Kumarakom persuaded me to avoid planning every minute and savour my surroundings. The village offers a slow pace of life that makes taking a leisurely breakfast and lunch seem completely appropriate. The food quickly became one of the highlights of my trip. The food is comforting, and the use of coconut, rice, vegetables, and spices adds individuality to each meal.
Breakfasts cooked using rice and coconut
My mornings usually began with dishes made from rice, a staple that appears in several forms across Kerala. Appam quickly became a favourite. Its soft centre and lightly crisp edge worked beautifully with a gently spiced vegetable stew prepared with coconut milk. The combination was mild, filling, and ideal before a morning near the lake.
I also tried puttu, made by steaming layers of rice flour and grated coconut. It was served with kadala curry, a black chickpea preparation seasoned with spices and curry leaves. Another simple option was idiyappam, or delicate rice noodles, which absorbed curries without feeling heavy.
Choosing among the many hotels in Kumarakom also made it easier to find breakfast menus featuring these local staples rather than relying only on familiar café food.
The everyday appeal of thoran and avial
Lunch showed me how incredibly diverse Kerala cuisine could be when it comes to using vegetables. One dish that I ordered a lot was the Thoran. In this dish, finely cut vegetables are cooked together with coconut, curry leaves, and some seasoning. The result is a dry side dish with lots of texture. I enjoyed it with different kinds of veggies like cabbage, beans, and beets.
Avial was memorable as well. This dish contains several kinds of vegetables in a thick coconut-based mix, usually finished off with curry leaves and coconut oil. What I liked the most in this dish was that no single vegetable overpowered the plate. With this dish, each bite was different. The dish was tied together with yoghurt and coconut.
Olan was also nice. It is a delicate dish usually made with pumpkin, beans, and coconut milk. This dish served as a welcome break from sharper pickles and stronger curries that were part of the meal.
Read More: Why Online Food Delivery in Trains Is Changing the Travel Experience in India
Learning to enjoy a proper sadya
The most informative meal I had was a vegetarian sadya served on a banana leaf. Rice sat at the centre, accompanied by dishes such as parippu, sambar, avial, thoran, olan, pachadi and pickles.
I initially had no idea which item to taste first, but that became part of the experience. Some dishes were tangy, some creamy, some mildly sweet, and others noticeably spiced. Pappadam added crunch, while banana chips were easy to snack on between mouthfuls.
The meal also made me appreciate balance. Coconut appeared in different forms, like grated, ground into pastes or used as milk. Curry leaves, mustard seeds, chillies, tamarind and yoghurt then changed the direction of each dish.
Snacks and Kerala desserts worth making time for
Taking it slow in Kumarakom allowed me to enjoy tea-time treats. I indulged in some pazham pori, or bananas deep fried in batter, and loved its sweet and soft texture. I also tried vattayappam, a steamed rice cake known for its subtle taste.
To satisfy my sweet tooth, I tasted ada pradhaman, a type of Kerala payasam made with rice ada, coconut milk, and jaggery. The dish was rich but not overly sweet, which made it enjoyable. I also tasted pal payasam, rice pudding made with milk, which had a creamy, comforting taste.
I was able to find hotels in Kumarakom that offered some local snacks and desserts on their menus, so I had ways to enjoy the local delicacies without going to the trouble of venturing out.
What Kumarakom taught me about Kerala food?
My meals in Kumarakom were not complicated, and that was exactly their appeal. Breakfasts were satisfying without being heavy, vegetable dishes were carefully seasoned, and even an elaborate sadya relied on everyday ingredients used thoughtfully.
Read More: What Separates Standard Aircraft Cabins from Mission-Critical Interiors?
By eating slowly, I noticed details I might otherwise have missed. These were the fragrance of curry leaves, the difference between grated coconut and coconut milk, and the way a sharp pickle could brighten an entire plate. Kumarakom gave me more than a list of dishes to remember. It showed me that Kerala food is best enjoyed with time, curiosity and a willingness to taste a little of everything.
