8 Best Local Food in Kochi

Kochi- formerly known as Cochin, is the largest city in Kerala. Besides being famous for its historical influence, contemporary culture and traditional Kerala festivals, the cuisine of Kochi has its own charm. Although the fixation with sea food and coconuts and spices is quite real but the city has lot more to offer in terms of taste and food diversity. So, here is a list of best local food from kochi that will blow your mind but not your budget!

List of 8 best local food in Kochi

1. Pazham Pori and beef curry

If you have ever been to Kerala then it is impossible not to have heard about this famous dish. This dish of Kerala is an exclusive snack that is equivalent of Bhajjis. It is prepared with riped bananas and the bananas are coated with wheat flour and with authentic kochi spices.

You can find these fritters with mouth watering beef curry. Although this combination sounds unusual but is totally worth the hype and can be found in various street stalls in Kerala.

Best place to try- Sri Muruga Café

2. Kulukki sarbath

Kulukki means ‘shaking’ in Malayalam and sarbath means ‘juice’. It is a lemonade with a twist, as it transforms sour lemon juice into a sweet combination by adding sugar and water. The lemonade not only tastes sour and sweet but also spicy since it contains green chilli. The specialty of this local lemonade is that it is filled with khus-khus seeds and then shaken vigorously by the sellers. So, the people of Kochi proudly believe that Kulukki sarbath is their gift to the world.

Best place to try- Kulukki Thakka, Shaji Ikkas Kulukki Sarbath shop.

3. Beef vindaloo

Vindaloo is the one Indian curry that needs no introduction. This lip-smacking dish has a flavour like vinegar and is prepared by tenderly cooked meat in a spicy gravy. The dish can be prepared by any type of meat like prawns, fish or pork, since Indians usually avoid eating beef. The dish can be served with potatoes and basmati rice. Beef vindaloo can be found in a lot restaurants and street food shops in Kochi.

Best place to try- Binamma’s food gallery, oceanos restaurant and sri muruga café

4. Breudher

A trip to Kochi is incomplete without trying the tasty yeasted bread- Breudher. Breudher is a celebrated tea time snack which offers the taste of Kochi’s past as a Dutch colony. The dish is a hybrid between a bread and a cake which can be found in Sri Lanka and Singapore as well.

Best place to try- Quality Bakery at Pattalam Junction and Elite hotel

PS. We recommend you to eat this bread with delicious mutton kurma.

5. Ellum Kappayum

From Kappa biryani, tapioca biryani and even Asiad, Ellum Kappayum is one of the most famous and delicious street foods of Kerala. This delicious, one pot gourmet delight is made using cooked tapioca, meat, meat masala and spices. Although usually beef is chosen but it can be chicken, pork or fish according to your preference.

Ellum Kappayum is probably the world’s only biryani which is not made with rice! The dish sounds strange but it is a must have in Kochi.

6. Karimeen Pollichathu

Karimeen Pollichathu is a delicious fish fry which is soft from the inside and crispy from outside. This fish fry is a treat to your taste buds. The simple dish is prepared using pearl spot fish, curry leaves, lime juice, garlic, ginger, onions and different spices. Karimeen Pollichathu has lower calories as compared to any other fish recipe and can be prepared in under 30 minutes.

Do not miss this tasty fish fry that will definitely take your food experience up a notch with its delectable flavours.

Best place to try- Pearl spot seafood specialty restaurant and the Grand Pavillion at the Grand hotel.

7. Kerala Parotta and Beef fry

This delicacy is a pride to South Indian cuisine and Kerala Parotta originally comes from the Malabar region. This dish is a very popular non vegetarian recipe in the Malabar region. There are perhaps no Malayalis in the world that can resist the mouth-watering parotta and beef fry. Parotta is a layered flatbread that is made using refined flour and made perfectly to get those layers right.

So, whenever you are in Kochi do not miss this finger-licking and delicious Parotta with Beef fry.

Best place to try- Grand Pavillion at the Grand Hotel

8. Erachi Pathiri

Erachi in Malayalam means meat and it can vary from mutton to beef. It is a traditional Muslim dish and is a delicious, rich meat-filled pastry and is also known as Irachi Pathiri. The dish is quite popular throughout Kerala during Ramadan.

The meat stuffed rice bread is deep fried and then dipped in egg-milk mixture and then again deep fried. The dish is cooked with spices and then shredded using your hands. The dish is really yummy and is one of the main dishes on the Iftar menu.

Best Place to try- Ojeen the Taste of Malabar

The culture, history and cuisine of Kerala combine together to create a perfect vacation. So, be it breudher, kulukki sarbath or beef vindaloo- if you ever visit the city then do try these lip-smacking local food in Kochi. We guarantee that you will gain the experience of a lifetime!

If you love South Indian food then do read my other articles-

• 15 Best street food in Chennai
• 16 Best street food in Bangalore