▶ Hear it spoken by a native voice.
In short: To say food is delicious in spoken Malayalam, say നല്ല രുചി! (nalla ruchi!) — "really tasty!" — or the popular slang അടിപൊളി! (adipoli!), "awesome!". To compliment the cook: കിടിലൻ ആയിട്ടുണ്ട് (kidilan aayittundu), "it's turned out brilliant."
Variations & related phrases
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| നല്ല രുചി! | Nalla ruchi! | It's really tasty! |
| അടിപൊളി! | Adipoli! | Awesome! |
| നല്ല ടേസ്റ്റ് ആയിരുന്നു | Nalla taste aayirunnu | It was really tasty |
| കിടിലൻ! | Kidilan! | Brilliant! / Top-class! |
When & how to use it
Malayalis love a genuine food compliment. Adipoli is the fun, casual go-to; nalla ruchi is the everyday "tasty". Saying these at someone's home or a small restaurant goes a long way.
Example sentences
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| ആഹാ, ഈ കറി അടിപൊളി! | Aahaa, ee curry adipoli! | Wow, this curry is awesome! |
| നല്ല ടേസ്റ്റ് ആയിരുന്നു, നന്ദി ട്ടോ! | Nalla taste aayirunnu, nandi tto! | It was really tasty, thanks! |
Want to hear this used in a real conversation? Listen to Episode 11 - At a Restaurant in the free Listen & Learn library — every line has a Malayalam, romanised and English transcript.
Practise speaking it for real
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Book a lesson →Frequently asked questions
How do you say delicious in Malayalam?
Say നല്ല രുചി! (nalla ruchi!) — "really tasty!" — or അടിപൊളി! (adipoli!), "awesome!".
What does adipoli mean?
അടിപൊളി (adipoli) is popular slang for "awesome / brilliant," used for food and anything great.
How do you compliment a cook in Malayalam?
Say കിടിലൻ ആയിട്ടുണ്ട് (kidilan aayittundu), "it turned out brilliant."
How do you say it was tasty in Malayalam?
Say നല്ല ടേസ്റ്റ് ആയിരുന്നു (nalla taste aayirunnu).