[Kuala Lumpur] Dinner at Kayra Authentic Keralan Cuisine

[klyeoh (Peter)]

Keralan cuisine is the only Indian regional cuisine which utilises coconut milk to sooth the fiery spices used in their cooking. Kayra Keralan restaurant in Taman Tun Dr Ismail in KL offers a good spread of Keralan dishes, which is a nice alternative to the usual Tamil or else Northern Indian/Mughal regional options in the city.

1. Kodapan (banana flower and runner beans, cooked with grated coconut, mustard seeds and curry leaves).
   

   

2. Kappa Tikki (spiced tapioca croquettes, serve with coconut chutney and onion-carrot relish).
   

   

3. Kurumulagu Konju (marinated tiger prawns, steamed in banana leaves and served with beetrooot emulsion).
   

   

4. Appo (mini-rice cakes, topped with spices and grated coconut chutney).
   

   

5. Delia’s Stew (spiced, rich coconut-flavoured chicken curry)
   

   

6. Aviyal (vegetables cooked in spiced, thick coconut cream and yoghurt).
   

   

7. Erachi Puttu (rice cakes, lightly roasted, layered with Keralan spiced chicken, mixed with grated coconut, then steamed).
   

   

8. Puttu (steamed rice cakes, slightly roasted and topped with freshly-grated coconut).
   

   

9. Appam (rice-coconut milk pancakes).
   

   

10. Idiyappam (string hoppers - steamed rice noodles, topped with grated coconut).
    

    

11. Vattalappam (steamed custard flavoured with palm sugar, coconut milk and cardamom, served with honey-dipped grilled pineapples).
    

    

12. Payasam (sweet bean dessert, served warm with bananas and pappadams).
    

    

Address: Kayra Kerala Cuisine, 46 Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 1, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.

[sck]

Great food! Which did you like the most? Do they have other Keralan specialties like thalassery biriyani, chemmeen curry and a fish curry whose name escaped me?

[klyeoh (Peter)]

They do have the Chemeen Mango Curry, also that famous fish dish Meen Pollichattu.

No biryani dishes there, though. Too many biryani options already in KL, perhaps. In KL, the Hyderabadi versions are available in quite a few places around town - KL has 3 separate “Little India” districts: Brickfields, Masjid India area in the old downtown, and Sentul. These areas have various Tamil-Muslim and Pakistani eateries which offers various types of biryanis.

If you go to Tengkat Tong Shin, near Jalan Alor/street food area in Bukit Bintang, there is a stretch where good Bangladeshi food can be found, including some really good kachchi biryani - absolutely mind-blowing.

[klyeoh (Peter)]

Kachchi biryani from Esho Khai in Changkat Bukit Bintang. This is the mutton version, which has a more robust flavour. It also comes with the standard accompaniments: boiled potato, hard-boiled egg and a cold cucumber-carrot-onion salad.

[sck]

@klyeoh

If you go to Tengkat Tong Shin, near Jalan Alor/street food area in Bukit Bintang, there is a stretch where good Bangladeshi food can be found, including some really good kachchi biryani - absolutely mind-blowing.

When you said kachchi biryani, do you mean dum biryani, as in the type that’s really made in a dom and layered? I don’t even know if I have had those as most shops around where I am just mix the ingredients, including the mix. I suppose there is enough population there to support biryani specialists that use the dom technique?

[boogiebaby]

@sck

When you said kachchi biryani, do you mean dum biryani, as in the type that’s really made in a dom and layered?

There are two Types of biryani. Pakka (cooked) biryani is where you cook the meat and rice separate, then layer them to finish cooking together. Kacchi (raw) biryani is when you later the uncooked meat with the rice and cook until both are done through.

Dum biryani is just one method of cooking biryani, where the food is put into vessel,covered and sealed with dough. There are other ways to cook it too that aren’t dum preparation,

[sck]

Thanks for the clarification. Is one better than the other - pakka vs kacchi? I was under the impression that kacchi was preferable (and more time consuming) because of the flavor infusion between meat and rice but i figure I should ask.

[klyeoh (Peter)]

I definitely prefer kacchi biryani!