spicy curry or even sweetened milk. Often made tastier with ground coconut garnish, the item can be had as a snack which will give you the required calories without giving you a heavy stomach feeling. The item is often had with non-vegetarian gravies including mutton and chicken to give it a heavy feel for those who really enjoy having a heavy breakfast.

Appam and Stew

A round bread variety with milky white centre and brown borders made from fermenting a batter of boiled rice and raw rice, Appam is a typical south and central Kerala food which is often had as breakfast. The slightly sweet and milky taste of the bread is best enjoyed when had with a less spicy stew of vegetables or meat often made by simmering pieces in the milk of scraped coconuts. The food is also had with dry curries like chicken masala roast and also egg roast. Easy to digest and good for nutrition, the food can also be had with thin sweetened milk

Idly

The fermented cake, idly, a South Indian snack is a mouth watering breakfast delight in Kerala. Made by fermenting a fine batter of raw rice and a certain variety of gram overnight, the round cake which is steamed to a solid state is easy to digest and low on calories. Coupled with chutney (flavoured paste) of coconut, onion or ginger, the dish is a delicacy which should not be missed when one visits Kerala.

Often master cooks in the state would provide you different varieties of idly which come in all shapes and sizes. While the regular shaped and plain tasting Idles are most sought after, there are varieties like button Idles which are a miniature version of the cake. Idles soaked in a bowl of Sambar (a spicy soup) are available for those who have turned their palates to spicy food.

Ragi Kurukkiyathu

If porridge is what you have on your mind, then ragi, made from powdering a kind of grass is the ideal item to have. Cooked after mixing the powder with milk with a sprinkle of coconut and sugar, ragi becomes your nutritious breakfast. In some parts of Kerala the cooks do not add sugar to the brew; instead the bland porridge is had with spicy gravy made of green chillies, oil and salt.