Favorite South Indian Recipes from Kerala and Tamil Nadu
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News Flash:
Ann Vinod has just launched her culinary tour of south India. Follow her blog posts as she traveled first to Dubai and Goa, then on to Chennai, Pondicherry, Wayanad, Kozhikode and Palakkad to sample the local specialties. |
Recipe of the Month - Grilled Chicken Cafreal (5/2/13) This Indian recipe that originated from Goa is easy to make as well as delicious. It immediately became a favorite in my house. Recipe of the Month - Fenugreek Chicken Curry (4/4/13) I discovered this dish during my recent trip to India. My version of this Indian recipe is low in fat and calories yet absolutely delicious. |
South Indian Cuisine
With a very interesting and colorful history, it is no wonder that South Indian cuisine is so delicious and loved by billions of people around the world. Over the last five thousand years, India has been influenced by many different groups of invaders, conquerors, traders and missionaries including the Persians, Greeks, Mauryans, and the Gupta Empire who brought different foods, spices, cooking techniques, cookware and traditions with them. Much of what was brought to India, in some form, was integrated or adapted into South Indian cuisine.South Indian food is easily identifiable due to its frequent use of rice, spices, lentils and unique vegetables. Most South Indian recipes contain either dried red chiles or fresh green chiles in addition to garlic, ginger and onions. The generous use of different spices, like cumin, cardamom, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, mustard seeds and peppercorns, give Indian food flavor. Whether a recipe has gravy, called a curry, or is dry, called a masala, these spices when cooked in multiple layers with onions and tomatoes give the Indian food its distinct flavor.
Each region of modern India has different flavors and uses different ingredients in its food. The Moguls heavily influenced North Indian cooking. The dishes may be steeped in rich elegant curries made with cream spices and nuts. Two of my favorites are Malai Kofta and Rogan Josh. Grilled meats like Seekh Kababs and Tandoori Chicken are worldwide favorite food ambassadors. In addition, I must mention my favorite biryanis that are made with marinated meat, lamb or chicken, and then layered with tender rice.
South Indian cuisine is quite different from that of North India. What I find most impressive about South Indian cooking is that each state in this region has very unique flavors, ingredients, techniques and recipes. This is due to the fact that there were 580 princely states prior to unification into a united India in 1947. Most South Indian dishes are rice or lentil based and a high proportion of them are vegetarian. Sambar (a lentil soup), Idlis (steamed rice cakes), and Dosa (thin rice cakes) are some of the most representative dishes of this region.Kerala cooking is heavily influenced by the abundance of coconut trees that grow everywhere. Grated coconut and coconut milk are used in most Kerala cooking to enhance both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Other fruits that grow in abundance are jackfruit and pineapple. Rice, tapioca (called kappa in Kerala) and koorkai (called Chinese potatoes) are very popular and are part of a staple diet.
The cuisine of Tamil Nadu, or Madras, offers more varieties of rice and lentil based dishes than Kerala and is home to the best Sambar and Dosa in the world. This food has a unique and distinctive flavor that is due to the combination of spices used. It is known for its spicy hot dishes.
The best of the traditional South Indian recipes from Kerala and Tamil Nadu are included in the recently published South Indian cookbook, Kachi's Kitchen, written by Ann Vinod.
South Indian Recipes
Even though 60 percent of the Indian population is vegetarian, a large variety of dishes are available which are extremely tasty. Non-vegetarians typically prefer to have at least one meat or fish dish, perhaps both, along with their vegetable dishes. Unlike American cuisine, Indian meals do not focus on a main dish that is complimented by the side dishes. Every dish that is served is equally important to the menu. There are five common attributes to an Indian meal: aroma, color, texture, taste and variety.The meals served in our household are diverse and flavorful using the many fresh and local ingredients while providing a healthy nutritional balance for a growing family. Each meal seems to have an endless list of possibilities which I hope you will try and enjoy as I post them each month.
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