Cuisine from The God's Own Country    Nature has always been so close to us. It speaks to us in its own language of beauty and splendour. That is what Kerala is all about. Ever wondered why is it called “Gods Own Country”? The long coastline has ensured that most of its districts have its own coastline. Imagine you are living in one of those small but elegant houses on the coastline. You start your morning with the glance of the wonderful sun whose dim light is slowly trying to peep into your room to wake you up with its subtle warmth. That’s when you stand in your balcony and enjoy nature’s scenic beauty. You can see small vallams cruising far away in the sea which resemble little dots dotted all over. You know that the catch of the day is just coming in. Go visit one of those boats that just arrived and buy the fresh catch. That’s how you would know how wonderful it is to live close to nature. Keralites put to good use whatever the land offers and the result is a marvelous cuisine that is simple yet palate tickling. Kerala is a confluence of cultures and cuisines.   In Kerala it is all about discoveries, aromas and colors. The Kerala cuisine is very hot and spicy and offers several gastronomic opportunities to those willing to experiment with the local cuisine.  The cuisine of Kerala is all about having the right combinations of dishes. There are traditional combinations like Puttu & Kadala, Kappa & Meen, Appam & stew.  These all compliment each other wonderfully well. Appams Appams form an integral part of a Keralites diet. The varieties the land and the food are rich with coconut, though once can’t imagine Kerala food without chilies, curry leaf, mustard seed, tamarind and asafoetida. Just a pinchful of tamarind can substitute tomatoes, but there is no real substitute for curry leaf. Since time immemorial, coconut has been an integral part of the cuisine of Kerala.  These people put to good use whatever the land offers and the result is a marvelous cuisine that is simple yet palate tickling. They relish equally a dish as simple as 'kanji' (rice gruel) or as extravagant as the 'sadya' (feast). Appams prepared in Kerala today are many.  Some of these are:  Kallappam (with locally made toddy)UnniappamIdiappam (rice noodles) 

very nice article - you should write a whole series on the basics of any cuisine - covering the following points 1. the region 2. the philosophy 3. the main ingredients 4. main dishes 5. main cooking styles 6. how to judge what you are eating is good 7. top 20-30 common terms in the cuisine if you can do this - it will be great you can start this as series - when you add a blog - you get a field that say "is this part of a series" in that you can type in cuisine basics or something like that great !

I like south indian food specially the tamrind flavor one.

South Indian cuisine is full of great tradition of cullinary skills.....history......taste...... Dosa....Idly .....Bada....Uttapam.....are the stars of south indian cuisine those are most popular in all over the world.

Chef, very nice presentation of "God's own country". Kerla sunset, its natural bliss and several gastronomical oppertunities are enough to lure me visit there. Which month is the best to have a feal of kerala.