The Untold History of Malabar Parotta: How Keralam's Delicacy Traces Its Origin to Sri Lanka and Travancore's Famine

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WHEN SOMEONE VISITS KERALAM, INDIA, there is always that one dish that tops the recommendation list. Yes, we are talking about parotta. The dish is very popular among Malayalis and can be paired with different side dishes, but it is most preferred with beef fry. Parotta is basically a layered flatbread made typically with maida and oil. 

However, besides the dish’s extensive popularity in the state, there is a heartbreaking story behind its origin. This lesser-known story about parotta is only one of the versions known about how the dish was discovered. As per reports, the history of parotta can be traced back to the Malabar region, where the people’s beloved layered flatbread became famous for the first time.

The exact date of its origin is unknown, but the origin of parotta is linked to the brutal famine in the princely state of Travancore, which is now part of Keralam, that hit in the 1940s during the Second World War (1939-1945). 

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Story Behind the Origin of Malabar Parotta

Blogger Krish Ashok shared one of the lesser-known theories in his book Masala Lab about how Keralam’s parotta came to be. The idea was derived from Jaffna in Sri Lanka.

Back in the 1940s, the state of Travancore was hit by a terrible famine during the Second World War. As per some reports, thousands of people lost their lives due to the shortage of food after Japan’s conquest of Burma (now called Myanmar) from the British in 1942. The people of Travancore lost access to rice after Burma’s conquest, leading to a food crisis in the region. At the time, Travancore was considered a cash-crop economy after the 19th century and was highly dependent on Burma for its rice supply. 

The Japanese invasion of Burma directly led to the cutoff of the rice supply to Travancore, resulting in the nightmare that the people subsequently faced. Although the number has not been verified, as per reports, an estimated 90,000 people died due to the Travancore famine. What happened next changed the future of Travancore forever. 

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As written by India Today, the British had pushed for wheat-based food as a remedy for the famine. Some sailors had often visited Sri Lanka, where they came across this Veechu Parotta, made with maida, which was light and had layers. The recipe was brought back and later on became quite popular in Malabar. There are several versions of parotta, but the most common one is the Malabar Parotta. 

The discovery of Malayalis’ beloved parotta became a worldwide phenomenon, with multiple variations emerging. After 1845, many people from India had to migrate to Trinidad as indentured labourers, also known as Girmityas. The Girmityas were people who left India to work in the British colonies, including Trinidad.

Their version of Buss Up Shut resembles Kerala’s parotta. The indentured labourers brought this flaky, layered flatbread to Trinidad and Tobago, where it is usually made with ghee. The name “Buss Up Shut” comes from the dish’s visual resemblance to a busted-up shirt. 

Keralam’s parotta story allegedly started with the Travancore famine and later became one of the state’s most sought-after dishes. 

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(Edited By Harsh Pandey)

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