How To Choose The Best Food Menu In Kerala For Your Weddings

Food from Kerala has earned a respectable place in the culinary book of the world, especially since it takes the centre stage at most events, big or small. Kerala cuisine is innovative and dynamic. Moving through the 14 districts of the state can give you a variety of dishes that differ in their cooking style, aroma, taste and appearance. Honestly, it will be challenging to pick a favourite!

This unique take on delicacies is well witnessed during wedding functions. Be it a Hindu, Christian or Muslim wedding, each would have their traditional and distinct flavours and dishes. Moreover, as you move across the state, each wedding feast has a marked regional signature to it.

If you have set your sights on a destination wedding in Kerala, then choose a food menu that goes with regional flavours. You could incorporate the traditional wedding feast with delicacies from the local kitchen. And then maybe splatter a couple of dishes that are popular in other regions as well.

A tasty feast can fuel a wedding party, as well as add style and personality to the event. So here’s how you can pick wisely and enjoy your special day:

Set Your Budget

Establish a budget based on the number of guests arriving for the event. That way you can keep track of the number of dishes needed, the serving staff and style, whether to add appetisers and other odds and ends. Each tiny decision can affect the cost of your feast. And careless management can lead to wastage of food. So nail down your budget at the start.

Consider Dietary Choices

While Kerala is quite free in terms of dietary choices, there will be people who don’t eat meat or dairy products and other such items. Most weddings offer both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, so providing such an option is advisable.

Most Hindu weddings in Kerala have grand lunch feasts called as Sadhyas. And these are strictly vegetarian. However, most people provide meat during the reception dinners and parties.

Both Christian and Muslim weddings offer non-vegetarian lunch menus. So while there is no hard and fast rule, taking your guests’ dietary choices would be ideal.

Go Local

Destination weddings have the added advantage of offering a wide range of dishes for lunch. Each destination in Kerala offers something unique and distinct. So adding a little of the local cuisine would delight the guests.

For instance, Muslim weddings in North Kerala, primarily the Malabar area, are renowned for their Biryani. You get choices here as well, from Chicken Biryani to Fish and Mutton to even Mixed Non-Veg Biryani. There’s tasty vegetarian Biryani as well for those who don’t eat meat.

Christian Weddings, on the other hand, have an elaborate menu that includes different kinds of stew, like lamb stew, chicken or mutton stew, combined with pancakes and appams and rotis. You can choose from steaming chicken curry, soft pork chops, delicious mutton gravy and crispy fish fries.

Regions like Alleppey and Kottayam are popular for their exotic sea food preparation. You can include some mouth-watering dishes like the “Karimeen Polichathu” or mussels and crab preparation that are endemic to these districts.

The Sadhya is a sumptuous feast common to Hindu weddings. It has an assortment of dishes, sometimes numbering around 40 (including spicy pickles, tasty gravy, delicious sweets and dessert!). While the Sadhya doesn’t vary much in design, the number and type of dishes along with it may vary as you move across the state.

While many Keralites prefer the traditional food menu at weddings, modern day wedding luncheons and parties often provide a three or four-course meal that includes appetizers, bread, rice and desserts.