POROTTA - The Most Celebrated in Kerala Cuisine

Porotta, is perhaps the most celebrated dish of the Kerala cuisine. 

It is a flat bread with layers in it which is made of refined wheat flour or maida. 

It is mainly a street food popular across the state of Kerala, a southern state of India. It is best when served with beef roast, chicken and mutton are the other major accompaniments.

Apart from the flavours, porotta and beef roast is a huge tourist attraction and also at some point it turned out as a political icon also. 

I think trying the dish would be better rather than any descriptions. 

I wonder how porotta, made of maida, became such a significant food item in a region where the staple food is rice.

So where is it came from?

Let's see...

Story begins at Tuticorin, earlier known as Thoothukudi, a district in the state of Tamil Nadu. It's known as the 'Sea Gateway of Tamil Nadu'. 

It is said that, the port workers of Tuticorin in 1980s were the first to introduce porotta. 

This was later became the part of Sri Lankan cuisine. Via Sri Lankan migrant workers at the Tuticorin port it reached Sri Lanka and became popular as Ceylon porotta. 

Still, there are other opinions which deny this. 

How can a maida dish origin in a region where the staple food is rice?

Then there is an opinion that it might came via trading. 

Since the food item is popular among the coastal regions of South India, it probably got originated during the period of Kerala's trade with the Arab countries. 

The Arab traders who arrived at the coast of Kerala could be the people who introduced porotta. 

In various countries, there are several food item which are similar to porotta. Not sure whether to call the variation of it, but can be chances of a fusion.

In Malaysia and Singapore there's a dish called 'Roti Canai'. Though not exactly porotta, but more like its fusion with Rumai Roti. It is said that it was brought by the immigrant labourers from India, mainly Tamilians. 

Whatever.

Porotta/Malabar Porotta is irreplaceable in the present Kerala cuisine. For Keralites, porotta and beef roast is no food but a "vikaaram" (emotion).

What do you like the most about porotta ??

Comment down!