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Regional Cuisine of India South Indian Style

Southern India, where the cultural and linguistic the native Dravidians is still apparent, has developed distinct culinary traditions through thousands of years of culture. South Indian cuisine has also been influenced by the climate of the region, as well as its geography, including coastal areas.

The hot climate makes hot and spicy foods, inspiring body-cooling sweat, very popular. Rice is the foundation of most meals, complemented by dal, pulses or lentils, and South Indian cuisine is well known for its superb and often extravagant rice dishes. South Indian cuisine differs from other region in several ways, with their dals and curries tending to be more soup like, and their much more common use of coconut milk in cooking. Meals served in the traditional style are presented on banana leaves, in a particular pattern of presentation.

In addition to the coconut milk, there are many flavors that make up the South Indian style of cuisine. The coastal areas contribute the fish and prawns that are an important part of the diet in the southern state of Andrah. These dishes tend to be seasoned with a lighter hand, making use of sesame and coconut oils, black pepper, cumin, turmeric, coriander, ground hot pepper, and a garam masala, which is a spice mixture that, though based upon certain foundation spices, varies from region to region and even from family to family. A typical South Indian garam masala will include fenugreek, turmeric, coriander, cumin, fennel, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper.

Many of the dishes beyond the more mildly spiced fish and prawn dishes of Andrah make liberal use of chili peepers of various types. Certain southern areas feel the influence of other cultures, as well. Muslim culinary influence is especially prominent in the Hyderabad area, and some of India's most luxurious and well known rice dishes, such as biryani, come from this area. From the Tamil Nadu area comes a broad variety of vegetarian cuisine, in which the flavors of onion, fresh ginger root, and grated coconut, as well as a variety of the usual Indian spices, offer a powerful taste experience. Among these spices are garam masala, turmeric, cumin, coriander, sweet bay or laurel leaves, black and green cardamom, cassia tree bark, cloves, nutmeg, saffron, black and yellow mustard seeds, fennel, fenugreek, asafetida, curry leaves, tamarind, and fresh cilantro leaves and mint leaves. The food of Kerla features, among the usual delectable assortment of curries and spiced dals, a variety of dumplings, pancakes and steamed cakes formed of rice flour.

Pickled fruits and vegetables are an important complement to the cuisine of South India. This has to do with the hot climate, which required the use of such food preservation techniques as pickling. Most South Indian afternoon and evening meals include one or more varieties of pickle. Among international favorites is the mango pickle, spicy hot with a touch of sweetness.

South Indian cuisine offers a wide variety of taste experiences of India, from its coastal regions to its tropical areas. The ingredients and spices, and how they are used, reflect the wide variety of cultural influences that India has assimilated through the centuries.

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