Flaky, crisp and layered, the Kerala porotta (also called barotta in some places) has a story that is as layered as the porotta itself. Once confined to the Malabar region in North Kerala, today no self-respecting Malayali can claim not to have feasted on this staple that is easily available from Kanhangad in the north to Kaliyikkavila in the south.
A hot seller in uppity restaurants and humble thattukadas (makeshift outlets), the porotta has replaced the kanji and the kappa to become the signature dish of the State. In fact, this year, on November 1, observed as Kerala Day, the BBC paid tribute to the State by holding forth on the porotta’s many charms.
Archaeologist and culinary anthropologist Kurush F Dalal says that the porotta is likely to have come with Arab traders from ancient West Asia. He explains: “Kerala has always had trade links with West Asia, right from the pre-Islamic period. So, this must have travelled with the sailors and traders and found a place in North Malabar’s culinary palate.” He points out that though porotta is made of refined flour, Kerala is not a wheat producing state and so its origins clearly lie beyond the seas. Moreover, versions of the porotta can be found all over Malayasia, Singapore and Sri Lanka.
