A Simple One Day Meal Plan In Kerala Cuisine

Kerala cuisine is a rich tapestry of flavors, culture, and nourishment. Rooted in age-old traditions and blessed with tropical ingredients like coconut, rice, and spices, every meal reflects balance, taste, and wellness. If you’re planning a day with wholesome, comforting Kerala food, this simple one day meal plan in Kerala Cuisine, offers just that – authenticity, variety, and ease.

Breakfast (8:00 A.M.) – Appam with Vegetable Stew

Start your day with a gentle, soul-satisfying meal of Palappam/Vellayappam and Vegetable Stew. Appam, the soft and lacy rice pancake, is made from fermented rice batter.

Kerala Style Palappam | Traditional Palappam

In A Simple One Day Meal Plan in Kerala Cuisine, Palappam/Vellayappam pairs beautifully with stew cooked in coconut milk, spiced with pepper, curry leaves, and cloves. Vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and peas add both color and nutritionn

Palappam | Kerala Style Appam

Palappam, also known as Appam, is a soft and lacy pancake with a thin, crispy edge, a culinary masterpiece that originates from the southern regions of India, particularly Kerala.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Kerala

Servings 6 People

Ingredients

  

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• 2 Cups Raw rice
• 1 Cup Grated coconut
• 1/2 Cup Cooked rice
• 2 Tsp Sugar
• 1 Tsp Instant yeast
• Salt as required
• Water as required

Instructions

 

• Wash and soak 2 cups of rice in enough water for about 6 hours.
  
• Then drain the rice, add cooked rice and grated coconut.
  
• Now add instant yeast and salt as required. Mix well and grind till you get a smooth batter.
  
• Keep in a warm place and wait for the batter to ferment. After about 4 to 6 hours (depending on the humidity of the place you live in) the batter would have risen up. 
  
• To make the pancake, heat up the Palappam pan. Pour a ladle of batter in the center. Turn around the pan in a full circle so that it gets a unique shape. Reduce heat, cover with a lid and cook until done. The appam will have a fluffy center with many pores and a crispy edge around it. Serve with stew or egg curry or coconut milk. Enjoy.
  

Notes

You can visit this link Instant Rava Appam. You can also visit this link Spicy Egg Kuruma.

Keyword Kerala Style Appam, Palappam

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Vegetable Stew

This light yet nourishing breakfast is perfect for a healthy start, offering a mix of carbohydrates, fiber, and essential vitamins.

Tip: Serve with a cup of warm Sulaimani or fresh tender coconut water for a refreshing boost.

Kerala Vegetable Stew

Delicate, tasty and lightly spiced Kerala Vegetable Stew is an awesome vegetarian dish that tastes great with appam. Kerala Vegetable Stew is one of the easiest dishes you can prepare in a jiffy, with readymade coconut milk in store. Kerala Vegetable Stew is unique and special with a variety of nutritious colorful veggies blended with flavorful spices and coconut milk. Kerala Vegetable Stew is a great dish and serves as a wholesome and comfort food great in nutrients. You can explore a well detailed Kerala Vegetable Stew here.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Cuisine Kerala

Servings 5 people

Ingredients

  

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• 2 nos Potatoes
• 1 – Carrots
• 7 – Cauliflower florets
• 1 handful Green peas
• Soya chunks A few
• 1 no Onion thinly sliced
• 2 nos Bay leaves optional, Karuga/Vazhana ela
• 2 – Cloves optional, Grambu
• 5 – Peppercorns
• 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
• 2 tsp Coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds crushed, Perinjeerakam
• 6 – Green chillies slit
• Curry leaves As reqd
• 1/2 tsp Ginger paste
• 2 1/2 tsp Coconut milk powder 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 – Water
• Oil As reqd
• Salt As reqd

Instructions

 

• For preparing Kerala Vegetable Stew, first cut the vegetables into medium sized pieces.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add mustard seeds, peppercorns, bay leaves and cloves. Allow to splutter.
• Add sliced onion and fry till transparent.
• Add vegetables and stir for a while.
• Add coriander powder and fennel at this stage & keep stirring.
• Add green chillies, ginger paste and curry leaves.
• Add salt and keep stirring for a while.
• Add half cup water and cook the vegetables.
• :- Add more water if reqd.
• Simmer gas and add coconut milk at end.
• Kerala Vegetable Stew is ready.

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Lunch (1:00 P.M.) – Rice with Sambar and Fish Curry

For lunch, in A Simple One Day Meal Plan, enjoy a traditional Kerala meal that’s both homely and hearty. The typical spread includes:

Matta rice – rich in fiber and full-bodied flavor

Sambar or Pulissery – tangy and packed with vegetables

Sambar

Fish Curry – made with coconut milk, tamarind, and aromatic spices

Kerala Style Sambar

Tasty Palakkadan sambar with coconut

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Cuisine Kerala

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

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• 1 cup Red gram Thuvaraparippu
• 7 nos Drumsticks cut into 2″ pieces, Muringakkai
• 2 nos Tomato cut into medium sized pieces
• 1 no Onion sliced
• 2 nos Green chillies sliced
• 1 cup Grated coconut
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 2 tsp Chilly powder
• 2 tsp Coriander powder
• 1 cm Asafoetida Kayam
• 1 tsp Black gram Uzhunnuparippu
• 1 tsp Bengal gram Kadalaparippu
• 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds Uluva
• 1 lemon Tamarind Puli
• 20 nos Curry leaves
• 1/4 cup Coriander leaves
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 2 nos Dry red chillies Kollamulaku
• 6 tsp Oil
• Salt As reqd

Instructions

 

• Soak Thuvaraparippu overnight or for 2 hrs in hot water.
• Heat 1 tsp of oil in a fry pan.
• Fry asafoetida cube, till it turns brown. Remove it from oil.
• Add 1 more tsp of oil into the pan.
• Add bengal gram, black gram, fenugreek seeds and 10 curry leaves into it.
• Add coconut, into the gram mix and stirr well careful not to burn the grams, till coconut turns golden brown. Remove it from the pan.
• Into the same pan add coriander powder and then chilli powder. Reduce the flame and stirr until the raw smell leaves, carefully not to burn the powders. Grind the fried coconut and powders into a fine paste.
• Heat 2 tsp of oil in the pan.
• Fry onions and green chillies, till the raw smell leaves.
• Boil dal with turmeric and tomato.
• When dal is half cooked, add drumsticks, onions and green chillies.
• Soak tamarind in a cup of water and filter.
• Add the ground coconut paste and tamarind to the dal mixture.
• Allow it to boil well.
• Add salt to taste.
• Heat 2 tsp of oil in another fry pan.
• Splutter mustard seeds and saute dry chillies and rest of the curry leaves.
• Add the above seasoning into the cooked sambar.
• Add finely chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
• :- Serve hot with rice, idli or dosa.

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Fish Curry

Thoran – a dry stir-fried vegetable dish with coconut

Kerala Style Fish Curry

Naadan meen curry

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Cuisine Kerala

Servings 3 people

Ingredients

  

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• ½ kg Fish
• ½ inch Ginger
• Curry Leaves As reqd
• 3 nos Tamarind
• 1 tbsp Chilli Powder
• ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
• ½ tsp Coriander powder
• ½ tsp Fenugreek
• 1 tsp Mustard
• Salt As reqd

Instructions

 

• Heat water and add chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and tamarind. Make a nice paste and keep aside.
  
• Heat oil and add fenugreek and mustard.
  
• Add onion, ginger and curry leaves.
  
• Add the paste to this.
  
• Add water and after the water boils add fish to it.
• Cover it and cook on low flame till the fish is done.
• :- Fish curry is ready to be served with hot rice.

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Cabbage Thoran

Pappadam, curd, and pickle – for crunch, balance, and digestion

This meal delivers a balanced blend of carbs, protein, healthy fats, and probiotics – ideal for mid-day sustenance.

Optional: Include Mezhukkupuratti or a fried fish for a non-vegetarian twist.

Traditional Kerala Cabbage Thoran

This thoran we can see in kerala sadyas ,0nam and marriage sadyas

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Cuisine Kerala

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  

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• 1 Cabbage chopped
• 1/2 cup Coconut grated
• 2 Onion
• 1 tsp Mustard
• 3 Green chilly
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 5 Curry leaves
• 1 tsp Coconut oil
• 1 tsp Urad dal
• 3 Dry red chilly
• 1 tsp Salt

Instructions

 

• Wash and chop cabbage into pieces.
  
• Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds.When mustard’s splutter add urad dal,red chilly and curry leaves.
  
• Then add chopped cabbages stir for 2 minutes.
  
• Grind coconut,cumin seeds,onion and green chilly in a mixer.
  
• Add this ground coconut mix to cabbage.Add salt stir for 2 minutes.
  
• Close the lid of kadai and cook for 2 minutes in a low flame.
  
• Now cabbage thoran is ready to serve with hot rice.
  

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Evening Snack – Light Bites with Kerala Tea

Evenings are best enjoyed with a cup of Kerala chaya (tea) and a small snack. Choose from:

Uzhunnu Vada – crispy and savory lentil fritters

Uzhunnu Vada

Medu Vada | Uzhunnu Vada | Sambar Vada

Medu Vada is an iconic dish, beloved for its crispy exterior and soft, flavorful interior. It holds a special place in the culinary tapestry of India.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups Urad dal Wash and soaked for 2 hours
• 3 tbsp Rice flour
• Curry leaves Chopped
• 1 small piece Ginger  Chopped
• 2 nos. Green chilly Chopped
• 1 tsp Sambar powder
• 1/2 tsp Crushed pepper
• Salt as reqd
• Oil for frying

Instructions

 

• Begin to grind or blend the soaked urad dal to a smooth batter. The batter should be fluffy and thick. You can grind in two batches or one lot depending on the capacity and size of your blender or mixer-grinder. Scrape down the sides of the blender as you got to ensure all the lentils gets blended to a uniform consistency. Remove the batter into a big bowl or vessel. Then add 3 tbsp roasted rice flour and briskly whip with a spatula, spoon or a wired whisk for 2 to 3 minutes. Then the batter is kept to ferment overnight or for 5-6 hours.
  
• Measure and keep all the ingredients ready for making the batter. To the batter, add the spices and herbs(curry leaves, pepper, sambar powder, onion and ginger). Add salt as required and mix it well.
  
• Take a bowl of water. Apply some water from the bowl on both your palms. Take some batter in your right palm from the bowl. Give it a round shape by moving it in a circular position in the right hand. With your thumb make a hole in the center. You can also use banana leaves or zip lock bags to give the medu vada its doughnut shape.
  
• In a kadai, heat oil over medium heat. Once the oil becomes hot, slide the medu vada gently into the hot oil. Fry the medhu vadai till crisp and golden. Once the medhu vadai is crisp and golden, then remove with a slotted spoon to drain the extra oil. Fry the rest of vadai in the same manner.
  
• Serve Medu Vada or Uzhunnu Vada hot or warm with sambar and coconut chutney. Enjoy!
  

Keyword Medu Vada, Sambar Vada, Uzhunnu Vada

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Pazham Pori – sweet banana fritters

Pazham Pori

Kerala Pazham Pori

Banana Fry – Kerala Pazham Pori

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Cuisine Kerala

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

  

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• 4 nos Banana Ethakkai or Nenthra pazham
• Allpurpose flour(Maida)
• 2 tsp Sugar
• Turmeric powder A pinch
• Oil for deep frying

Instructions

 

• Mix together maida, tumeric, sugar and water to make a thick batter.
• Slice the bananas vertically into thin pieces.
• :- If the bananas are very big, u can cut it into 2 pieces first and then cut it vertically into thin pieces.
• Dip the slices of banana in the batter and coat it very well with it.
• Heat oil in a deep-fry pan.
• Put the slices and fry both sides, till it is fried well.
• Keep them on kitchen tissue paper to remove excess oil.

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Aval Nanachathu – flattened rice sweetened with jaggery and coconut

Aval Nanachathu

These bites bring back the nostalgic taste of Kerala homes, perfect for monsoon evenings or sunny conversations.

Aval Nanachathu

Tasty Aval nanachathu with cashew and coconut

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Snack

Cuisine Kerala

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

  

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• 2 glass Broken rice Aval/Poha
• 1 small Jaggery Sharkkara
• 1/2 of Coconut
• 1 – Cardamom powdered form, Elakka
• 2 small Salt
• 50 gm Cashews optional
• 1 pinch Saffron optional
• 1/4 cup Water

Instructions

 

• Mix all the ingredients together and keep it for an hour.
• :- Serve.

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Dinner (8:00 P.M.) – Puttu with Kadala Curry

Wrap up your day with Puttu and Kadala Curry – a simple yet filling combination. Puttu, a steamed rice flour and coconut cake, is paired with black chickpea curry rich in protein, flavored with onions, tomatoes, and spices.

Puttu

Cooked Rice Puttu | Soft Puttu Using Frozen Cooked Rice ( Choru Puttu )

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Kerala

Ingredients

  

• 3 Cups Cooked rice
• 1/4 -1/2 Cup Rice flour/puttupodi
• As required Salt
• 1 Cup Grated Coconut

Instructions

 

• Keep the leftover cooked rice in the freezer for about 6-7 hours or overnight. Then take the frozen rice and keep it outside for few hours. While keeping the rice outside, you can also add some water.
  
• Squeeze out the water from the rice using your hands and put it into a mixer jar.
  
• Powder/grind it to a smooth powdered form using a mixie (the mixture will look like rice flour).
  
• Add little puttupodi and salt to this and mix well with hand without any lumps. No need to add extra water.
  
• Take a puttu maker and layer it with grated coconut first, then add the rice flour and then a layer of grated coconut. Repeat the process till the puttu maker is filled. Fill pressure cooker/ puttu kudam with 3-4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Place the puttu maker on top of it and steam cook for 5-7 minutes or until the steam starts coming out from the top of puttu maker.
• Remove it to a plate.
  
• Serve this hot soft puttu with kadala curry / potato curry / banana or any spicy curry of your choice.
  

Notes

You can visit this link Soft Wheat Puttu. You can also visit this link Banana Puttu.

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Kadala Curry

Alternatively, a comforting bowl of Kanji (rice porridge) with Payar (green gram) and Chamandi (coconut chutney) can make dinner even lighter, ideal for monsoon nights or Ayurvedic routines.

Easy Traditional Kadala Curry

this is a very easy method of making kadala curry.We can Eat this with puttu,appam,rice and chappathi.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Cuisine Kerala

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  

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• 1 cup Kabul Channa
• 2 Tomato
• 6 Curry leaf
• 1 spoon Salt
• 2 Onion
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
• 1 spoon Chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Gram masala
• 1 tsp Oil
• 1 tsp Mustard
• 2 Red chilly

Instructions

 

• Soak kabuli channa for 6 hours.
  
• pressure cook it with enough water till it is soft.
  
• Now cooked Channa is ready .This we have to keep aside.
  
• Heat oil in a kadai add onions and fry 2 minutes . Then add tomatoes, chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and gram masala and fry for 2 minutes..
  
• Cook till the raw smell goes . Stir well till tomato bllends well.. Now fried masala is ready.Keep it aside.
  
• Add 1 spoon of fried masala to boiled Channa and mix , blend all together.
• Add salt also.
  
• Grind balance masala and 2 spoon channa in a mixer.
  
• Grind as a nice paste.
  
• Add this ground paste to cooked channa masala boil for 2 minutes.
  
• Heat oil in a kadai and add 1 tsp mustard,red chilly and curry leaves
  
• Add this temperament to Channa masala.
  
• Boil for 2 minutes.Now easy traditional kadala curry to serve
  

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Embrace Kerala’s Culinary Wisdom

This simple one-day Kerala meal plan showcases not just taste, but also the state’s deep-rooted food philosophy – local, seasonal, balanced. With each meal designed to nourish body and soul, it’s the perfect way to enjoy authentic Kerala cuisine while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.