A taste of Kerala in Hyderabad: stores that bring home closer

A customer purchasing coconut oil at Achoos Kerala Stores in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR

In different corners of Hyderabad, about 80 Kerala stores are doing something special: helping over five lakh Malayalis in the city feel a little closer to home. For them, these shops don’t just sell groceries; they bring back memories, traditions and the warmth of home.

Walk into one, and you’ll likely find banana chips, tapioca, coconut oil and pappadam. For many Malayalis residing in Hyderabad, these simple items are deeply personal—reminders of family, festivals and meals from childhood.

“People come in and smile when they see the tapioca or smell the chips. It’s not just food, its an emotion,” says Raghunathan, who runs ‘New Kerala Stores’ in Uppal. He came to Hyderabad from Thiruvananthapuram in 1985, looking for a job. He worked as an engineer and is now active in social work. The store is a side business that he runs with his wife. “We’ve been doing this for five years now,” he says. “We make the banana chips ourselves; Malayalis say they taste just like the ones back home.”

Wholesale of Kerala products

Most Kerala stores in Hyderabad get their products from one person: Pradeep. Now based in Fateh Nagar, he came to Hyderabad from Kannur in Kerala in 1990, hoping to join the Army. When that didn’t work out, he started a small shop at the Monda Market in Secunderabad. By 2010, he developed it into a wholesale establishment, which now supplies over 50 Kerala stores, hotels and even supermarkets.

“Malayalis mostly buy chips and pappadam,” says Pradeep. “People also ask for tapioca, pickles and other items they grew up with.” Pradeep is more than a businessman. Like many others in this community, he is deeply involved in Malayali cultural associations like Thanal Maram.

One of the oldest Kerala stores in the city is run by Pushpachandran, having opened his in Fateh Nagar in 1997. He came to visit his brother-in-law in Hyderabad. “He gave me the idea to start a Kerala store,” Pushpachandran says. “At first, business was dull. But slowly, more Malayalis began coming, and sales picked up.” Another long-time shop owner is Santhosh from Palakkad, who runs ‘Devi Kerala Stores’ in Safilguda. He started his business in 2000 and still runs it alone. “Most people come for tapioca and banana,” he opines.

For Binoy, who was born and brought up in Hyderabad but whose native is in Kozhikode, these stores help him feel connected to his culture. “I always buy nendran banana, coconut oil, chips and pickles,” he says. “I even introduced some of my non-Malayali friends to the shop. One of them now loves ‘Kanan Devan’ tea and chips.”

In Picket, Secunderabad, there’s a more modern Kerala store called ‘Achoos’, run by Parthasarathy, who is originally from Thrissur. An MBA holder, he worked in multinational companies in Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad before deciding to start his own business in 2009.

“I wanted to do something meaningful,” he says. “Something that connects with who I am. This shop does that.” He brings products from Kodungallur in Kerala and also offers online delivery. Most of his customers are Malayalis, but others come in too, often curious to try Kerala snacks. Varghese, originally from Thiruvalla, is a regular customer at Achoos. “I usually come for coconut, pappadam, idiyappam and Kerala rice,” he says. “It’s part of my routine now.”

Despite their different journeys, all these shop owners have something in common: they are keeping Kerala’s taste and spirit alive in a big city. For the Malayali community, these stores offer more than just products. They offer comfort, a place to speak Malayalam and reminder that home can be just around the corner, no matter where you are.