As we dig deeper, we get to know that there are sub roots of the main roots in a tree. These may be invisible for naked eye on a first glance when dug, but are really necessary for each root to be feeding to the growth of the tree. Likewise, every major regional cuisine has sub branches within it that make the cuisine valued. South Indian cuisine bears many smaller cuisines within that are lesser known but are definitely distinct. Ingredients are unique to each sub cuisine and the method of cooking varies with a precise preconception about the specific taste that it will impart when added at a specific stage of cooking a recipe.
South Indian food never cease to amaze us since the recipes have been in existence and popularity since times immemorial. Though the method of preparation of each recipe might have varied with evolution of kitchen gadgets and the fusion of ingredients leading to creating amazing flavours that are off-beat from traditional tastes, the recipes reign till date not only in South India but have spread as a popular part of menu in other regions in India. They have even gained a popular place in menus of Indian themed restaurants and parties around the world. Here is a glimpse at the state cuisines from South India. Have a peep into the recipes that each cuisine is very well known for.
Telugu Cuisine
Andhra and Telangana are united by one language- Telugu, and so are a lot of recipes that they are intertwined with, too. Use of Guntur chillies is one of the main feature in its savoury recipes and the cuisine is very well known for its spices, and specialises in many specific sweets for each region. The Telugu menu consists of karam koora, pulusu, vepudu and more stir fries, podi (chutney podi), various oorugai (pickles), undalu, vadiyalu, garelu, bajji & more fritters, side dishes like pachadi, pulusu, charu, Main course like biryani, dosa, pesarattu, mudda, pulihora & more. It has drool-worthy vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes that have a wave of Middle Eastern taste to a few.
Karnataka Cuisine
As much as Karnataka is known for well-spoken and friendly people, its cuisine has a wide variety of native foods- from idli, dosa, uppittu, amazingly flavourful tempered rice, kadubu, paddu for breakfast to rotti, palya, gojju, bonda, thilee saaru, for lunch and dinner. There are intricate cuisines within Karnataka, like Karwar, Malnaad, Coorg, North Karnataka, Udupi, Mangalorean and more. Each cuisine has set of ingredients, cooking method and recipes that are distinct that makes the set categorically unique from the others. This also largely depends on the kind of climate and the local ingredients that are available in the specific region.
Tamil Nadu Cuisine
Tamil Nadu is not just a land of a variety of pongals and dosas but has so much more to it. Freshly ground masalas go in the preparation of the spicier of the spiciest Chettinad style recipes where as a simple tadka and a fresh grated coconut can make a Tamil Nadu side dish flavourful for sides. There are mouthwatering puliyodorai, Sambar, kootu, varuval, poriyal, kuzhambu, appam like paniyaram recipes, idiyappam, kozhukattai and more in this cuisine. A meal is incomplete without curd rice, sadam or rasam. Toothsome payasam and halwa are starts of this cuisine which have travelled beyond the Tamil diaspora in India and around the world.
Kerala Cuisine
Kerala with its scenic beauty, has a wide spread cuisine that is influenced by Portuguese and British due to colonisation. While the state has thorn, appam, avial, puttu, theeyal, kootu, erissery, pachadi, it also has drool-worthy stir fries, deep fried recipes, baked recipes, stews, pathiri, parotta and more. Like other South Indian cuisines, Kerala also specialises in sweet pudding recipes with minor variations in ingredients and similar cooking methods.
