Kerala Culinary Trails

Take a boat to Philipkutty's Farm, an exclusive homestay located on a small farm island on the Vembanad Lake. The farm is run by a local family and offers a rare opportunity to enjoy the true Kerala experience while getting to know the people who live and work here. Meals at Philipkutty’s are a family affair; using mostly local ingredients, dishes are home cooked and some, if not all, of the resident family, join guests for dinner each evening. The predominantly Syrian Christian fare has strong backwater elements, with touches of family tradition. Cooking classes are also offered – some of the sample dishes taught include appam (hoppers of fermented rice batter and coconut milk), chicken stew, duck curry and roast, iddi appam (string hoppers), Kerala fish curry, vegetable thoran, chutneys, and traditional desserts. After lunch, drop back at the Coconut Lagoon. Dinner and overnight at the Coconut lagoon.

Morning, drive to the Mundackal Plantation Bungalow at Kothamangalam and spend the afternoon at leisure in a 100-year old estate bungalow homestead set in over 100 acres of multi-crop plantation. Apart from exploring the estate, you could also participate in cookery demonstrations of authentic Kerala cuisine conducted by the hostess, Mrs. Daisy. Later, drive to Kochi. Check- in at your hotel at Fort Kochi. In the evening, visit the Pai Thattukada, named after the Pai brothers who popularised the concept of thattus or small shops that offer a cheaper and quicker alternative to restaurant food. Some of the thattus serve over 70 varieties of dosais (rice pancakes). In fact, your trip to Kerala would be incomplete without sampling the dosais here. Dinner is at the specialty seafood restaurant, Fort Cochin (Casino Hotel) which hosts the finest buffets with fresh catch straight off the nets. Overnight in Kochi.

Morning, proceed for a local tour on an autorickshaw (TUK-TUK). Visit Kayees Restaurant known for their signature Malabar Dum Biryani, spice shops, and fish market. Later in the day, you will get to spend time at the home of Nimmy and Paul; they belong to the Syrian Christian community of Kerala. Nimmy has been a professional cookery instructor for over 20 years and, in keeping with family traditions, is passionate about serving great Kerala food. The visit will offer you an opportunity to participate in the cooking and learn how traditional spices are used in typical Travancore vegetarian food. Overnight in Kochi.

Morning you will be transferred to the railway station on time to board the train to Thalassery. Arrive Thalassery and proceed to the Ayisha Manzil homestay. Ayisha Manzil was built in 1862 by Murdoch Brown, a tradesman from the East India Company; and bought in 1900 by the Moosas, a local timber trader family of Muslims, who still run it today. Experience the warm hospitality, traditional cuisine with emphasis on fresh seafood, and local culture of Thalassery. Ayisha Manzil oozes history – antique furniture and family heirlooms decorate the spacious rooms. Enjoy home-cooked food with the Moosas. This coastal strip is famous for its fish, caught daily in the warm waters that lap the gorgeous Malabar Coast and sold right off the boat on the local beach. It is here that a particular style of Indian cooking developed, quite different from elsewhere on the subcontinent. Named after the Mappilas (Muslims of North Kerala), Mappila cuisine is the tradition that Faiza Moosa teaches in her home kitchen. After enjoying a wonderful home-cooked meal, it is time to explore Thalassery. Visit the Muzhappilangad Beach (the best four kilometre drive-in beach of Kerala), Beedi Factory, and handloom weaving centre. You can even hire a bike or cycle to ride along the coast; and during the festival season, if you are lucky, you can watch Theyyam a ritual temple dance performance of North Kerala. Dinner and overnight at the homestay.

Breakfast at the homestay. Begin your day in Ayisha Manzil with an early morning trip to the fish market and spice merchants, and finish with a great feast. A Houseboy can accompany you on trips to a six-kilometre long tropical beach, the fruit markets of Thalassery or to the 300 acres of the cinnamon plantation which is 10 km away from the house. The plantation was originally established by Murdoch himself and is the only one of its kind in the country. Faiza Moosa will delight you with her own Kerala specialties. You are in for a treat if you like your food hot and spicy. In the evening, a cooking demonstration, of which you can be a part, will be held by Mrs. Moosa. Dinner and overnight at the homestay.

After breakfast, proceed to Kozhikode. Lunch at the Kozhikode Paragon Restaurant. With a culinary heritage dating back to over seven decades, the flagship restaurant is iconic of Kozhikode, offering a fusion of the Malabar region's Mappila, coastal, and Thiyya cuisines. After lunch, visit CVN Kalari, where you will witness a training session of Kalaripayattu. Unique to Kerala, the ancient martial art form of kalaripayattu dates back three millennia and is not only one of the oldest existing martial art forms in the world but also believed to be the mother of all martial art forms. Check in at the riverside resort – Kadavu. Evening, the chef at the resort will demonstrate a few of his special varieties in the Malabar cuisine. Overnight in Kozhikode.

Departure transfer to Kozhikode Airport to board the onward flight. Namaskaram!