Wayanad district is home to a number of tribal communities and their unique cultures. The most prominent among them is the Paniya tribal community.
It is believed that the paniya tribes who lived a free and independent life at Ippimala, in the Banasura ranges, were enslaved by the 'janmis' (landed aristocracy). The people of the tribe take pride in their heritage and still call themselves the 'children of Ippimala.' It is estimated that there are around 70,000 members in about 15,800 paniya families in the Wayanad district.
Traditionally, the paniya community never indulged in agricultural activities. They used to hunt for food from the woods and Kabani River. Fresh fish, crab and tapioca mainly constituted their cuisine.
Kabani is the only river in Kerala which flows to the east. The crabs which are abundantly found on the wetlands of Kabini are a favourite delicacy of the paniya tribe.
Fresh crabs are roasted over hot coals. Special chutney made with roasted crab meat and chillies, called bajji, is loved by the paniya people. Crab and colocasia stem curry is a favourite too.
Chopped colocasia stem and crab are cooked in boiling water. A coarse paste of ginger, tamarind, salt and chillies is added to add flavour. This paste is added into the boiling mixture of crab and colocasia stem. The nutritious crab curry tastes delicious with rice which has bran on it. In fact, the elderly attribute the secret of their amazing health to this tasty combination. The paniya tribes work hard throughout the day and often complain of severe back ache and body pain. It is said that this delicious crab curry has excellent medicinal properties which eases body pain.