Kerala cuisine is the food of Kerala, a state on India’s south-west coast, built on coconut, rice, curry leaves, mustard seed and spices such as black pepper, with a strong vegetarian tradition alongside seafood and meat dishes. Typical dishes include dosa, appam, sambar, avial, thoran and the sadya feast. In Leicester and Leamington Spa you can try a fully vegetarian Kerala menu at Herb.
Where Kerala is and why its food is different
Kerala runs along the Malabar Coast, between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats hills. Heat, rain and fertile land grow coconuts, rice, bananas, jackfruit, tapioca and spices, and for centuries Kerala traded those spices with the rest of the world, which is why it is known as the “Land of Spices”. The food that grew up there is different from the North Indian menus most British diners know.
The building blocks
- Coconut – used as milk, grated, ground into pastes and pressed into oil.
- Rice – the staple, eaten plain, ground into batters or cooked into biryani.
- Lentils and pulses – in sambar, parippu and kadala (black chickpea) curry.
- Vegetables and tubers – raw papaya, plantain, yam, drumstick, bitter gourd, tapioca and jackfruit.
- Spices and aromatics – curry leaves, mustard seed, black pepper, turmeric, cardamom, tamarind and fresh green chillies. See Kerala spices explained.
Dishes to know
- Dosa, idli, uthappam and appam – fermented rice dishes: see idli, dosa, uttapam and vada explained. Appam is a soft-centred, lacy-edged pancake.
- Sambar – lentil and vegetable stew: what is sambar.
- Avial – vegetables with coconut, a festive dish (Brahmins Avial on the Herb menu).
- Thoran – dry stir-fried vegetables with grated coconut (Cheera Asparagus Thoran, Payar Banana Thoran).
- Pothichoru – a banana-leaf rice meal, traditionally packed for travel.
- Pollichathu – a banana-leaf steamed speciality, from Kerala Christian home cooking.
- The sadya – the festive vegetarian feast served on a banana leaf: Onam and the sadya.
A vegetarian tradition inside a varied cuisine
Kerala is home to Hindu, Christian and Muslim communities, each with its own dishes. Some Kerala food uses fish and meat; temple kitchens and many Hindu households cook vegetarian food, and that is the tradition Herb cooks. Read our story and about head chef Ramdas Krishna.
Is Kerala food spicy?
It is aromatic and flavourful, not uniformly hot. At Herb the food is generally mild to moderately spiced, and you can ask for dishes to be milder.
Where to try Kerala food in Leicester and Leamington Spa
Herb serves a fully vegetarian Kerala menu at 96 Granby Street, Leicester and at 5-6 York House, Clarendon Avenue, Leamington Spa; the two menus differ slightly. See also Kerala dishes in Leicester and the first-timer’s guide.
FAQ
What is Kerala cuisine?
Kerala cuisine is the food of the state of Kerala on India's south-west coast: built on coconut, rice, spices and curry leaves, with a strong vegetarian tradition alongside seafood and meat dishes.
What are typical Kerala dishes?
Dosa, idli, appam, sambar, avial, thoran, kadala curry, pothichoru, pollichathu and the sadya feast.
Is Kerala food spicy?
Kerala food is flavourful and aromatic rather than uniformly hot. At Herb it is generally mild to moderately spiced, and dishes can be made milder on request.
Where can I eat Kerala food in Leicester and Leamington Spa?
Herb serves a fully vegetarian Kerala menu at 96 Granby Street, Leicester and at 5-6 York House, Clarendon Avenue, Leamington Spa.
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