What is South Indian Food

Well, to my fellow readers here's a point to note and am sure most of you would agree to what is being written over here. This could just be an eye opener for many.

By the way there is'nt anything called "South Indian Food". Most of us living in the north often consider or identify Idlis, Dosas and Vadas, Sambhar & Rassum as food eaten by the South Indians all the time. All the time mean, during lunch and Dinner as well. A landlord in the North, if he has got a tenant hailing from the South would often refer to his/her food habits limiting to the above items.

Sambhar & Rassam , yes definately is a meal item and forms an integral part of a main course, but not vadas or idlis, No south Indian household would have its staple food as Idli or Dosa. These are essentially snack items served for breakfast and evening brunch. I list below a typical menu served during lunch in a South Indian household in urban India:-

A typiical Vegetarian Thali would constitute of

Some rice ( brown or white as may be the choice)

Thoran ( This is typically veg dry dish which is a combination of finely chopped beans, beetroot and grated coconut cooked in low heat with just some usual oil tadka of curry leaves)

Sambhar ( popular dish need not be explaned further)

Koott curry ( This is a special dish which is more like a mix veg with some gravy popularly called as korma, which would have the cooked chena dal base as a key ingredient with subzis like Kacha Kela, petha & yam)

Papad and lemon achar completes the main course

There are no chapatis on the Thali, but since most south Indians living iin the urban townships & metros have adopted to the change in eating habits considering their tummy , weight and other environmental factors, hence, this change in eating habits too have come off the age and people are giving away the coconut dependency which leads to high cholestrols levels. Dal & raitia & salads have finally found a place in the thali eaten by the people of South

Coming back to the topic there is ofcourse no need to define anything called "South Indian Food".. Idlis/Dosas/Vadas have their origin from South , liked by all across Indian states and cities and villages.

Manoj R. Kumar

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