Karnataka
Not many of us realise that when we generalise South Indian cuisine into idli (rice cake) and dosa (crispy rice and black lentil crepes), they don’t represent the region in entirety. Idlis are atypical to one state alone — Karnataka, and more specifically, to the city of Udupi. It is speculated that when Udupi’s denizens travelled pan-India, they vended their regional cuisine for survival. It didn’t take long for their coconut chutney, sambar (lentil based vegetable broth), and idli to charm foreign tastebuds, and satiate ravenous appetites at a low cost. Even today the Udupi restaurants are known for budget meals throughout India.
While these dishes are now common fare, Karnataka’s other food from Coorg, a rainforest on the the Western Ghats, is less known. Back in the days, wild game formed a major part of Coorg’s diet, as opposed to the vegetarian, and mildly spiced Udupi cuisine. In fact, the meats weren’t as heavily seasoned as they are now; they used to simply rub salt and turmeric on their prey, and dry it before consumption. Also, from deer, rabbit and wild boar, the present day meat option is limited to pork, and chicken has entered their kitchens not very long ago.
In spite of its evolution, Coorg’s traditional menu still has dried one meat dish — onak erachi. Then there is the pork roast, fried pork and the traditional pandi (pork) curry served with kadumbutt (rice balls) or akki roti (rice bread). Vegetarians can enjoy bamboo curry, but have a better chance of a feast in North Karnataka. No doubt sharing a border with Maharashtra has influenced their eating habits, but their recipes still have a regional twist of their own. A plethora of rice-based dishes that originated here include bisibele bhath (spiced lentil rice), vangi bhath (bringal rice), khara bhath (semolina, coconut, and vegetables mix). Halasina hannina kadubu, a jackfruit and rice mix is common throughout the state.
Of course, no trip to Karnataka is complete without their famous filter coffee, as Coorg is, after all, India’s base for coffee plantations. It is milky and sweet, and is served in short steel glasses. I ordered the coffee more as a low-fat dessert, than anything else.
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
Jump over the border to Andhra Pradesh (AP) for the spiciest of South Indian cuisines. Pickles, especially of raw mangoes are found in almost every traditional household for no meal is complete without it. Then there is the grainy gunpowder that goes with just about anything. How it got its name is a mystery, but its ingredients of lentils, cumin, garlic and chilli endorse its bold flavours. Mix this with oil and eat it with idli. Vepudu is another spice-mix that adds the zing to fried meats and vegetables.
If indulging in picante edibles isn’t a habit, you might want to prepare yourself for the regal feast from Hyderabad, once the capital of AP, now the capital of recently separated Telangana state since June 2014. Its biryani and kebabs employ the erstwhile Nizam’s style of slow cooking meat with spices. As if the biryani (spiced rice with meat) isn’t hot enough, it is always accompanied with chilli curry or mirch ka salan. Then there are the Boti kebab made from lamb’s thigh, chakana that is a goat liver and kidney stew, and bhuna gosht or saluted mutton that are equally spicy. The vegetarian pumpkin stew or kaddu dalcha, and a soupy mix of two lentils known as khatti dal are easier on the untrained palate.
For the undaunted, try the pulusu, available throughout AP. It is a vegetable, meat or seafood curry that gets its dark colour from a heavy dose of red chillies. Even though it is eaten with rice or millet bread, no amount can reduce its fieriness.
Tamil Nadu
Chettinad, a small city in Tamil Nadu (TN), India’s southern-most state, ranks second on the spice chart. Even though they get their flavours from local spices such as star anise, stone flower, dried flower pods, and tamarind, the chilli ratio in comparison to them is quite high. Some include grated coconut too.
One to experiment in the kitchen, I find this South Indian cuisine the simplest to cook. Their curry paste is more or less similar weather you use chicken, egg, vegetables or seafood. In my opinion, Chettinad’s prawn curry and pan fried fish fillets are the tastiest. While rice is always an option, the best accompaniment is idiyappam — steamed strings of rice flour. These are better than the parottas that are similar to North Indian flat breads, and are doused in clarified butter. It is believed that dosas originated from here. This explains the variation — uttapam, which are onions and tomatoes mixed into dosa batter.
Another spicy dish, and one that isn’t traditional, but is synonymous to Chennai, TN’s capital, is Chicken 65. The spicy deep fried snack was invented in 1965 by Buhari Hotel on Mount Road in the city. It gets its flavours from garlic, ginger and red chillies. The rest of South India has tried to replicate the dish, and have their own versions. Visitors who know Chicken 65 this won’t leave without making a meal of it.
The rest of Tamil Nadu is milder in taste, larger in variety, and is mostly vegetarian. Pongal is a sweet or savoury, soggy rice dish prepared in many ways. It is also the name of a South Indian harvest festival. Rasam is a hot tomato and tamarind soup eaten with rice. Vada, which is also part of menus in Udupi restaurants are fried from a batter of lentils with other ingredients in a variety of combinations; few include meat too. Thayir sadam is a humble curd and rice dish, topped with curry leaves and sesame seeds fried in oil.
Kerala
Coconut is employed more liberally in Kerala, smallest of all South Indian states. Known for their back waters on one side and the Arabian Sea on the other, this is paradise for a seafood enthusiast. Fish moilee, a coconut based stew and is eaten with appam, a pancake made from fermented rice and coconut milk. The prawn curry includes jaggery in addition to coconut milk. Mussels are marinated in spices and grated coconut and served dry or steamed. The batter for fried prawns, shrimp and fish, devoid of coconut, are equally delicious. Kappa puzhungiyathu steamed tapioca is often paired with fish curry or moilee, and can even be eaten as is.
Avial is a quintessentially Keralite mixture of coconuts and vegetables from its northern region — the cuisine is categorised as Malabar, and is influenced by Mughal-Arab cultures. Thalassery biryani, a Malabar special, unlike other biryanis is made from short rice grains. Even their breads are different to the rest of South India — pathiri is a paper thin rice pancake that is soaked in coconut milk to retain its softness.
