22 vegetarian dishes

Lobster Malabari

A delicious combination of soft paneer and healthy green peas in a mild spicy tomato based gravy, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder and garam masala is a treat to taste buds at anytime.

Mutter Paneer

Kovalam Seafood Curry

Speciality of Calicut, a place where Vasco de Gama's first steps in India. A thrilling Malabar prawn dish cooked in a thick sauce with ginger, curry leaves and onions.

Kappad Chemmeen Masala

A shrimp flavoured broth with coconut milk, herbs and.

Cheera Parippu Soup

Milk dough dumpling, deep fried and soaked in sweet syrup.

Gulab Jamun

Traditional pudding of Kerala cooked in reduced milk, jiggery /sugar and ghee.

Payasam of the day

Folded pancakes with stewed fresh coconut dry fruits and sugar.

Coconut Pancake

Malabar Paratha (1 Piece)

Chapatti (2 pieces)

Plain Rice

A cooling mixture of rice and yogurt tempered with seeds, cumin, turmeric, and green chilies, garnished with fresh coriander.

Thayir Sadam (Curd)

Koonu Choru (Mushroom)

Tangy, fresh tasting rice tossed with lemon juice, chillies.

Naranga Choru

A refreshing salad with mango, carrots, lettuce, tomato with ginger yogurt dressing.

Koinonia Special Salad

Traditional and spicy, is a combination of Mussels, chopped shallots, pepper corn and curry leaves flavoured with ginger, curry leaves, seasoned with crushed black pepper and fennel powder.

Kakka Roast

Neeyu Choru (Ghee)

Long grain rice mixed with onions, grated coconut, and curry leaves.

Thenga Choru (Coconut)

Fresh beans finely chopped and cooked in traditional south Indian thoran style with shallots, grated coconut.

Beans Thoran

Non Veg - Thali

Veg Thali

The Big Vegetarian Feast at Koinonia

The Big Vegetarian Feast

Rinse rice until water runs clear. Combine 3 cups rice with 5 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt in a heavy pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 12–15 minutes until tender. Fluff and keep covered until serving.

Cook rice

Rinse toor and moong dal. In a pressure cooker or pot, combine 1 cup toor dal, 1/2 cup moong dal and 3 cups water with 1/2 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook until very soft and breaking down (3–4 whistles in a pressure cooker or 30–40 minutes simmer). Mash lightly for a smooth dal. Reserve 1 cup cooked dal for plain dal and use remaining as base for sambar.

Cook dals for sambar & plain dal

Soak 2 tbs tamarind paste (or a small lemon-sized tamarind soaked in 1 cup hot water and strained) and set aside. When building sambar, add tamarind liquid to taste (about 1 cup).

Prepare tamarind water (for sambar)

Heat 2 tbs oil in a pan. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tbs urad dal and 1 tbs chana dal; when they sputter, add 8 curry leaves and 1 chopped green chili. Add 3 cups peeled cubed potatoes, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook 12–15 minutes until tender. Finish with 1 tsp lemon juice and chopped cilantro.

Potato curry (dry)

Blanch or steam 3 cups green beans and 2 cups carrots until just tender. In a pan, heat 2 tbs oil, temper with 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp urad dal, 1 dried red chili and 6 curry leaves. Add vegetables, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp salt and 2 tbs freshly grated coconut. Toss and serve.

Green beans & carrot poriyal

Heat 2 tbs oil, add 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 chopped green chili and a pinch of asafoetida. Add 2 cups cubed eggplant, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp red chili powder, 1 tsp coriander powder and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook covered, stirring occasionally, adding 1/4 cup water if needed, until eggplant is soft. Finish with chopped cilantro.

Eggplant with spices

Heat 1 tbs oil, sauté 1 tbs minced garlic and 1 tbs grated ginger briefly. Add 4 cups chopped spinach, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp salt and cook until wilted. Stir in 1/2 tsp garam masala and 1 tbs lemon juice.

Spinach masala

In 2 tbs oil, temper 1 tsp mustard and 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tbs chopped onion (optional) and 1 green chili. Add 2 cups cooked chickpeas, 1/2 cup tomato puree (optional), 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp garam masala and 1 tsp salt. Simmer 10 minutes and finish with cilantro and 1 tsp lemon juice.

Chickpea curry

All vegetable dishes use a basic South Indian tempering: heat oil, add mustard seeds and cumin until they pop, then add urad dal and chana dal until golden, dried red chilies and curry leaves. Add asafoetida with the vegetables when called for. Keep spice quantities consistent across dishes and adjust salt and chili to taste.

In a blender, combine 1.5 cups grated coconut, 3–4 roasted chana dal tablespoons, 1 small green chili, a small piece of tamarind (or 1/2 tbs tamarind paste), 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 cup water. Blend to a smooth paste. Temper with 1 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp urad dal and a few curry leaves heated until popping; pour over chutney.

Coconut chutney (green)

Blend 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, 1/2 cup grated coconut, 1 small green chili, 1 tbs tamarind, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 cup water until smooth. Temper as above if desired.

Peanut chutney

In a pot, heat 1 tbs oil, add 1 tsp mustard and 1 tsp cumin, add 1 chopped onion and 1 chopped tomato (optional), 1 tbs ginger and 1 chopped green chili. Add assorted vegetables (about 3 cups total: potato, carrot, beans, eggplant) and 2 cups water. Add the mashed dal reserved for sambar, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tbs sambar powder (or 1 tsp coriander + 1 tsp red chili), and tamarind liquid to taste (about 1 cup). Simmer 15–20 minutes until vegetables are tender. Adjust salt and finish with fried curry leaves and cilantro.

Sambar

If using dried chickpeas, soak overnight and cook until tender. For 2 cups cooked chickpeas, heat 2 tbs oil in a pan, add 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp urad dal, a dried red chili and 8–10 curry leaves. Add the chickpeas, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp salt and 2 tbs grated coconut. Toss and serve warm or at room temperature.

Sundal (spiced chickpeas)

Dry roast or deep fry papads until crisp. Serve 1–2 pieces per person alongside the banana leaf meal.

Papad

Place 1/2 cup of mango or mixed vegetable pickle on the leaf in a small ramekin or folded foil to avoid direct contact with the banana leaf if the pickle is oily or watery.

Heat 2 tbs ghee in a pan, add 1/4 cup cashews and 2 tbs raisins and fry until golden. Remove. In the same pan, roast 1 cup rava (semolina) on low heat until aromatic. Meanwhile bring 1 cup milk + 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar to a simmer with 1 tsp cardamom powder. Slowly add the hot liquid to the roasted rava in small portions, stirring to avoid lumps. Add fried nuts and raisins and simmer until the mixture thickens and leaves the sides of the pan. Finish with remaining ghee and serve warm or cooled in small portions on the banana leaf.

Rava kesari (semolina pudding)

For each serving on a banana leaf: place a portion of rice (about 3/4 cup cooked), a ladle of sambar (about 3/4 cup), a small bowl of coconut chutney (2–3 tbs), potato curry (1/2 cup), green beans & carrot poriyal (1/3 cup), eggplant (1/3 cup), spinach masala (1/3 cup), chickpea curry (1/3 cup), sundal (1/4 cup), papad (1–2 pieces), pickle (1–2 tbs), and a small serving of rava kesari (1/4 cup). Garnish vegetable portions with chopped cilantro, fried curry leaves and a squeeze of lemon. Drizzle a little sesame oil or ghee on hot rice if desired.

Arrange the banana leaf with rice in the center, sambar on the left, chutney on the top left, pickles and papad at top right, and sweets at the end of the leaf. Serve warm, and provide spoons or encourage eating with the right hand as traditional.

Short-grain rice (or parboiled)

Toor dal (split pigeon peas)

Moong dal (split yellow)

Tamarind paste

Salt

Water

Potatoes, medium, peeled and cubed

Green beans, trimmed and 2

Carrots, sliced

Eggplant, cubed

Spinach, chopped

Cooked chickpeas

Mustard seeds

Cumin seeds

Urad dal (split black gram)

Chana dal (split chickpea)

Dried red chilies

Curry leaves

Turmeric powder

Red chili powder

Coriander powder

Garam masala

Asafoetida (hing)

Fresh ginger, grated

Garlic, minced

Green chilies, slit

Fresh grated coconut

Roasted chana dal (dalia)

Tamarind (small piece)

Roasted peanuts

Coriander leaves

Lemon juice

Jaggery or brown sugar

Split black chickpeas (kala chana) or white chickpeas

Coconut oil or vegetable oil

Papad (thin crispy)

Mango pickle or mixed vegetable pickle

Rava (semolina)

Ghee

Sugar

Milk

Cardamom pods, crushed

Cashews

Raisins

Fresh cilantro

Lemon wedges

Fried curry leaves

Sesame oil or ghee (for finishing)

If using whole live lobster, humanely dispatch by placing in the freezer 15 minutes, then split and clean: remove tomalley if desired, split shells and crack claws to help flavors penetrate. If using lobster tails, thaw if frozen, butterfly or cut through shell to expose flesh. Reserve shells for stock if desired.

Prepare Lobster

Cut lobster meat into large bite-size pieces (2–3 cm). Keep shells aside for optional stock.

In a blender, combine grated fresh coconut, green chilies, chopped ginger, garlic, turmeric powder and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt with about 1/4 cup water. Blend to a smooth, thick paste. Scrape down sides and blend until well combined. Set aside.

Make Coconut-Green Chili Paste

Lightly toss lobster pieces with remaining 1 tsp salt and a pinch of black pepper. Let sit 10–15 minutes while preparing aromatics.

Heat coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or kadai over medium heat until shimmering. Add mustard seeds and let them crackle. Add fenugreek seeds (if using) and fry for 10–15 seconds until aromatic but not burnt. Add curry leaves and stir for a few seconds to release fragrance.

Temper Spices

Add the thinly sliced shallots and cook on medium-low heat, stirring often, until they are soft and golden (about 8–10 minutes). This builds the sweet base of the Malabari sauce.

Sauté Shallots

Add chopped tomato and cook until it breaks down, about 4–5 minutes. Stir in coriander powder, red chili powder and the remaining pinch of salt. Cook for 1 minute to bloom the spices.

Build the Sauce

Add the prepared coconut-green chili paste to the pan and sauté for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until the raw smell disappears and the paste is well incorporated with the shallots and tomatoes.

Pour in 2 cups of water or light seafood stock, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 6–8 minutes so flavors meld and sauce slightly thickens.

Stir in tamarind pulp (or paste) and adjust seasoning with salt, tasting for balanced sourness and salt. If too thick, add up to 1 cup more water to reach desired consistency.

Gently add lobster pieces into the simmering curry. Keep heat at a low simmer and poach the lobster 4–6 minutes for tails or slightly longer for larger whole-lobster chunks, until the meat is opaque, firm and cooked through. Avoid overcooking to keep meat tender.

Simmer Lobster in Curry

If using reserved shells, you can add them to the curry earlier while simmering for deeper flavor, then remove shells before serving.

Lower the heat and stir in the thin coconut milk or coconut cream. Warm through gently for 2 minutes without boiling (to prevent curdling). Taste and adjust salt, heat, or tamarind as needed.

Finish with Coconut Milk & Garnish

Turn off heat. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and scatter a few extra curry leaves on top. Serve immediately with steamed rice, appam, idiyappam or buttered naan. Offer lime or lemon wedges at the table.

live lobster (or lobster tails, about 1.25–1.5 lb total)

fresh coconut, grated (or unsweetened shredded coconut)

green chilies (adjust to heat preference)

fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

fresh garlic cloves

turmeric powder

salt

coconut oil (or vegetable oil)

mustard seeds

fenugreek seeds (optional, for authentic Malabari flavor)

curry leaves (fresh if possible)

shallots (or small red onions), thinly sliced

tomato, chopped (medium)

red chili powder (adjust to taste)

coriander powder

black pepper, freshly ground

water (or light seafood stock)

tamarind pulp (or 1 tsp tamarind paste)

fresh cilantro, chopped

thin coconut milk (first thin extract) or coconut cream

lime or lemon wedges (optional, to serve)

If using fresh peas, bring 500 ml water to a boil with 1/2 tsp salt. Add peas and blanch 2–3 minutes until bright green and slightly tender. Drain and immediately plunge into cold water to retain color. If using frozen peas, thaw or blanch briefly and drain.

Prepare peas

If paneer is store-bought and firm, soak cubes in warm water for 10 minutes to soften (optional). Pat dry before adding to gravy. If you prefer lightly fried paneer, heat 1 tbs oil in a nonstick pan and shallow-fry cubes until edges are golden (about 2 minutes each side); drain on paper towel. Set aside.

Prepare paneer

Heat 3 tbs oil or ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. When hot, add 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1 bay leaf. Let cumin sputter (10–15 seconds) and bay leaf release aroma.

Add 1 cup finely chopped onion. Sauté on medium heat until translucent and beginning to brown at the edges, about 6–8 minutes.

Add 1 tbs ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 1–2 minutes until the raw smell disappears.

Add 1 cup chopped or pureed tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the raw tomato smell is gone and oil begins to separate from the masala, about 8–10 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and add spices: 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, and 1 tsp salt. Cook 1–2 minutes to roast the spices.

If the masala looks too thick or sticking, add 2–3 tbs water to deglaze and continue cooking until a smooth, thick gravy forms.

Add the blanched peas to the tomato-onion masala and mix well. Cook 2–3 minutes so peas absorb flavors.

Pour 150 ml water or milk to reach desired gravy consistency. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Add the paneer cubes gently into the simmering gravy. Stir carefully to avoid breaking the cubes. Simmer for 3–4 minutes so paneer warms through and soaks up the gravy. If you pan-fried paneer earlier, simmer only 2 minutes to avoid toughening.

Stir in 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp crushed kasuri methi, and 1/4 tsp sugar or jaggery (if using). Adjust salt to taste. Add 1 tbs butter for extra richness (optional).

Turn off heat and finish with 2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro and 1 tsp lemon juice if desired. Let sit covered 2 minutes before serving so flavors meld.

fresh paneer (firm), cut into 1/2-inch cubes

green peas (fresh or frozen)

water (for boiling peas if using fresh)

salt (for blanching)

vegetable oil or ghee

cumin seeds (jeera)

bay leaf

onion, finely chopped

ginger-garlic paste

tomatoes, finely chopped or pureed

turmeric powder (haldi)

coriander powder (dhania)

red chilli powder

garam masala

kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed

sugar or jaggery (optional, to balance acidity)

water or milk (to adjust gravy consistency)

fresh cilantro (coriander), chopped

lemon juice (optional)

butter (optional, for richness)

Rinse the mixed seafood under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Cut firm fish into 2-inch pieces; devein shrimp while leaving tails on if desired. Toss seafood with 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp lime juice. Set aside to marinate for 15–20 minutes while you prepare the masala and base.

Clean and marinate seafood

In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the fennel seeds, coriander seeds and peppercorns for 1–2 minutes until aromatic. Remove and let cool slightly.

Toast spices

In a blender or wet grinder, combine the grated coconut, toasted spices, green chilies, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, tamarind paste and 1/2 cup water. Grind to a smooth, slightly coarse paste (you want some texture). If too thick, add up to 2–3 tbsp more water. Transfer the masala to a bowl and set aside.

Grind the masala

Heat 3 tbsp coconut oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan or kadai over medium heat. When hot, add 1 tsp mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, add 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds (if using) and the sliced shallots. Sauté, stirring frequently, until shallots are soft and beginning to brown at the edges (6–8 minutes).

22 Vegetarian Dishes

Lobster Malabari

Mutter Paneer

Kovalam Seafood Curry

Kappad Chemmeen Masala

Cheera Parippu Soup

Gulab Jamun

Payasam Of The Day

Coconut Pancake

Malabar Paratha (1 Piece)

Chapatti (2 Pieces)

Plain Rice

Thayir Sadam (curd)

Koonu Choru (mushroom)