Our Full Menu
Authentic Malabar flavors — snacks, breads, biriyanis, curries and more. Pre-orders welcome Tue – Sat, 9 am – 2 pm | 5 – 9 pm.
1/151 Martyn Street, Cairns · +61 423 347 001 · info@themalabars.com.au
Snacks
Savoury bites and flaky pastries
Egg Puffs
Hard-boiled egg nestled in a spicy onion masala filling, all encased in flaky, golden-brown puff pastry.
Chicken Puffs
Easy puff pastry appetizers filled with South Indian creamy chicken filling.
Beef Puffs
Savoury flaky pastries filled with South Indian seasoned ground or shredded beef.
Paneer Puffs
A popular Indian savoury snack featuring a spiced filling of paneer (Indian cottage cheese).
Banana Fritters
A popular snack or dessert made from bananas coated in batter and deep-fried until golden and crispy.
Other Special Snacks
Subject to availability — ask the counter for today's specials.
Breads & Rice
From flaky parottas to fragrant ghee rice
Appam (Hoppers)
A bowl-shaped pancake made from fermented rice and coconut milk batter.
Idiyappam (String Hoppers)
South Indian / Sri Lankan breakfast dish made from steamed rice flour dough pressed into thin, noodle-like strands.
Parotta (Layered Flatbread)
A popular, flaky, and layered flatbread from South India.
Noolparotta (Layered String Flatbread)
A popular South Indian flaky bread characterized by its numerous fine, string-like layers.
Malabar Ghee Rice
A rich, aromatic South Indian rice dish from Kerala, made by sautéing small-grain Kaima/Jeerakasala rice in ghee with whole spices.
Plain Basmati Rice
Fluffy, fragrant basmati rice — the perfect base.
Combo: 2 Plain Ghee Dosa + Sambar + Chutney
Thin, crispy, and golden brown dosa made from fermented rice-and-lentil batter on a griddle with generous topping of ghee.
Combo: 3 Idli + Sambar + Chutney
Steamed cakes made from a fermented batter of rice and lentils.
Curries
Slow-cooked, spice-forward, deeply Malabar
Kerala Veg Stew / Curry
An aromatic South Indian dish made by cooking mixed veg in a spiced gravy base and coconut milk.
Kerala Beef Roast
Slow-roasted, tender beef cubes coated in a thick, spicy mix of coconut oil, fried coconut slices, curry leaves, shallots, onion, ginger and garlic.
Malabar Chicken Curry
A delicious traditional chicken curry made with roasted coconut and ground spices.
Chef's Butter Chicken
Marinated chicken in a rich, creamy, spiced tomato-based sauce with butter and cream.
Chef's Butter Paneer
Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) in a rich gravy made with butter, tomatoes and cashews.
Egg Roast
A zesty fare in which eggs are cooked and coated in a spicy, caramelized onion-tomato gravy.
Kerala Fish Curry
Traditional style Kerala fish curry made with spices, coconut milk and Malabar tamarind.
Biriyani
Cafe's signature dum-cooked rice bowls
Malabar Chicken Dum Biriyani
Cafe's signature Malabar dish — marinated chicken cooked in a spicy onion-tomato gravy, layered with fragrant ghee-roasted rice and steamed (dum method).
Malabar Beef Dum Biriyani
A fragrant Kerala specialty — tenderized beef slow-cooked (dum) with spicy masala, layered with aromatic ghee-fried Kaima (Jeerakasala) rice.
Others
Comfort plates from the Kerala kitchen
Kappa
Mashed tapioca mixed with grated coconut and tempering.
Kappa + Fish Curry
Mashed tapioca with grated coconut and tempering, paired with Kerala fish curry.
Kappa + Beef Roast
Mashed tapioca with grated coconut and tempering, paired with Kerala beef roast.