Discovery of India Series – Kerala
At Masala Mantra we are always trying to provide you the best Indian food experience. We also would like to share about India its culture / its people / and their customs. Therefore, Discovery of India is a series of blogs that will focus on different states of India to give you a feel and flavor of the vitality of India. Understand, What to do out there? What to eat ? and what is the culture out there ?
In this blog we will focus on Kerala a state at the southern tip of India
Quick Facts
Kerala is one of India’s coolest states. It is called God’s own country for the sheer beauty of the landscape and the kindness of its people. It is one of the first stops for Tourism in India . The state has a mix of capitalism and socialism in place. Kerala is the second state in the World where people elected a communist government through a democratic process. Kerala has one of the best human development indicators in India.With high literacy rates, low infant mortality and excellent healthcare infrastructure the entire system has become a model in itself called the Kerala model.
Kerala’s place in History
Per the epic Mahabharata, Kerala is said to have been pulled out of the sea by Parasuraman a mighty warrior. As you can see below; the state was part of the famed spice route- spices to Europe started from the shores of Kerala. Vasco Da Gama who discovered the sea route to India landed in Calicut.
What to do when you get there
Where do you travel is always a great question? In a span of 100 miles, you can go from world class beaches, to the famed backwaters and on to Mountains. A best place to know more is the official Kerala government tourism website. First to start, we would recommend land in Kochi which has an international airport and from there head out to the backwaters of Kerala to stay in the Houseboat ( probably one of the best experiences in the World). Second, you can head out to the Tea gardens of Munnar and the Wildlife sanctuary of Thekkady where you can see elephants in the wild. Finally ,you can head down south to the sandy beaches of Varkala and Kovalam .
Canoe in the backwaters 
Hangout by the coolest beaches 
Take a Houseboat 
Munnar the famed Tea Gardens- best place to enact the Sound of Music 
People and Culture
The culture of Kerala comes from its beautiful history of tolerance for outsiders. It is a melting pot of various Hindu, Christian, Muslim and Jewish cultures . Onam, The harvest festival of Kerala, celebrated in the month of August or early September is a good festival to be a part of .Legend has it that an ancient king called Mahaballi comes to visit his subject every year. Malayalees around the world celebrate this festival to welcome the King from the past. Learn more about Onam in the video below.
What to Eat
Good Lord this place has one of the best cuisine on the planet. Spices have always played an integral part of Kerala’s history. The cuisine here caters to vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Let the flavors of Kerala past and future take you on a delightful journey. Scroll below to see the depth and breadth of Kerala cuisine.
No Kerala cuisine would be complete without talking about the Onam Sadhya – this is the biggest meal of the year and something every Malayalee cherishes and longs for.Served on a plantain leaf and eaten with the hand, the Sadya is the traditional Kerala feast. A three course meal, the sadya includes an amazing variety of around 40 vegetarian dishes. Crispy pappadams (wafer deep fried in coconut oil) and a variety of pickles accompany the sumptuous spread. The Sadya is rounded off with different varieties of payasams (sweet desserts).
To try out some of the dishes from Kerala do come to Masala Mantra. We have the Traditional Malabar fish curry and the Fish Molly. Our Masala Fry appetizers are inspired by the spices of Kerala. Do come in to try food from this amazing place at the nearest Indian restaurant near you.
Folks hope you enjoyed the read ! please do come and visit us or stop by for a take out. Thanks to our patrons support – Per TripAdvisor we recently have been rated the number 1 restaurant in Cape Coral. We look forward to serving you !
