Feasting By The Backwaters: Traditional Kerala Seafood Recipes Worth Travelling For

The backwaters of Kerala are a world unto themselves — slow moving canals, coconut palms mirrored in still water, and the call of distant herons. Yet it isn't only the scenery that stays with you here; it's the food. Each dish at the resort celebrates the flavours of the land and lake. The seafood is caught fresh from Vembanad's shimmering waters, the produce sourced from nearby farms. But what sets the experience apart is the reverence with which every recipe is prepared — preserving Kerala's culinary heritage while embracing mindful, local cooking.

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Kayal Virunnu: The Lakeside Celebration

Photo: Vijaya Pratap

At Aymanam, the lakeside restaurant, I discovered Kayal Virunnu, a celebratory seafood lunch served on a banana leaf. Executive Chef Shinoj John, who meticulously curated the meal, described it as a tribute to Kerala's fishing communities — “a meal that honours the spirit of the lake, prepared using authentic techniques such as pacha aracha – a fresh ground paste of coconut, shallots, and spices – which forms the base for many curries. The menu features local, time-honoured combinations using cherry tomatoes, bird's eye chilli, tamarind, and coconut for bold, well-balanced flavours. Fish is often marinated raw with crushed spice blends and wrapped in turmeric leaves or cinnamon leaves, then gently steamed to retain moisture and earthy aroma. Traditional methods like slow-cooking, banana leaf wrapping (pollichathu), enhance both taste and authenticity.”

The sequence of dishes followed the traditional order of serving.

Photo: Vijaya Pratap

The first course — Kallappam with Karimeen Pollichathu — paired a soft, fermented rice pancake with pearl spot fish, marinated in a regional spice blend and seared inside banana leaves for a smoky finish.

The next course, Kappa Kuzhacha and Manithakkali Meen Pirattiyathu, brought buttery tapioca mash with a fiery fish curry flavoured with sun-dried black nightshade berries.

Then came the main spread:

Konchu Chuttathu, spicy grilled prawns; Meen Peera, fish with coconut and crushed spices; Kozhuva Varuthathu, crisp anchovies; and Kakka Ularthu, clams stir-fried with coconut slivers and curry leaves. These were served with Aymanam Meen Curry — a bold, tangy fish curry — and Kuthari Choru, Kerala's red boiled rice.

Photo Credit: Vijaya Pratap

Each bite carried the soul of the backwaters — earthy, fiery, and fresh. And when the finale arrived — Elaneer Payasam, a tender coconut pudding infused with cardamom — it was as cooling and gentle as the breeze outside.

Theen Mura: A Taste of Faith and Heritage

The following day brought a different kind of feast at Ettukettu, the resort's heritage restaurant- an eight-courtyard traditional Tharavad house. Here, Theen Mura — literally “meal course by course” — offers a window into Kerala's Syrian Christian (Nasrani) cuisine.

Dinesh, the F&B Manager, shared its origins, “Over time, early Christian settlers adapted Middle Eastern influences to local ingredients — that's how this cuisine was born. It celebrates the community's unique blend of Kerala's agrarian abundance and Syro-Malabar Christian culinary artistry — a cuisine that has evolved through centuries of faith, trade, and family tradition. The result is food that is both rich and restrained — stews simmered in coconut milk, duck roasts enlivened with black pepper and cinnamon, soft appams that cradle gravies with quiet elegance, while meats are marinated in spice pastes that echo the ancient trade routes. Each course mirrors the Nasrani ethos: simplicity leading to depth, ending with sweetness and grace.”

Photo: Vijaya Pratap

Theen Mura started with mutton cutlet, onion challas, and homemade ketchup, echoing Anglo-Indian nostalgia. Next, pal appam and chicken stew captured Sunday serenity with coconut milk and spice. The main feast united Kerala's land and sea — red rice, fish mango curry, theeyal, thoran, chicken roast, prawn karikku masala, and ayala fry. The finale blessed the table with desserts like thamukku, pal ada payasam, and tender coconut kulfi. More than a meal, it's a soulful celebration of Kerala's culinary and cultural legacy.

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Beyond Flavour: A Living Tradition

Each meal is a sensory journey, but also an ethical one — rooted in sustainability, community, and respect for provenance. The fishermen who bring in the day's catch, the farmers who supply the red rice, the cooks who still grind their masalas by hand — all are part of a larger narrative that the resort has nurtured for decades, ensuring every meal reflects Kerala's seasonality and spirit