The gastronomic experience was one of the highlights of my time spent in Bekal. It is a small town located in Kasaragod and part of the coastal region of Malabar in Kerala. This is why I came across several dishes I had never seen before, as rice, coconut, and fruits like bananas, together with sugar, were featured numerous times in several forms in the local cuisine. 

While I could have ordered different local delicacies quickly, I preferred to try the dishes slowly and gradually. My experience with local cuisine felt good starting from breakfast and throughout the day.

Starting my mornings with puttu and kadala curry

Puttu and kadala curry was one of the first local breakfasts I tried. Puttu is made with rice flour and grated coconut, which are placed in layers and steamed. It had a soft texture and a light coconut taste.

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Kadala curry is made with black chickpeas, coconut and spices. It was rich enough to make the simple puttu more interesting, but it did not feel too heavy for breakfast. The two dishes worked so well together that I ordered them again later in my stay.

Many hotels in Bekal serve Kerala breakfast dishes, so I did not have to travel far to begin the day with something local.

Trying soft appam with vegetable stew

Appam was another breakfast I looked forward to. It is a thin rice pancake with a soft, slightly raised centre and a crisp edge. I liked tearing off small pieces and dipping them into vegetable stew.

The stew was made with vegetables, coconut milk and gentle spices. It had a creamy texture without being too rich. The mild flavour also made it a good choice on mornings when I wanted something simple.

I later tried idiyappam, which looks like fine noodles but is made from rice flour. It was steamed and served with vegetable curry. The thin strands absorbed the curry easily, making every bite full of flavour.

Discovering the simple comfort of pathiri

Pathiri is closely linked with Malabar cooking and soon became one of my favourite finds. It is a soft, thin flatbread made from rice flour. Its plain taste makes it easy to pair with different curries.

I tried it with a vegetable curry prepared with coconut and mild spices. The pathiri was light, soft and easy to eat. It was different from the wheat breads I usually order, and it showed me how important rice is in Malabar food.

The dish was not covered with too many ingredients or strong sauces. That simplicity was exactly what made it enjoyable.

Enjoying vegetables prepared the Kerala way

My lunches introduced me to several vegetable dishes. Avial included a mix of vegetables cooked with coconut and yoghurt. It was thick, mildly spiced and full of different textures.

Thoran was drier and usually made with finely chopped vegetables, grated coconut, and curry leaves. I tried versions prepared with cabbage and beans. Erissery was another comforting dish, made with vegetables, lentils and coconut.

These dishes were often served with rice, sambar, pickles, and pappadam. Ordering a local vegetarian meal allowed me to taste several small preparations together instead of choosing only one curry.

Making time for Malabar snacks

My afternoon tea usually came with something sweet. Pazham pori was the easiest snack to enjoy. Ripe banana slices were covered in batter and fried until golden. They were crisp outside and soft inside.

I also tried unnakkaya, a Malabar snack made with ripe banana. The banana mixture is shaped around a sweet filling that may include coconut, cashews and raisins. It was soft, sweet and more filling than I expected.

Unniyappam was another small treat made with rice flour, banana, coconut, and jaggery. Its mild sweetness made it a good match for tea.

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Some hotels in Bekal included local snacks on their menus, which gave me an easy way to try them between sightseeing plans.

Ending meals with ada pradhaman

The dessert I enjoyed most was ada pradhaman. It is made with soft rice ada, jaggery, and coconut milk, with cardamom adding a gentle flavour. It was rich and sweet, so a small serving was enough.

By the end of my holiday, Malabar food had become part of how I remembered Bekal. I arrived thinking mainly about the places I would see, but I left remembering breakfasts of puttu, soft pathiri, warm banana snacks, and bowls of ada pradhaman. Those local flavours made an already enjoyable holiday feel much more complete.