Start Your Day with 7 Authentic Kerala Breakfasts

Kerala breakfasts are always healthy and that is probably the first thing you will find in all the different types of breakfast recipes in the state. Generally, there is an idea that South Indian breakfast consists of only Idli and dosa (See also South Indian Food). The truth cannot be farther. If you are visiting God's own country, be ready to explore the various options in breakfast in Kerala for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian.

General Ingredients

There are culinary tours available which can offer you the trip consisting of various Kerala breakfasts. As the state is known as the land of coconuts, this fruit or various derivatives from it are found as the main ingredient in most of the recipes. As the place has many rivers and water bodies surrounding it, fish and rice are often a part of the breakfast dishes. The blend of Arab and Persian culinary styles can also be seen in Kerala breakfasts.

An ideal breakfast should have enough carbohydrate, protein and also a certain percentage of good fat so that you have enough energy and vigor to run through the day. To get healthy Kerala breakfasts, you will find plenty of options, all of which have these elements in considerable amount.

Let's have a look at the most common breakfast ideas you can get all across the state in this article. That said, most of the eateries - restaurants or cafes will provide you with any of the below listed breakfast and all of them come at a reasonable price varying in certain amount depending upon the establishment.

1. Appam

With vegetable or mutton stew, this is a very favorite Kerala breakfast. The stew, also called Mappas, is actually a mix of different vegetables such as green peas, potatoes, carrots, onions and beans that are gently simmered in coconut milk. As Kerala is the Land of Spices, you can find many of them like cinnamon, black pepper, green chilies and cloves in this dish. In the non-vegetarian stew, the vegetables are replaced by meat or fish. It is most commonly paired with appam. Vellayappam is a very popular rice flour pancake that has a soft, sponge taste in the centre but is crispy on the outer layer. Kallappam is another variation that has coconut milk, cumin seeds in the batter and is thicker than the first one. This is one of the top options you can find in any Kerala breakfasts.

2. Puttu with Kadla Curry

If you are looking for one option that is the healthiest Kerala breakfast, this is the one to go with. It is steamed with rice cake without any form of coconut garnish. In traditional setup, its uses coconut shell placed in the centre of a bamboo tube with the stopper in one end. However, there are similar shaped steel vessels that are used to cook these days. The right mixture of rice powder and coconut is steamed over and is served with a curry that generally made of chickpea or green gram curry. For the non vegetarians, you can have it with duck mappas or meat curry.

3. Idiyappam with Egg Roast

Also known as the string hopper, it is one of the traditional Kerala breakfast choices. Idiyappam is a form of noodles made from rice flour and steamed and goes best with egg roast, vegetable curry or any other sweet such as coconut milk.

4. Pidi with Chicken Curry

Pidi is also referred as rice dumplings in Kerala. They are simmered in water with ingredients like garlic, coriander seeds, shallots and curry leaves. It is generally served in the Malabar region and very commonly found in the Kottayam District. With white sauce, the dish comes from the Jewish Christians of Antioch and is one of the customary preparations by the mother in law in the baby shower function. It is generally complimented with roasted coconut chicken curry and is a very unique culinary experience in Kerala.

5. Pathiri with Mutton Curry

This is also a popular breakfast choice in the Malabar region. It is like a soft chapati or bread that is made from rice flour. This thin, flat breads are made on a flat utensil called Tawa and served with vegetable curry or beef or mutton curry for the non vegetarian. Here also you can find grated coconut in the curry. You can find a variation of the dish called Poricha Pathiri or fried Pathiri.

6. Kappa with Fish Curry

Kappa is yucca root or tapioca and is one of the authentic foods of Kerala, most generally served in the breakfast. You can find this dish all the year round and it is considered a very healthy option even for regular intake. This is a starchy dish and the farmers are often found having this in their breakfast. Red fish curry is best served with this.

7. Parota with Beef Roast

Although you might think paratha or Parota as a North Indian dish (See also North Indian Food), but malabar parotas or Kerala parota is a layered flatbread that is a more layered Parota than what you find in the North Indian recipe. It goes well with beef curry.

Some snacks of Kerala that you can find along with the major breakfast options include but not limited to:

• Achappam

• Parippuvada

• Ela Ada

• Pazhampori

• Vattayappam

• Kozhukatta

• Unniyappam

• Unnakkaya