Must try cuisines while visiting Kerala

Traditional meal "Sadya"

Like most Indian festivals, Onam is typically celebrated with Sadya, consisting of at least six courses.

So much so that a proverb in Malayalam on the harvest festival goes ”kaanam vittum onam unnanam.” It means a man must host a sadya—or a grand vegetarian lunch banquet—even if he is forced to sell his property.

The sadya, which is served on a banana leaf and relished best without the use of cutlery, is historically known to have included 60 dishes.

But even today, sadya cooked in most households in the south Indian state includes around 30 different items. The meal is served in a strict order, which can vary from one region to another, and sometimes even from family to family.

Sadya is considered as a special cuisine of Kerala,

Nadan fish curry

A must try dish while visiting kerala, You can find different types of fish curries and fries available in most restaurants. If you visit Kochi or Alappey you can purchase fresh fish and they prepare it exclusively for you, you can watch the preparations in live.

Porotta beef curry

Porotta with beef curry is the best combination ever.A parotta, porotta or barotta is a layered flatbread, originating from the Indian subcontinent, made from maida flour, popular in Southern India. It is a common street food in southern India, especially in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the neighboring country of Sri Lanka.

Idiyappam putt AppamAll these delicious foods are made of Rice.These mouthwatering foods are common breakfast items of Kerala

Eriseri

Eriseri is a special blend of pumpkin and vanpayar along with a various ingredients. This is a pure south Indian dish which you will enjoy obviously.It is a main dish of Onam and Onasadhya. 

Aviyal 

Aviyal is a dish which is believed to have been originated from South India and is common in Kerala and Udupi cuisine. It is a thick mixture of vegetables and coconut, seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves. Avial is considered an essential part of the Sadya, the Keralite vegetarian feast.

Malabar biriyani

The famed Malabar Chicken Biryani is made by layering an aromatic and chicken masala with fluffy rice, crunchy fried onions , nuts, dried fruits and ghee in a large pot. This is then sealed and cooked slowly in steam (dum method) to get this incredibly aromatic and toothsome chicken biryani that is quite literally the stuff of legends. 

Kozhikode Halwa 

If you have been to Kozhikode, you must have had the quintessential sweet Kozhikode Halwa! The sweet is so famous that it has become synonymous with the place. Even though Halwa is a popular dish across India and the Middle East, Kozhikode Halwa stands apart from all the varieties you would ever get elsewhere.

Varieties of Payasam : 

Parippu payasam 

Parippu payasam – Enjoy a healthy dessert experience with this sweet pudding featuring nutritious green gram, jaggery and the goodness of coconut milk. The classic pairing of jaggery and lentils makes this a “special occasion” dessert, and most of all, totally addictive. 

Semiya payasam

Semiya payasam or vermicelli pudding – Simple ingredients – vermicelli, milk and sugar- turned into mouthwatering and divine dessert. The ground cardamom clearly gives this pudding an incredible kick of flavor and taste. Your friends and family will go nuts for it!

Paal payasam

Paal payasam is an easy midweek treat, and a delicious way to end your meal. There’s a multitude of ways to make rice pudding, but you can’t beat this South Indian version requiring only three ingredients – rice, milk and sugar. Garnish with pistachios and glaced cherries for a stunning pop of color.

Ada Pradhaman

Ada Pradhaman is a popular Kerala sweet made during Onam and served at the end of the Onam Sadya.Its made of raw rice, sugar, coconut, jaggery and ghee.

Ooty, the queen of hill stations.

Ooty..

Ooty, also known as Udhagamandalam, is a hill station in the state of Tamil Nadu, in southern India. Surrounded by trees, central Ooty Lake is a huge artificial expanse of water with pleasure boats. On the slopes of nearby Elk Hill, the Rose Garden is home to over 2,000 varieties of roses. The Government Botanical Garden, created in the 19th century, features ferns, orchids and a prehistoric, fossilized tree.

Must see places in Ooty:

Ooty boat house

 The Ooty Lake is the pride of the Blue Hills. It is the central and strategic attraction.  The Ooty lake which extends to an area of 65 acres. Earlier the entire lake was used for fishing.The boat house, which adjoins the lake was opened by theTamil nadu tourism development corporation.Boating is the prime attraction at the lake. The boat house offers boating facilities with Paddle boats, row boats and peddle boats. It also features a garden, a mini train and an amusement park.

Rose garden

Situated in the heart of Ooty town, this garden has been beautifully laid out in terraces with rose tunnels, pergolas and bowers with rose creepers. Today this garden has the largest collections of roses in the country like Hybrid Tea Roses, miniature rose, Floribunda, Ramblers, roses of unusual colours like black and green are some of the more than 3,000 varieties of roses that will captivate your senses. The Rose Garden is situated in slopes of the Elk Hill.The ‘Nila Maadam’ is located in a spot from where viewers can see the entire rose garden. This garden is maintained by Tamil Nadu Horticulture Department. It has also received the award of Excellence for the best rose garden in entire south Asia from the International Rose society in 2006.

Nilgiri mountain railway

The Toy Train, also known as Nilgiri Mountain Railway Toy Train, is the key attraction of the popular hill station Ooty. The Toy Train covers a distance of total 46 km in a span of 5 hours and takes one through a truly spectacular journey filled with picturesque views en route. It was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2005.Weaving amidst the forests, dark snaking tunnels, sharp bends and amid the mist and fog, the Toy Train is a spectacular trip up and down the slopes with birds and trees dancing along. As the train passes through the stunning gorge, the dancing sunlight above and dream-like drizzling makes it the experience of a lifetime. Apart from offering a beautiful journey, the uniqueness of the trip lies in the fact that the rail system is the steepest in Asia and worth a visit. The ride `starts from Mettupalayam; a small place on river Bhavani. The first 5 miles are plain, but in the next 12 miles engine pushes the coaches upwards to a height of 4363 feet. Covering Mettupalayam, Kellar, Coonoor, Wellington, Lovedale and Ootacamund on its way, this is the best means to discover the pristine treasures of the Nilgiris.

Avalanche lake

Avalanche Lake Ooty makes the perfect setting for a family, adventure package.You find large varieties of flowers, like magnolias and rhododendrons blooming on all sides of the lake. If you are interested in spending the night there, take a tent with you as you have provisions for pitching tents there. The lake is available for fishing and nearby the lake itself you have a trout hatchery, from where you can get fishing rods and other essentials you require.

The mountains surrounding the avalanche lake are wonderful trekking spots and you can do a little bit of exploration of your own.The best time to visit the lake would be just after the monsoon when all the surrounding land will be blooming with flowers. Be sure to take warm clothes while going there as the climate is bound to get chilly and early morning dew is also very high.y. A perfect hang out during the daytime, you can set up a camp site and cook the fish you caught and then enjoy the night in the tent with your family.

Ooty view point

Situated at an altitude of 2,240 m in the Western Ghats. Ooty has picturesque natural landscape that allures the nature lovers from all across the globe.  this charming hill station also has a significant number of vantage points. From these viewpoints one can get picturesque postcard views of Ooty landscape..

Pykara

 Pykara is a popular getaway that is at a distance of about 20 kilometres from Ooty, in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu, India. The Pykara village, along with a beautiful river by the same name, also houses a dam and a power plant. Because of the construction of the dam, the backwaters have formed an enormous lake, which is now known as the Pykara Lake and has become a significant tourist attraction that is visited by large numbers of people all year round. It has everything that a person on vacation can ask for, right from ambience and comfort to scenic beauty. Nature lovers, photographers and adventure seekers should definitely not miss out on this unique and fun-filled place.

Emerald lake

This lake is located in a region called Silent valley, The lake is an important tourist and picnic spot in the region.The lake is famous for a variety of fish in the lake and birds in the locale. It is also notable for the scenic sun rise and sun set views near the lake. The lake is surrounded by tea plantations where visitors can buy tea products.

Krishna's butterball

Only those with nerves of steel dare stand under this teetering 250-ton rock in India that perches precariously on a hill. The Krishna’s Butter Ball or Vaanirai Kal (Stone of the Sky God), as it is known to locals, has been sitting on a 45-degree slope in Mahabalipuram for over 1,300 years.The 20ft rock appears to defy gravity, looking like it's going to roll at any moment - and all attempts to move it have been in vain.

Mukruthi national park

Mukurthi National Park is a beautiful place, located in the Nilgiris district of the state of Tamil Nadu. The park was previously known as Nilgiri Tahr National Park.
It was declare as a National Park in the year of 1990. Total area of the park is about 78.46 Km2. The park is characterized by montane grasslands and shrublands interspersed with sholas in a high altitude area of high rainfall, near-freezing temperatures and high winds. Major attraction of the park is Nilgiri thar. The area contains a viable population of Nilgiri Thar. Besides that Sambhar, barking deer, Nilgiri marten, otter, jungle cat, jackals etc. are the commonly found animals.The bird species includes Laughing and whistling thrushes, woodcock, wild pigeon and black eagle etc.

Getting there 

By Air. Approximately 88 kilometres away, Coimbatore is the nearest domestic airport from Ooty which is well-connected with most of the Indian cities.

By Bus. Ooty is a major tourist attraction of South India.You will get both government and luxury buses from Bangalore, Mysore and Chennai to Ooty. These are overnight buses and the journey is quite comfortable.

By Train. The nearest rail head is Mettupalyam, 40 kilometres from Ooty. 

Road/Self Drive. The best part of a road trip to Ooty is that you drive through the reserve forest area and stunning scenery, and that surely is some experience. Look out for elephants on this stretch!

Travel tips : 

• If you are travelling by road, make sure you drive slow, as that roads are curving and you may fail to notice animals passing by.

• Dont forget to book your Nilgiri Mountain Railway (toy train) tickets well in advance through online.

• Visit tea factory and try delicious cuisines of Ooty.

• Carry enough woolen clothes as the temperature may falls down .

• Dont forget to purchase home made chocolates and spices.

Timings and season : 

Ooty is a year-round destination, but the ideal time to visit is between the months of April to June and September to November.

March to June: These months constitute the summer season in Ooty. The weather during this time period is generally pleasant as you can venture out for day sightseeing and other tourist activities. The average temperature during summers does not rise beyond 20 degree Celsius. 

July to September: These months constitute the monsoon season in Ooty. The town receives heavy rainfall and this might disrupt the routine day sightseeing activity for some of you. However, nature lovers would love the scenic beauty that embraces Ooty after the rain showers which is worth clicking many pictures. 

October to February: During the month of October, the chilly wind enters the town but the overall day temperature is cool and good for sightseeing. November to February constitute the winter season in Ooty. Many couples visit Ooty during the winter season. Sometimes, the temperature can go below 5 degree Celsius also. Note that the nights in January and February are the coldest.