page_title: Cuisine of Kerala
section_title: Christian cuisine
hierarchical_section_title: Cuisine of Kerala / Christian cuisine
caption_attribution_description: English: Kozhukatta is a steamed rice dumpling with coconut, jaggery and spices, prepared by Saint Thomas Christians especially on Kozhukatta Saturday of Lent.
context_page_description: The cuisine of Kerala, a state in the south of India, is linked to its history, geography, demography and culture. Kerala cuisine offers a multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry and red meat with rice a typical accompaniment. Chillies, curry leaves, coconut, mustard seeds, turmeric, tamarind, and asafoetida are all frequently used.
  Kerala is known as the "Land of Spices" because it traded spices with Europe as well as with many ancient civilizations with the oldest historical records of the Sumerians from 3000 BCE.
context_section_description: Christians especially Mar Thoma Nasranis(St Thomas Christians), of Kerala have their own cuisine. Particularly well-developed are the snacks and savouries of Christians such as "achappam" and "kuzhalappam". A favourite dish of Kerala Christians is "mappas", or chicken stew. For this dish, chicken, potatoes and onions are simmered gently in a creamy white sauce flavoured with black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, green chillies, lime juice, shallots and coconut milk. In Central Kerala this is made only with Beef or lamb, the usage of Chicken in stew is very rare. Lamb and duck can replace chicken in the stew recipe.
  Other dishes include piralen (chicken stir-fries), meat thoran (dry curry with shredded coconut), sardine and duck curries, and meen molee (spicy stewed fish). This is eaten with another dish known as appam. Appam, kallappam, or vellayappam are rice flour pancakes which have soft, thick white spongy centres and crisp, lace-like edges. "Meen Mulakittathu" or "Meen vevichathu" (fish in fiery red chilly sauce) is another favourite item.
  "Pidi", a type of rice dumplings in thick gravy, is a famous Christian delicacy. "Pidi" is paired best with chicken curry. 
  In addition to chicken and fish, Christians along with a section of Hindus and all Muslims in Kerala eat red meat. "Irachi ularthiathu" is a beef dish cooked with spices.
  Additionally among the Anglo Indian and Latin Communities, they have their own dishes in which we can see a lot of Portuguese influence.  Notable ones include Vindaloo( sometimes Vindali) which is a beef based red dish made with chillies and Vinegar. It has a goan counterpart with similar name. Vivinga is a coconut cake, made with wheat flour, coconut and spices. Popular across coastal regions of Ernakulam and Alapuzha. The millet and wheat based Lethiri which is similar to Idiyapam is also another major delicacy. Kappa biriyani is another delicacy among the Christians of Central kerala. Mainly among Christians of Coastal Ernakulam and Alapuzha, the black duck curry is one among the popular dishes. It is made with a liberal amount of black pepper and coconut milk with the accompaniment of pieces of big cuts of Duck meat.
caption: Kozhukkatta is prepared by Saint Thomas Christians on the Saturday prior to Palm Sunday and the day is hence called Kozhukatta Saturday.
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