What to Eat in Kerala and South India: 15 Dishes Every Traveller Should Try

South Indian food including Masala Dosa, Uttapam, Idli/idly, Wada/vada, sambar, appam, semolina halwa, upma served over banana leaf with colourful chutneys

For many travellers, the food becomes one of the most memorable parts of a journey through India. Nowhere is this more true than in Kerala and South India, where regional cooking traditions, shaped by centuries of global trade, diverse religious communities and a landscape rich in coconuts, seafood, tropical fruit and spices, combine to create some of the country's most distinctive cuisine.

​Visitors arriving in India for the first time are often surprised by how different South Indian cuisine is from the dishes commonly found in Indian restaurants in the UK. While North Indian dishes such as butter chicken and naan are familiar to many visitors, South Indian food offers a completely different culinary experience. Kerala's cuisine is lighter in many ways, relying heavily on coconut, rice, curry leaves, tamarind and freshly ground spices. Breakfasts feature rice pancakes and steamed rice cakes, curries often use coconut milk rather than cream, and seafood plays a prominent role along the coast.
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Food also tells the story of Kerala itself. Arab traders brought new ingredients and cooking techniques. Portuguese merchants introduced foods such as chillies and cashew nuts. Jewish, Christian, Hindu and Muslim communities each developed their own culinary traditions, many of which survive today.

If you're planning a trip to Kerala or travelling further through South India, these are some of the dishes you should look out for during your journey.

Why Kerala's Cuisine Is So Unique

​Long before European explorers arrived in India, Kerala was famous for its spices. For centuries ​Kerala was  at the centre of the spice trade. Merchants travelled from Arabia, China and later Europe in search of black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. The ancient port of Kochi became one of the world's great trading hubs, linking South India with markets across the globe. Arab, Portuguese, Dutch and British traders all passed through its ports, helping shape a cuisine that reflects these centuries of cultural exchange. 

That legacy remains visible today. Visitors wandering through Kochi's old trading districts can still find spice warehouses filled with sacks of pepper and cardamom, while many tours into the Western Ghats include visits to working spice plantations.

The state's long coastline and famous backwaters also mean seafood plays a major role in local cooking. If you've recently read our guide to the Kerala Backwaters, you'll know how closely everyday life in the region is connected to its waterways. The food reflects that relationship perfectly, with many traditional dishes originating in the backwater communities of Alleppey and Kumarakom.

1. Appam and Stew

For many travellers, appam is the perfect introduction to Kerala cuisine.

Made from fermented rice batter, appam resembles a bowl-shaped pancake with crisp lace-like edges and a soft, fluffy centre. It is often served with a mildly spiced vegetable stew made with coconut milk.
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Unlike many dishes visitors associate with Indian food, the flavours are delicate and comforting rather than intensely spiced. It's a breakfast you'll encounter in hotels, homestays and family-run guesthouses throughout Kerala.

2. Puttu and Kadala Curry

A traditional Kerala breakfast, puttu consists of steamed cylinders of rice flour layered with fresh grated coconut. It is usually accompanied by kadala curry, a richly flavoured black chickpea curry that provides a satisfying contrast to the soft texture of the puttu.
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While it may look simple, this is everyday Kerala food at its best and a dish many locals still eat regularly.

3. Kerala Sadya

More than a meal, Sadya is a cultural experience.

Traditionally served on a banana leaf, a Sadya can include twenty or more dishes, each carefully positioned according to custom. Depending on the occasion, you may be served rice, sambar, avial, thoran, pickles, pappadums, chutneys and several varieties of payasam.

The feast is most closely associated with Onam, Kerala's biggest annual festival, but visitors may also encounter it at weddings and other celebrations.

For travellers interested in local culture, few dining experiences offer a better introduction to Kerala's traditions.

4. Karimeen Pollichathu

If there is one dish closely associated with Kerala's backwaters, it is Karimeen Pollichathu.

Karimeen, or pearl spot fish, is marinated in spices, wrapped in banana leaves and cooked until tender. The banana leaf imparts a subtle fragrance while helping to keep the fish moist.
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Travellers exploring Alleppey and Kumarakom will often find this dish featured on houseboat menus, making it a particularly fitting choice while cruising through the waterways.

5. Idiyappam

Known in some parts of South India as string hoppers, idiyappam consists of delicate nests of steamed rice noodles.
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The dish is remarkably versatile and may be served with vegetable stew, curry or sweetened coconut milk.
Light yet filling, it is particularly popular as a breakfast dish.

6. Avial

One of the stars of any Sadya, avial combines seasonal vegetables with coconut, yoghurt and curry leaves.

According to local folklore, the dish dates back to the Mahabharata and was created as a way of using leftover vegetables. Whether the story is true or not, avial remains one of Kerala's most beloved vegetarian dishes.
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It is also an excellent example of how Kerala cuisine transforms simple ingredients into something memorable.

7. Fish Molee

Fish Molee is another classic coastal dish and one that reflects Kerala's long history of international influences.

The fish is gently cooked in coconut milk with ginger, garlic, turmeric and green chillies, creating a curry that is fragrant rather than fiery.
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Many food historians believe the dish evolved within Kerala's Syrian Christian communities, whose cuisine developed through centuries of contact with traders from around the Indian Ocean.

8. Kerala Parotta

Flaky, layered and wonderfully indulgent, Kerala parotta is unlike the flatbreads many visitors know from North Indian restaurants.

Preparing a good parotta requires skill, with the dough stretched, folded and repeatedly layered before cooking.
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Watching experienced cooks prepare them can be almost as entertaining as eating them.

9. Dosa

Although associated with South India as a whole rather than Kerala specifically, dosa remains one of the region's defining dishes.

Made from fermented rice and lentil batter, it is cooked into a thin, crisp pancake and served with coconut chutney and sambar.
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Many travellers discover that South Indian breakfasts quickly become one of the highlights of their trip.

10. Masala Dosa

Perhaps the most famous variation, masala dosa includes a filling of lightly spiced potatoes.

While the dish originated in neighbouring Karnataka, it is widely available throughout Kerala and across South India.
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It's also an excellent choice for vegetarians seeking a filling meal while travelling.

11. Ven Pongal

Popular throughout Tamil Nadu, Ven Pongal combines rice and lentils with black pepper, cumin and ghee.

The result is a comforting dish often enjoyed for breakfast, particularly during cooler mornings in the hill stations of South India.

Its simplicity highlights an important aspect of South Indian cuisine, not every memorable dish relies on complex spices.

12. Pesarattu

Originating in Andhra Pradesh, pesarattu is a savoury pancake made from green gram rather than rice.
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The use of lentils gives it a distinctive flavour and texture, offering travellers another perspective on the remarkable variety found across South Indian cooking traditions.

13. Banana Chips

Few snacks are more closely associated with Kerala than banana chips.

Fresh batches are often fried in coconut oil at roadside shops and market stalls, filling the air with a distinctive aroma that many visitors come to associate with their journey through the state.
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They're ideal for long train journeys or road transfers between destinations.

14. Pazham Pori

Another favourite snack, Pazham Pori consists of ripe banana slices coated in batter and fried until golden.

It is particularly popular alongside afternoon tea and often appears in small cafés and tea shops throughout Kerala.
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Simple, sweet and satisfying, it demonstrates that some of the best food experiences are often the least complicated.

15. Semiya Payasam

No list of Kerala dishes would be complete without payasam.

Served during festivals, weddings and family celebrations, this traditional dessert comes in countless variations. Some use rice, others vermicelli or lentils, while ingredients such as jaggery, coconut milk, cardamom and cashew nuts add richness and flavour.

For many locals, no feast feels complete without it.

Where Travellers Encounter Kerala's Best Food

One of the joys of travelling through Kerala is is discovering how closely food is connected to place and that great food isn't confined to restaurants.

You might enjoy appam for breakfast in a heritage hotel in Kochi, sample freshly prepared fish on a houseboat in the backwaters, discover banana chips in a bustling market or share a Sadya with local families during a festival.

Many visitors find that some of their favourite meals are the unexpected ones, served in small cafés, homestays or family-run establishments far from the guidebooks serving recipes passed down through generations.
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This is one of the many advantages of travelling with knowledgeable local guides and experienced tour leaders who can help introduce you to authentic regional specialities.
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For many of our guests, these food experiences become every bit as memorable as the landscapes, wildlife and historic sites.

Darjeeling Tours guests enjoying a dinner served on banana leaves

If you're planning a visit, you may also enjoy our guides to:
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• Kerala Backwaters: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go
• Beyond the Crowds: Discovering the Unexplored Charms of Northern Kerala

Together they offer a fuller picture of what makes Kerala and South India such rewarding destinations to explore.

Discovering Kerala Through Its Food

Kerala's cuisine is as diverse as its landscapes and culture. From coconut-rich breakfasts and elaborate vegetarian feasts to fresh seafood caught in the backwaters, food offers one of the best ways to understand the culture and traditions of the region.

Whether you're cruising through the backwaters, exploring Kochi's historic streets or travelling into the lush hills of the Western Ghats, Kerala's cuisine is likely to become one of the most memorable parts of your journey.

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