Food experts say that it was in the 1980s that chappathi and chicken fry became Kerala’s favourite fast food. It was also during the same time that the Kethel’s Chicken began to excite the taste buds of the Thiruvananthapuram natives. In fact the crispy, spicy chicken fry has become one of the most common side dishes in our platter.
Meanwhile, in Thalassery, if you wish to eat a ‘kozhikaal’ (chicken drumstick), then you might be in for a surprise. ‘Kozhikaal’ in Thalassery is a spicy, crispy fried tapioca dish.
This ‘vegetarian’ drumstick is prepared by dipping thinly sliced tapioca pieces in a batter of rice and maida flour, mixed with different spices, and then fried to perfection. The spiciness which is foregrounded, coupled with the extra crispiness, creates an explosion of flavours inside the mouth.
Food lovers say that the dish may have got its name as the fried crispy tapioca wafers resemble a chicken drumstick.
Click here for the Kozhikaal recipe
