What India Likes To Eat: A Story of God's Own Country- Kerala and Its Food

May 23, 20205 min read

Updated: Jul 29, 2020

These rows of coconut palms look like emerald studs ed chimes hanging from the sky. The streams of seawater that meander between them are like a mystery through the dense valleys. The sound of fisherman's oar as it parts these water can be heard from afar and sounds like someone's playing the sitar. The culture of Kerala is as dense as it's jungles. This land has always been enriched with exotic spices and delicious dishes.

The story of Kerala's birth finds its roots in the tale of Parshuram's axe. It is said that in ancient times, Parshuram, the warrior sage who is also considered to one one of Vishnu's incarnations, threw his axe into the sea. The sea retreated. The place where the axe fell is the place where the land of Kerala emerged. The land between Gokarna in the north and Kanyakumari on the south came to be known as Kerala. Since then Kerala has been known as the "Land of Parshuram". And today it's commonly translated into English as "God's own Country".

Coconuts have always been used in Indian cuisine. It has been mentioned even in the epics like Ramayana as Srifal. Coconut is the backbone of South Indian cuisine. It's water, the milk extracted from it and oil is widely used in cooking. Every part of a coconut tree is put to use. In Kerala, vegetables are added to coconut milk to prepare 'Avial' which is one of the most famous dishes here. It is believed that this 'Avial' was first made my Bheema when he sought shelter in the royal kitchen of Virata kingdom.

Another dish prepared with coconut which is very popular in Kerala is 'Puttu'. It is eaten with banana or Kadala Curry and papad. While the other regions of South India give higher importance to Idli, the steamed Puttu prepared with rice flour and coconut is very popular. Ancient books like Manasa, Ullasa and Sangam literature have no mention about this Puttu, the 15th-century Tamil text Thiruppugazh mentions Puttu as an offering made to Lord Ganesha. Today Puttu is eaten as a breakfast dish in Kerala.

India has always been a land of fishing. Many emperors when they tasted the fish here for the first time accepted that the taste of fish in India is very good. Prawns, lobsters, crab and similar shellfishes are eaten in Kerala Life in Kerala is tied to its sea and coast. And every evening life relaxes on this very coast when the sun slowly sets into the sea and ends its daily journey. Preserved safely in these dense forests the culture of Kerala is an example of mankind and nature co-existing with mutual respect.

Just as important as coconut is the cuisine of Kerala, bananas are also available in large quantities. Just like coconut, the banana is said to have originated first in the regions around south-east Asia and Papua New Guinea around 10,000 years ago. Within next year's 1000 years, this banana must have floated across the oceans to India to the regions we call Kerala and Tamil Nadu today. In Indian books references to bananas are found much later. When 2500 years ago, when Buddhists and Jain text were complied.

In other parts of the country uses banana just as a fruit, in Kerala it is used as a vegetable too. A special variety of banana is found in Kerala. It is quite long and the taste is very special too. It is the staple diet of the people here. It is probably impossible to live without bananas for a Keralite.

In South India, the leaves of a banana tree are used as both a plate and a bed. The traditional spread that is served in Kerala is called Sadhya. The Namboodhari Brahmins of this region developed it around 2300 years ago. There's a saying in Sanskrit, "ब्राह्मण भोजनं प्रीया" which means, Brahmins love delicious food and lavish feasts. They have every elaborate method for it. Around 2500 years ago Namboodhari Brahmins lived in North India. But when they were chased away from the North, these Namboodhari Brahmins experienced dry and arid Deccan they came across the greenery of Kerala and settled down here.

In Malayalam, Sadhya means a banquet or a feast. There are many types of curries and snacks in a Sadhya. Like chips made with banana and jaggery, curry prepared with lentils and clarified butter called Parippu. This is accompanied by Sambar, Avial, Olan, which is made with bottle guard and coconut, a curry of bananas and coconut called Kootukari. Pachchadi, kaalan, Thoran and varieties of pickles and papad, moonum kuttiyathu, Vettila (betel leaves, supari, and chunnambu). Generally, 20 to 64 dishes are served in a Sadhya. The position of the order of eating is fixed. Serving food in a banana leaf is a practice is over 2500 years old. It is not only eco-friendly but it keeps the food safe from bacteria. People acknowledge that when rice is served on banana leaves it enhances the taste and nutritional value.