An Easy Recipe

South India has warm, sultry climate and all its states are coastal. Rainfall is copious and so is the supply of fresh fruits, vegetables and rice.The Andhra cuisine has had a huge Mughal impact. Their food is known for its piquancy and hotness. Surely, the Kabas and Biriyanis from this part of India is particularly tasty and without doubt not to be missed. The papads and curry powders from the southern parts of Andhra and Tamil Nadu are part of the southern culinary tradition. Food in Tamil Nadu, brings to mind idlis, dosas, sambhar and vada. Beside these immensely popular classics, there are more tasty fares. In south India there are huge numbers of vegetarian dishes. The food in this region use generous amount of spices and coconuts. The final tempering with oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried red chilies and urad dal is similar for most of the dishes.

From Kerala comes Malabari cooking, with its vast range of flavorsome seafood cuisines. The region has some great varieties of snacks made from a distinct variety of banana that is 3 times the size of the normal bananas.

Style of food: For the most part, South Indian cuisines are possibly the spiciest of all Indian food. Meals are focused around rice or rice-based dishes. Rice is combined with Sambaar (a soup-like lentil dish tempered with whole spices and chillies) and rasam (a hot-sour soup like lentil dish), dry and curried vegetables and meat dishes and a host of coconut-based chutneys and poppadums (deep-fried crispy lentil pancakes). South Indians are great lovers of filter coffee.

Staple foods: No South Indian meal is replete without including some form or other – either boiled rice or in the form of pancakes like idlis and dosas (steamed cakes made from rice batter), Dosas or Uttapams (pancakes made from a batter of rice and lentil flour). Daals (lentils) are also a component of most meals.

Cooking oils commonly utilized: Coconut oil is most commonly used for cooking and frying. Vegetable oils like sunflower and canola are also used and ghee is poured over rice to impart that special essence and tang.

Chief spices and ingredients: Curry leaves, mustard, Asafetida, pepper and peppercorns, tamarind, chillies and fenugreek seeds. Popular dishes: Idlis, Dosas, Vadas, Sambaar, Uttapams, Rasam, Payasam.

For additional details on Indian food and other international recipes please look at the food community at Indian Recipes. Those interested in South Indian recipes can take a look at South Indian Food

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