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Beyond savoury classics, such as Thalassery biryani, Malabar parotta, ghee roast, appam and stew, Kerala offers a diverse range of sweet dishes, such as payasam, achappam, and neyyappam. The use of spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom, and ginger has captured the attention of traders and connoisseurs worldwide, especially when they are used in making desserts. Coconut, jaggery, rice, and ripe bananas combine in ways that seem both modest and delicious. Most traditional sweets in Kerala are related to local festivals and celebrations, such as palada payasam and ada pradhaman, which are prominent delicacies served at Onam. While Vishu katta, a traditional rice cake made with coconut milk, is mostly prepared during the Vishu festival for offering at the temples. Each sweet has a narrative, which is frequently related to festivals, family reunions, or lazy days at home. If you appreciate desserts with character and heritage, these desserts from Kerala are worth trying.
Unniyappam
Unniyappam is a small, round-shaped sweet made with rice flour, jaggery, bananas, and cardamom powder. The batter is prepared by mixing rice flour, jaggery, mashed bananas, and cardamom powder. The mixture is then poured into a special pan designed for making unniyappam and fried until it turns golden brown. The soft and fluffy texture of unniyappam, along with its delicious taste, will make it one of your favourite desserts.
Palada Payasam
Palada payasam is a popular dessert in Kerala that is prepared during special occasions like festivals and weddings. The main ingredients used in this dessert are rice flakes, milk, sugar, and ghee. The rice flakes are cooked in milk until they become soft, and then sugar and ghee are added to them. The dish is then garnished with fried cashews and raisins. The rich and creamy texture of Palada Payasam, along with its sweetness, makes it a must-try dessert.
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Akkaravadisal
While meen moilee, appam, and stew are among the favourite delicacies from Kerala, various other sweet and savoury items are worth giving a try, and one such sweet delight is akkaravadisal. The recipe involves cooking rice and dal in a milk and jaggery syrup, and sprucing it up with nuts. Akkaravadisal is a traditional dish made during special occasions and religious functions and is also called akkara adisil. It is usually prepared on 'Koodaravalli Day', which comes on the 27th day of the Margazhi month and is offered to Lord Vishnu. It is also the main prasadam for Panguni Uthiram at Srirangam Temple. It closely resembles sakkarai pongal but differs in taste, ratio of ingredients and cooking procedure. Besides, pongal is cooked in water and a small quantity of milk, while Akkaravadisal is completely cooked in milk.
Therali Appam
Therali appam, which is frequently consumed during festivals and family reunions, is a genuine example of Keralan cuisine's creativity. The fantastic taste which the appam possesses is completely due to the bay leaf being used in this food passionately. The roasted rice flour's nuttiness is complemented by a depth of sweetness from the use of jaggery, a natural sweetener. Therali appam is a wonderful delight with a soft, chewy texture that goes well with tea or coffee. Since they represent togetherness and the delight of cooking together, enjoy sharing these unusual sweets with loved ones during festivities.
Ney Appam
The name ney appam comes from the words ney, meaning ghee, and appam, which means pancake. This rice-based fried fritter dish from the state of Kerala is made with raw rice, jaggery, banana, coconut, and cardamom, and is fried till crispy and crunchy. While ney appam is quite an important treat at most of the important festivals in the south, it is a perfect sweet treat for Onam since it is easy and quick to prepare at home.
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Nendran Pazham Halwa
Bananas are one of the sweetest and mushiest fruits around, and are hence a great ingredient for desserts. If halwa is your favourite sweet treat, skip making it with flour and try bananas this time. Full of nutrients and a great energy-booster, bananas make for a great ingredient for halwas. Top it up with nuts and dry fruits, and you’ll have a great festive dessert to binge on during festivals such as Onam.
Chatti Pathiri
Originating in the Malabar region of Kerala, chatti pathiri is a decadent, layered pastry that can incorporate both sweet and savoury fillings. Typically crafted from flour, eggs, oil, and water, the sweet fillings of this dish usually comprise beaten eggs, nuts, like almonds and pistachios, and raisins. Chatti pathiri is a popular breakfast item throughout Kerala; it’s also a festive favourite, relished frequently during the festival of Ramadan.
Acchappam
Also known as rose cookies, achappams are intricately shaped snacks prepared by deep-frying a rice flour, sugar, and coconut milk batter. Boasting a crunchy texture and a mildly sweet flavour, this dish gets its name from the Malayalam words “achu,” meaning mould, and “appam,” meaning bread. Achappams, which come in a range of flavours like vanilla and cardamom, are relished alongside tea; they are also served during festivals, including Easter and Christmas.
