The descriptor ‘Indian doughnut’ which is commonly applied to uzhunnu vada can be misleading. For despite its shape, the delicacy is far from sweet. It’s a savory made by frying the fermented batter of lentils. A tea time snack, the uzhunnu vada is more about its texture- lightly hard on the outside and super-soft within, than its taste. Best enjoyed hot along, uzhunnu vada is common in many South Indian states, and ubiquitous in Kerala.

Like much of India, Kerala too boasts people with a special love for its curries- be they of the vegetarian or non-vegetarian persuasion. But of all the common curries that are made in the Kerala household, none is as popular as the sambar. A vegetarian all-starrer, a whole lot of ingredients from daal to drumsticks to tomatoes to potatoes to onions and more go into its making. It’s usually said you only need a well-prepared sambar and boiled rice to have a wholesome meal. And that’s largely true. Sambar is also a staple in the dishes of other South Indian states. However, the ingredients used vary from one state to another.

When too many things get mixed up in any scenario, Malayalis say it’s like ‘avial.’ And that’s because avial is a dish that has more number of vegetables mixed in than you could shake a stick at. Crarrots, drumsticks, pumpkin, raw bananas, green beans, ash gourd and snake gourd usually go into the preparation of this dish. But in many cases, your imagination is the limit when it comes to the ingredients. Healthy and having an understandably earthy taste, avial is typically served as a side dish to boiled rice.

Considered as a bigger variant of unni appa, this pancake-shaped delicacy is sweet but could be quite filling at the same time. Fried in clarified butter, it contains roasted coconut chunks, milk and jaggery as prime ingredients.

What kid wouldn’t like to break a snack into pieces and look through those pieces as though they were eye-pieces of binoculars? That probably explains the popularity of achappam among kids. The crispy snack is made by frying rice flour using a uniquely shaped mould.

The name Kerala is believed to have been derived from the word ‘kera’ meaning coconut. It’s only natural that in a land blessed with a proliferation of coconut palms, a large number of dishes would have parts of the coconut for its ingredients. But perhaps in no other dish does coconut get a starring role as in the coconut chutney. A simple paste-like concoction, it is typically served with soft breads like dosa and appam.

Among the sweetest traditional snacks of Kerala, this delicacy rich in jaggery is a gift of Malabar. Common across the Northern parts of the state, it’s a concoction enriched with mashed banana, grated coconut and cardamom among other ingredients. Too sweet? Perhaps. Unforgettable? Certainly!

Boiled tapioca is a dish the use of which goes back to Kerala’s agrarian roots. Rich in fiber and extremely nourishing, kappa as tapioca is called in Malayalam has been a staple of farmers’ diets for long. But that’s not to say it is savored only by those in the farming community. Easy to prepare, boiled tapioca is usually served with fish curry in households across the state.

A mix of jaggery and grated coconut is enwrapped in rice powder which in turn is partially wound inside a piece of banana leaf. The whole is then steamed until what’s within the leaf-wrap is fully cooked. As you may have guessed, the result is a sweet concoction. It’s another light snack that’s served with tea.

Popular especially during the Ramadan period when people have one to break their fast with, chatti pathiri is made using egg and flour. The filling could vary- usually including meat. A sprinkling of sesame seeds on the top makes this pastry a delectably crunchy bite.

Translated as ‘tiny bread’ unniyappam is deeply steeped in Kerala’s lore, with the snack even featuring in some folk tales. Mashed bananas and coconut pieces are the primary ingredients of this dark brown snack that’s as sweet as it is gentle to chew.

The name vattayappam means just ‘round bread.’ But there is more to this bread than what one may guess by the name. Easy on the palate, this white fluffy delicacy is an evening snack made of rice, coconut gratings and roasted cashews among other things. A taste which veers between the salty and the sweet, and infused with spices like cardamom, it’s a quirky delight.

In the land with no dearth of banana plantations, it’s no surprise that chips made of banana pieces are a huge hit. In fact, the snack is synonymous with Kerala- it being a famous export to other countries, and also other states within the country. Crispy and just the right mix of sweet and salty, this is a unique treat.

Golden-yellow is the color of this crisply fried delicacy which is commonly served along with tea. Ripe plantains are dipped in a dough-mix and fried until the outer envelope is a gentle crust through which you reach the sweeter inside.