Arumanoor Toddy shop in Kottayam

Toddy shops have been gaining popularity among people with their unmatched collection of traditional dishes from Kerala cuisine. Families are also showing great interest in visiting these food spots, especially at weekends to enjoy a whole list of non-vegetarian recipes which were not otherwise available through any other restaurants across the state. Arumanoor Toddy Shop in Kottayam is one such famous eatery serving us lip-smacking dishes. My friend Balu who accompanied us on the Thailand visit also came along with me to visit this fascinating Toddy shop in Kottayam. In fact, one of his friends recommended this eatery to him and he was the one who informed me about this fantastic spot. As we made our way into the toddy shop, we saw a board displaying a long list of food items which were available through this restaurant.

Weekends are usually the time which sees this toddy shop gets crowded with people as families tend to make a visit on off days rather than weekdays. This is the reason why the toddy shop has more recipes at weekends than on other days of the week. The toddy Shop is exactly located at a place called Arumanoor in the Kottayam district. We met a guy called Shaji in the shop and he is the one who takes care of the cooking. He gave us details about the recipes which were in the cooking stage. Apparently, rabbit recipes are almost a given on the menu on all days. But unfortunately for us, the rabbit was not available for procurement on that day and hence we were not able to enjoy the dish.

Our vlog at Arumanoor toddy shop in Kottayam

Firewood is being used for cooking and when asked about the dish which is most liked by the people, he explained to me with a smile that almost all the recipes are favourites for the customers. But even then, he came up with a list of food items like Fish Mappas, Rabbit, Koonthal (Squid), Meen thala (Fish head) and Duck recipes which were in high demand. As with the case of almost all the toddy shop preparations, the spiciness and the sour flavour of some of the recipes might be on the higher side when compared to the ones we normally have. As these recipes are prepared with an eye for the people who come in to have the toddy, slightly aroused flavours should be expected from these food spots.

We have ordered the special Manjakoori (Catfish) Mappas, Pothu vara (Beef deep fry) and Beef fry along with Appam and Tapioca. Beef deep fry has sliced beef pieces and it looks more fried than the normal beef fry. Even though Beef deep fry has been the special recipe, we both have found the normal beef fry more appealing to us with its softness and flavour. Fish Mappas on the other hand had a slightly sour flavour with the use of Malabar tamarind and it goes really well Appam. Since the catfish has really soft meat and a light mud flavour, I felt it was more suited for fish curry preparations with red chilly. Tapioca along with fish curry is also an attractive combination which we tasted towards the end.

Arumanoor Toddy shop in Kottayam has specially constructed dining rooms for families. The building is being made around a nutmeg tree with the table aligned around the tree trunk. It was a fascinating experience to have food from yet another toddy shop. The restaurant also have meals served during the lunchtime. If you are on your travels with your family and you wish to enjoy delectable Kerala cuisines in Kottayam, Arumanoor Toddy Shop would surely be a great choice.