Food
Recipes > Southern Flavours
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Southern Flavours
A product of both, North and South India, successful cookbook author Chandra Padmanabhan has a unique and pan-Indian outlook on cooking. This month, she introduces us to some delicious South Indian dishes, proving, once and for all, that there is more to Dravidian cuisine than Dosas and Idlis
When Chandra Padmanabhan began her writing career, with the concept of introducing South Indian cooking to the North Indian populace, she found an instant following among young, culinarily inexperienced souls who were newly married and clueless, far away from home or just kitchen challenged! In a time before cooking blogs and youtube videos, here was a simple way to make some of the best South Indian dishes. Here are some of her signature recipes.
Carrot Payasam
Payasam is typically a celebratory dish and is served all over India, in the north it is better known as ‘Kheer’ and it is one of the country’s most beloved sweets. In South India, it is usually served at weddings or poojas - payasam is the perfect finish to a wonderful South Indian meal. This carrot payasam dish hails from Andhra Pradesh.
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Ingredients
Full cream milk 1.5 litres
Saffron strands ½ tsp
Grated carrots 1 ¼ cups
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Almonds (blanched, peeled and halved) ¼ cup
Sugar ½ - ¾ cup
Fresh cream (optional) 1 cup |
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| Preparation |
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Heat ½ cup of the measured milk and place the saffron strands in it. Soak the saffron for 30 minutes.
Take a pan with a heavy base and place ¼ a cup of water into it.
Add the carrots to the water and cook them on moderate heat for around 7 to 8 minutes until the carrots are tender.
Add the rest of the milk to the mix and allow the concoction to simmer on the stove, keeping the temperature at low to moderate heat for a period of 18 to 20 minutes. Once the milk thickens, you can stir in the almonds and sugar. Let the mix simmer until the payasam is thick and has the right consistency to be poured.
Serves: 4 to 6 persons
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| Kosu Carrot Rasam |
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An intriguing variant on the traditional Parupu Rasam, this cabbage and carrot rasam is traditionally served after a healthy helping of Sambar and Rice and followed by Curd rice. Eaten piping hot with rice, this soup-like dish is light and flavourful.
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Ingredients
Husked, split pigeon peas (tuvar dal) ½ cup
Medium sized tomatoes 2
Carrot, finely chopped 1
Cabbage, finely chopped ½ cup
Turmeric powder ½ tsp
Salt To taste
Lime juice 1.5 tbsp
(For spice powder)
Oil 2 tsp
Black peppercorns 1.5 tsp
Cumin seeds (jeera) ½ tsp
Coriander seeds (dhania) 4 tsp
Grated dried coconut 3 tbsp
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(For tempering)
Ghee 2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder (hing) ½ tsp
Dried red chilli, halved 1
Curry leaves 1 sprig
(For garnishing)
Coriander leaves, chopped 2 tbsp
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| Preparation |
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Wash the dal and drain it. Place the dal in a pressure cooker along with a cup of water. Cook it for 5 minutes.
Puree the tomatoes and then strain them. Set the juice aside.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the peppercorns, cumin seeds and coriander seeds and fry over low heat. Toss the mix gently, till they are fragrant. Add the coconut and stir in, before removing the pan from the stove. Now, grind till it is a fine powder and use as spice.
Take 2 cups of water and boil them over high heat. Next, add the carrot, cabbage and turmeric powder. Lower the heat, cover the pan and then allow the mix to simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until the veggies are nice and tender.
Stir in the cooked dal, the tomato puree and the spice powder. Also add in the salt at this stage. If the mix is too thick, add a little water until you achieve the consistency you desire.
Allow the rasam to simmer, uncovered, on low to moderate heat for 4 to 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Heat the ghee for tempering. Add the rest of the ingredients for tempering. Fry over moderate heat until the mustard seeds begin to splutter. Stir the concoction into the rasam. Mix the lime juice into the rasam and finally, garnish the dish with coriander leaves. Serve it hot with rice.
Serves: 4 to 6 persons
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| Pandigai Moru Kuzhambu |
A curd curry from Tamil Nadu, this Kuzhambu is traditionally prepared at festivals and other celebrations.
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Ingredients
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(For spice paste)
Oil 2 tsp
Husked, split black gram (urad dal) 2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds (methi) ¾ tsp
Dried red chillies 4
Green chillies 2
Freshly grated coconut ¾ cup
(For Kuzhambu)
Slightly sour curd 2 cups
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder ½ tsp
Peeled and chopped (1” cubes) ash gourd 1.5 cups (250 gms)
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(For tempering)
Oil 2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder (hing) ½ tsp
Dried red chilli, halved 1
Curry leaves 1 sprig |
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| Preparation |
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Heat the oil for the spice paste in a frying pan. Add the dal, fenugreek seeds and the green and red chillies. Fry the mix over low heat and toss gently until the dal turns golden. When the chillies are fragrant, start cooling the mix. Then, add the coconut and grind the paste till it is smooth. Gradually add ½ cup of water to the paste.
Add salt to the curd and then put in the turmeric powder and the spice paste. Whisk the mixture until it is smooth and thoroughly blended.
Begin tempering by heating the oil in a pan. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan and then fry over moderate heat until the mustard seeds start spluttering.
Mix in the ash gourd and 1 cup water. Once that is done, cover the pan and allow the mixture to simmer over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Stir it occasionally until the gourd is tender.
Stir in the spiced curd to the mix. Heat thoroughly and keep stirring in order to prevent the curd from curdling.
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| Tengai Sadam |
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This coconut based rice dish is commonly made in all the four Southern states.
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Ingredients
Basmati rice 1 cup
Salt to taste
(For spice powder)
Ghee 2 tsp and ¼ cup
Dried red chillies 4 to 5
Asafoetida powder (hing) ½ tsp
Fenugreek seeds (methi) 1 tsp
Husked, split Bengal gram (chana dal) 2 tbsp
Freshly grated coconut 2 cups
(For garnish)
Ghee 2 tbsp and 2 tbsp
Cashew nuts, halved 2 tbsp
Raw peanuts, shelled 2 tbsp
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(For tempering)
Ghee 2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Black gram, husked (urad dal) 1 tsp
Bengal gram, husked 1 tsp
Dried red chilli, halved 1
Green chillies, slit along the length 2
Curry leaves 1 sprig
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| Preparation |
Cook the rice first and then spread it on a platter for it to cool.
Heat 2 tbsp of ghee for the spice powder in a frying pan over moderate heat. Then, add the red chillies, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida powder and the dal. Fry the mix over low heat and toss it gently, until the chillies and spices are fragrant and the dal turns golden. At this point, remove it from the pan and set it aside.
Heat up the ¼ cup of ghee in the same pan and add the coconut. Fry over low heat and toss gently till golden.
Combine all the ingredients for the spice powder and grind them to form a fine powder.
Heat 2 tbsp of ghee for garnish in the same pan. Add cashew nuts and fry over low heat, until they are golden. Drain and then set aside.
In the same pan, heat ghee for tempering. Add the remaining ingredients for tempering. Fry over moderate heat, till the mustard seeds splutter.
Add the cooked rice, salt and spice powder. Then toss the food gently to mix and remove it from the heat.
Garnish it with fried cashew nuts and peanuts and serve hot or at room temperature.
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