Taste the Flavors of Kerala: Must-Try Street Foods in Munnar

Munnar, in the heart of Kerala, is a cozy foodie's paradise tucked within the Western Ghats. Its bustling street foods are a testament to its wealthy cultural heritage. You shouldn't miss out on treats like the robust Kappa with Meen Curry, subtly spiced Appam paired with Stew, wholesome Puttu alongside Kadala Curry, delicately wrapped Ela Ada, crispy Thattu Dosa, and sweetly satisfying Banana Fritters - a blend of distinctive tastes and feel in every bite.

The place is wedged amidst the Western Ghats of India and it has tea gardens covered with mist. It is a serene location. Even so, Munnar is not only an abode for nature enthusiasts but also an asylum for gourmets. The lively street food scene of Munnar features a variety of flavors and textures that reflect the diverse culinary heritage of the land of kerala. Here are ten must-try street foods that you shouldn't miss when visiting this picturesque hill station.

1. Kappa and Meen Curry

Kappa and meen curry is a regular roadside food in Munnar: It's a typical Kerala dish . The boiled tapioca creates a starchy base for the hot fish curry which can be quite tangy or spicy depending on what part of the coast it comes from. This combination contains different tastes as well as textures actualizing Malabar coastal cuisine right at the heart of hills.

2. Appam with Stew

Appam and stew is eaten for breakfast mostly in Munnar. These pancakes can be described as soft and spongy as they are made from fermented rice flour batter mixed with coconut milk. They make a perfect match to stew whether meat based or vegetables based having coconut milk as one of its ingredients. There results in an ideal blend between these two given that appams have a slight sour taste while stew itself is palatable.

3. Puttu and Kadala Curry

Puttu layered with grated coconut that looks like cylindrical steamed rice cake represents traditional breakfast's favorite snack among people living in Kerala. When served together with Kadala curry , it makes a nutritious filling meal because black chickpea gives your body strength though kadala curry appears to be very spicy but rather not as much as expected to be. The juxtaposition of fluffy puttu and the robust kadala curry is what makes this dish interesting to eat.

4. Thattu Dosa

Thattu dosa is a small thick variety of its typical version accompanied by numerous kinds of chutneys and sambar unlike crispy ones we know Whereas normal dosas are crispy; thattu dosa has soft spongy texture hence absorbing other flavors around it. It can be served with spicy chutneys that make each bite fiery since it's sold by street vendors.

5. Ela Ada

Ela ada is a sweet that is formed when rice flour dough, stuffed with grated coconut and jaggery, is wrapped in banana leaf and steamed. As the name suggests, these sweets smell like the leaves on which they are cooked. This traditional snack often serves as an accompaniment for a cuppa chai in the evening time.

6. Banana Fritters (Pazham Pori)

Kerala cuisine cannot fail to have Pazham pori meaning banana fritters in English which definitely count among popular roadside snacks. Ripe bananas are dipped into a mixture made from sweetened rice flour before being fried until they become golden brown. The result is a combination of hard crusty external surface and soft sugary flesh inside them. These fritters are usually eaten during monsoon seasons thus serving as a warm delicacy during this period.

7. Parotta and Beef Fry

Parotta which happens to be an oil flatbread with flaky layers is one of those favorite foods bought along roadsides whereas beef fry here refers to Indian beef dishes. Kerala parottas made up of several thin layers accompanied with spicy beef fry serve as good food available on streets today. Paratha has buttery flaky layers complementing well spiced beef fry cooked using spice blends containing curry leaves as ingredients Amongst non vegetarian dishes, it is surely going to make you wish for more.

8. Idiyappam with Egg Curry

String hoppers, popularly known as idiyappam have a light and fluffy texture when steamed. They are usually served with an egg curry which is rich and spicy. A combination of idiyappam's soft texture and the strong flavors in the egg curry make it a favorite breakfast or dinner meal.

9. Unniyappam

Unniyappam is a traditional Kerala snack made from rice, jaggery, banana and coconut deep fried to a dark brown shade. These sweet pancakes are crispy outside but tender inside owing to their notable taste that comes from adding cardamom and sesame seeds on them. It is mostly eaten as an evening snack along with tea.

10. Karimeen Pollichathu

Karimeen Pollichathu is one of the traditional dishes made using Pearl Spot fish that consists of marinating it in a spice mixture, wrapping it in banana leaves and having it grilled until well done. This method preserves the juiciness of the fish while making it smoky flavored which makes for a very moist yet succulent end product. The distinct smell from the spices used together with a banana leaf only confirms how Kerala culinary art is reflected in this dish.

Conclusion

The fact that Munnar has street food that represents its rich culinary history can be verified by looking at its streets' restaurants menu cards. The different types of savory stuffing they use will leave one talking about these foods every time he or she goes back home because they offer such intense flavors for his/her mouth to forget easily any time soon. Make sure you have these ten must try street foods while walking down Munnar's winding paths so as not to be left out from experiencing some local culture through your palate before you head back to wherever you came from.