The cuisine of Kerala, a state in the southwest of India, is linked to its history, geography, demography, and culture. Kerala cuisine offers a multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry, and red meat with rice as a typical accompaniment. Chilies, curry leaves, mustard seeds, tamarind, and asafoetida are all frequently used.

Kerala is known as the “Land of Spices” because it traded spices with Europe as well as with many ancient civilizations with the oldest historical records of the Sumerians from 3000 BCE

Coconuts grow in abundance in Kerala, and consequently, coconut kernel, (sliced or grated) coconut cream, and coconut milk are widely used in dishes for thickening and flavoring. Kerala’s long coastline, numerous rivers, and backwater networks, and strong fishing industry have contributed to many sea and river food-based dishes. Rice and cassava (Tapioca) form the staple food of Kerala. All main dishes are made with them and served along with Kootan; the side dishes may be made from vegetables, meat, fish, or a mix of all of them. The main dish for lunch and dinner is boiled rice. The Kerala breakfast shows a rich variety; the main dishes are made from rice flour or fresh or dried cassava.

A favourite dish of Christians is stew. Chicken, potatoes and onions simmered gently in a creamy white sauce flavoured with black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, green chillies, lime juice, shallots and coconut milk. and their food consists of coconut and sea food. They also prepare stews with chicken, lamb and duck.

Other dishes include piralen (chicken stir-fries), meat thoran (dry curry with shredded coconut), sardine and duck curries, and meen molee (spicy stewed fish). This is eaten with another dish known as appam. Appams, kallappams, or vellayappams are rice flour pancakes which have soft, thick white spongy centres and crisp, lace-like edges. “Meen Mulakittathu” or “Meen vevichathu” (fish in fiery red chilly sauce) is another favourite item.

In addition to chicken and fish, Christians along with some section of Hindus and all Muslims in Kerala also eat red meat. For example, beef ularthiathu is a beef dish cooked with spices.

The tranvancore cuisine has an influence from the syrian christians in that region and thats probably the reason why the meal is called the “Suriyani Christhyani bhakshanam”
The cuisine mostly consists of bland preparations and at times are spicy because of the coastal region’s influence. The cusisine has stew both veg and non veg and thay have spicy karimeen pozhichathu.