Malabar Snacks Names: The Full List of 40+ Kerala Snacks
By Abdulla K P
What are the most famous Malabar snacks?
The ten most famous Malabar snacks are Kozhi Ada, Pazham Pori, Unnakaya, Chatti Pathiri, Kozhikodan Halwa, Banana Chips, Sukhiyan, Parippu Vada, Neyyappam and Mutta Mala. In our own first-month search data at Calicut Cravings (Google Search Console, July 2026), Kozhi Ada and Kozhikodan Halwa were the two Malabar snack names people searched most often by name.
| # | Name | Malayalam | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kozhi Ada | കോഴി അട | Chicken-stuffed rice-flour pocket, steamed then pan-finished |
| 2 | Pazham Pori | പഴം പൊരി | Ripe Nendran banana fritters in a light batter |
| 3 | Unnakaya | ഉന്നക്കായ | Mashed plantain shells with sweet coconut filling, fried |
| 4 | Chatti Pathiri | ചട്ടി പത്തിരി | Layered crêpe “lasagne”, sweet or savoury |
| 5 | Kozhikodan Halwa | കോഴിക്കോടൻ ഹൽവ | Glossy wheat-starch halwa cooked in coconut oil |
| 6 | Banana Chips (Upperi) | ഉപ്പേരി | Thin Nendran chips fried in coconut oil |
| 7 | Sukhiyan | സുഖിയൻ | Green-gram and jaggery balls in fried batter |
| 8 | Parippu Vada | പരിപ്പ് വട | Crisp chana-dal fritters with shallots and curry leaves |
| 9 | Neyyappam | നെയ്യപ്പം | Small ghee-fried rice-and-jaggery cakes |
| 10 | Mutta Mala | മുട്ടമാല | Golden egg-yolk threads spun in sugar syrup |
What are all the Malabar snack names, by category?
The full Malabar repertoire divides into savouries, sweets, breads and festival specials. Every name below links to a full explanation or tested recipe on this site.
Savoury snacks
- Kozhi Ada - the hero: spiced chicken in a rice-flour pocket
- Irachi Pathiri - meat-filled fried pastry
- Meen Pathiri - fish-filled rice bread
- Parippu Vada - chana-dal fritters
- Kerala Cutlet - spiced potato-meat croquettes
- Arikkadukka - mussels stuffed with rice batter (north Malabar)
- Kozhi Pidi - rice dumplings in chicken gravy
- Banana Chips / Upperi - coconut-oil fried Nendran chips
- Kuzhalappam - crisp fried rice tubes with sesame
- Erachi Choru - one-pot meat rice (Thalassery style)
Sweet snacks
- Unnakaya - plantain shells with coconut-jaggery filling
- Pazham Pori - banana fritters
- Pazham Nirachathu - whole stuffed ripe banana
- Kozhikodan Halwa - Calicut’s wheat-starch halwa
- Sharkara Varatti - jaggery-coated banana chips
- Sukhiyan - sweet green-gram fritters
- Neyyappam / Unniyappam - ghee-fried jaggery cakes
- Mutta Mala - spun egg-yolk garlands
- Mutta Surka / Pinjanathappam - steamed egg-white cake, Mutta Mala’s partner
- Kalathappam - dense rice-jaggery cake (Kannur)
- Tharippola - stovetop semolina-egg cake
- Ela Ada - rice parcels with coconut, steamed in banana leaf
- Achappam - rose cookies pressed with an achu mould
- Maamoul - date-filled semolina cookies, an Arab inheritance
Breads and bases
- Ari Pathiri - thin rice-flour flatbread
- Chatti Pathiri - the layered “Malabar lasagne”
- Malabar Chicken Biryani - Thalassery biryani with jeerakasala rice
Drinks and porridges
- Sulaimani Chai - spiced black tea with lime
- Thari Kanji - sweet semolina drink for iftar
- Aleesa - pounded wheat-and-chicken porridge, cousin of Arab harees
Which Malabar snacks are served at Ramadan iftar?
The Malabar iftar table is built around fried snacks that serve fast in volume: Kozhi Ada, Unnakaya, Sukhiyan, Pazham Nirachathu, Irachi Pathiri, Tharippola and Kalathappam, opened with dates and a glass of Thari Kanji. Kerala’s iftar food culture is documented widely - Onmanorama’s reporting on Malabar snacks at Gulf iftar gatherings [1] shows the same names travelling wherever Malayalis live. Around 2.2 million Keralites work abroad, most in the Gulf, according to the Kerala Migration Survey (2023) [2] - which is why Ramadan is the single biggest season for Malabar food, at home and away.
Our own festival guide covers timing and hampers: Ramadan iftar snacks.
Why do Malabar snacks have Arab influences?
Malabar snacks carry Arab influence because Calicut (Kozhikode) was a major Indian Ocean trading port for centuries - Ibn Battuta described it in the 14th century, and Vasco da Gama landed there in 1498 [3] . Arab traders settled, married locally, and the Mappila community’s kitchen absorbed dates, semolina bakes and dishes like harees (which became Aleesa) and maamoul. Even the word “calico” - the cotton cloth - takes its name from Calicut [4] . The full story is in The story of Calicut.
Where can you buy Malabar snacks online?
A handful of Kerala kitchens ship Malabar snacks across India. Calicut Cravings - a founder-led kitchen in Kozhikode - ships Kozhi Ada, banana chips, sharkara varatti, maamoul and festival hampers pan-India, with every recipe on this site tested in the same kitchen. Whoever you buy from, check three things: a named Kerala kitchen, coconut-oil frying, and honest shelf-life numbers. Our neutral survey of the market is here: best Malabar snacks online.
As of July 2026, this list covers every Malabar snack documented in our kitchen’s recipe library
- 29 tested recipes and a 24-term glossary, maintained by Calicut Cravings, the Calicut-based kitchen that ships authentic Malabar snacks across India. If a name is missing, tell us and we’ll research, cook and add it.
Keep reading & shopping
Frequently asked
What are the most famous Malabar snacks?
The ten best-known Malabar snacks are Kozhi Ada, Pazham Pori, Unnakaya, Chatti Pathiri, Kozhikodan Halwa, Banana Chips (Upperi), Sukhiyan, Parippu Vada, Neyyappam and Mutta Mala. Kozhi Ada - a chicken-stuffed rice pocket - and Kozhikodan Halwa are the two most searched-for by name.What is the difference between Malabar snacks and Kerala snacks?
Malabar snacks are the northern-Kerala subset of Kerala snacks, shaped by the Mappila Muslim kitchen and centuries of Arab trade through Calicut. Dishes like Kozhi Ada, Unnakaya, Chatti Pathiri, Aleesa and Muttamala are distinctly Malabari; banana chips and Pazham Pori are eaten statewide.Which Malabar snacks are served at iftar during Ramadan?
The classic Malabar iftar table includes Thari Kanji (semolina drink), Kozhi Ada, Unnakaya, Sukhiyan, Pazham Nirachathu, Irachi Pathiri, Tharippola and Kalathappam. Fried snacks dominate because they are quick to serve in volume after the fast breaks.Which Malabar snacks are vegetarian?
Vegetarian Malabar snacks include Pazham Pori, Unnakaya, Banana Chips, Sharkara Varatti, Sukhiyan, Parippu Vada, Neyyappam, Ela Ada, Achappam, Kuzhalappam, Kalathappam and Kozhikodan Halwa. The meat-based ones - Kozhi Ada, Irachi Pathiri, Erachi Choru, Mutta Surka - all have well-known vegetarian counterparts.What snack is Calicut (Kozhikode) most famous for?
Kozhikodan Halwa - the glossy wheat-starch sweet cooked in coconut oil and sold along SM Street ('Sweet Meat Street'), which is literally named after it. Among savouries, Kozhi Ada and the city's banana chips are the best known.Where can I buy authentic Malabar snacks online?
A small number of Kerala-based kitchens ship Malabar snacks across India, including Calicut Cravings, which cooks in Kozhikode itself. Check that the seller names a real Kerala kitchen, uses coconut oil, and publishes honest shelf-life numbers before ordering.