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What Is Kerala’s Mappila Cuisine? From Irachi Pathiri To Thalassery Biryani, Try These 6 Mappila Dishes

This Malabar Muslim cuisine will leave you licking your fingers and a burst of flavours in your mouth!

by Ankita Mazumdar
What Is Kerala’s Mappila Cuisine? From Irachi Pathiri To Thalassery Biryani, Try These 6 Mappila Dishes

Embark on this culinary traditional journey of Kerala’s Mappila cuisine with some of the exquisite dishes that are prepared during the celebration of Eid. This delish cuisine is a yummy blend of Malabar cooking with influences from Middle Eastern cooking. Both these cuisines on their own are rich in mesmerising aromatic spices, meat options and seafood. Then imagine the pure bliss of enjoying the amalgamation of these cuisines! This Eid, you have to indulge yourself in Mappila cuisine.

What Is Mappila Cuisine?

Mappila cuisine belongs to the Muslim Community who immigrated to the Malabar Coast in Kerala. When cultures, traditions and food items converge, it becomes a gastronomical affair with a burst of flavours. Mappila Cuisine is exactly that! Muslims living on the Malabar Coast in Kerala tweaked Malabar food with a unique style of cooking and fusion of Middle Eastern procedures.

It also alludes to the fact that the trading system and its routes enabled the transportation of exotic spices and ingredients to travel between the Malabar coast and the Middle East. Hence, you will find strong flavours of spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coconut, meat like chicken, mutton, and b**f and seafood like fish, prawns and crab. It is curated with much love and tantalising flavour!

Indulge In 6 Yummylicious And Unique Mappila Dishes For This Eid

1. Irachi Pathiri

This dish originated from Kozhikode and is a much-loved dish prepared during Eid. Irachi Pathiri is a traditional spicy pancake of Mappila cuisine which is filled with minced spiced-up meat with onion, garlic, ginger, coriander and chillies. The outer layer is made with any flour even rawa. It is fried to a crispy perfection!

2. Thalassery Biryani

How could we not include a biryani dish? Another iconic dish of Mappila cuisine is layered with fragrant basmati rice, tender marinated chicken, caramelized onions and aromatic spices. It is then garnished with fried cashews and raisins.

3. Meen Mulakittathu

Meen Mulakittathu, a special red fish curry is an appetising Kerala dish. This dish is deemed crucial in almost every traditional occasion of Mappila. It has a bunch of strong spices like chilli, turmeric, fenugreek powder, coriander powder and mustard seeds. Tamarind and curry leaves add a nice kick to this dish.

Also Read: From Neer Dosa To Ghee Roast, Mangalorean Cuisine Made Its Place At Ambanis’s Jamnagar Bash

4. Mutta Surka

This dish in Mappila cuisine is a favourite breakfast served with a spicy chutney. It is made up of basic ingredients like rice flour and eggs into a deep-fried dish yet it is soft! Grated coconut is incorporated here and is a yummy food item.

5. Chatti Pathiri

Mappila Cuisine has another interesting version of crepe! Chatti Pathiri is a food item which is fondly eaten during iftar in Ramadan. It is a layered crepe cake filled with savoury and sweet stuffings. The savoury version has spiced-up shredded chicken inside the crepe. While the sweet version has fillings of mashed-up banana, eggs and grated coconut. Which one would you like to eat?

6. Mutta Mala

Last but not least, a classic dessert option of Mappila cuisine. This yummy dish is also prepared during every traditional festival. It is quite a difficult one as the preparation needs patience, practice and skill to master the art of Mutta Mala. The basic ingredients are eggs fried with hot sugar syrup with sugar, cardamom, ghee and water.

Also Read: Hailing From A Family Of Chefs, Chef Mohsin Qureshi Is Keeping Awadhi Cuisine Alive!

Mappila cuisine deserves all the hype and should be explored by people from all over the world, especially by someone who loves to gorge on spicy delicacies.

Cover Image Credits: Flickr

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