It’s Not Just Curry!

story by Karuna Meda
photo by Alyssa Birnbaum

When I go to Indian restaurants, I can feel my roots tugging my hand away from the plate, revolting against the injustice done to Indian food – it’s not just curry! Let’s explore the South Indian palate, the forgotten Indian cuisine.

COMMONALITIES

The cuisine in all four regions of South India has common elements. It is typically hotter than North Indian food, and uses less butter and cream. Any Indian cook will stock coriander, cumin, cinnamon, clove, and cardamom in his or her kitchen. Coconut and rice are both used exten sively. Pongal, a sweet or savory rice dish with lentils, is prevalent across the four regions. South Indians often use banana leaves instead of plates, an eco-friendly and healthy way to serve food.

REGIONS

The food of Karnataka uses brown sugar (“jag gery”) in savory dishes such as obattu saru, a tomato soup with cumin and tam arind. Andhra Pradesh has the hottest food of India and strong Muslim influence; a typical dish is biryani (rice pilaf with meat, green chillis, cinna mon, ginger-garlic paste, and bay leaves). Kerala, on the coast, is known for seafood prepared in coconut oil or milk, and appams, a fluffy crepe. The mostly vegetarian Tamil Nadu is famous for vartha kulambu, a len til soup with curry leaves and pearl onions.

NUTRITION

South Indian cuisine uses little oil and has a greater emphasis on spices with medicinal properties. Harvard researchers found that idlis, a dish of rice dumplings usually eaten with lentil soup or sambhar, is a good source of fiber and protein. Like many Indian dishes, sambhar contains turmeric; chemicals in turmeric-curcumin have been shown to protect against cancer and heart disease. Whole spices like cardamom, cloves, and ginger are frequently used for their digestive benefits.

MY EXPERIENCE

I grew up in Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka, but my mother hails from Mangalore in North Karnataka. The thought of her Mangalorean chicken gassi and neer dosa makes me pine for home. The chicken is simmered in a spicy coconut gravy and infused with the wonderful flavors of red chilli, fenugreek, cori ander seeds, and tamarind. The coconut milk tempers the fire of the red chilli and adds a delicate texture. The neer dosa is a lacy pancake that soaks up the gravy and melts away in your mouth.