Idli is a traditional, savory Indian cake that is a popular breakfast item in numerous South Indian households, although it can be found throughout the country. It is made with a batter consisting of fermented lentils and rice, which is then steamed. These savory cakes are commonly served hot and consumed on their own, dipped into sambar or chutneys, or seasoned with numerous spices. With its huge popularity in India, there are also many other versions of idli, such as rava idli, which uses semolina instead of rice in the batter, or malli idli, which are idlis fried with curry leaves and coriander. The origin of idli is still a subject of debates, with different sources claiming different origins, so some say it is originally from Gujarat, some say it's from Karnataka, while the others believe it was invented in Indonesia. Regardless of its origin, idli remains a staple breakfast food in numerous Indian kitchens.
The thin pancake known as dosa is one of the most famous Indian dishes. It is made with soaked rice and black gram beans, which are ground into a paste and mixed to create a thick batter, usually left to ferment overnight. The mixture is enriched with a handful of fenugreek seeds, which give dosa its distinctive golden brown color and a delicious, crispy texture. It is then baked on a hot oiled griddle, pertaining a delicate, thin texture and round shape. Indian dosa is a staple dish in the entire country, but some believe that dosa had originated in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is an ancient dish, whose origins are traced back to the 1st century AD, when it was first mentioned in Tamil literature. Others claim that it's linked to Udupi (present day Karnataka) due to the association with the Udupi restaurants. Usually, dosa is consumed as a savory dish, commonly eaten for breakfast, dinner, or a quick snack. Since it has a rather neutral taste, dosa is an ideal accompaniment to many luscious Indian dishes, such as meat and vegetable curries or chutneys. It is often filled with ingredients and wrapped, or served on the side as an integral part of a meal, when it is usually used as a utensil to scoop the fragrant side dishes. As other ancient food staples, dosa has been adapted and combined with other ingredients to create numerous distinct varieties. Wheat flour, semolina, rice flour, or soy milk are used in some regions to create milder, diverse, and more interesting dosa varieties. This ancient Indian creation, in its numerous forms, is found everywhere in India - it is sold as a quick snack by street vendors, and it is an irreplaceable item in traditional Indian restaurants.
Chicken 65 is a classic poultry dish with origins in Chennai, India. It consists of deep-fried chicken that is marinated in ginger, lemon, red chiles, and a variety of other spices. There are a few theories about the origin of chicken 65. The most popular theory says that it was created in Tamil Nadu by A. M. Buhari in 1965. Another one says that the original dish was made with 65 hot chili peppers, as a testament of manliness. There are also some unlikely theories, such as the one claiming that the chicken was cut into 65 pieces, or that the chicken was 65 days old when the dish was prepared. Due to the dish's popularity, there are numerous variations, and each South Indian state has its own version. In Karnataka, the dish is garnished with grated coconut, and in Andhra Pradesh, the chicken is cooked instead of fried. Chicken 65 is commonly served with hot, red chutneys.
Whether Indians are enjoying tandoori chicken or aloo paratha, no meal is complete without the flavorful chutneys - India's national condiments. These fresh homemade relishes consist of pickled or stewed fruit and vegetables that are cut into small chunks, then delicately seasoned with a variety of spices such as cumin, cardamom, tamarind, ginger, and turmeric. They are typically served in small, round bowls and consumed along with the main dish. Chutney's role is to cool the palate and bring even more flavors and colors to the table. Most families take great pride in their homemade chutneys, their houses decorated with rows upon rows of jars that were left to mature in the sun on windowsills. It is common to serve more than one chutney, so a hostess is often judged by the number and variety of chutneys she serves to her guests. Mint chutney is the most popular variety, traditionally eaten with samosas and consisting of fresh mint leaves, onions, garlic, and lemon juice. Coconut chutney, another favorite, consists of grated coconut, ginger, kari leaves, chiles, and garlic. Other types of chutney can be made with green mangoes, tomatoes, sour cherries, coriander, peanut, and apples, all of them with vivid colors, sweet, spicy, and sour at the same time. Chutney got its name from an Anglicized version of the Sanskrit word chatni, which literally translates to licking good, and it is obvious to anyone who tried it that it lives up to its name.
Sambar is a popular curry dish prepared with a tamarind-based broth, lentils, and vegetables. It originates from Tamil Nadu, but it is also very popular in Sri Lanka and throughout South India. The dish is traditionally served with steamed rice or various Indian flatbreads. Sambar was created as a mistake by the Maratha ruler Shivaji's son named Sambhaji. As the head chef was away, Sambhaji wanted to prepare dal for himself, and he added a bit of tamarind into the pot during the cooking process. The royal chefs scolded him, since tamarind is not used in dal. However, Sambhaji loved the dish and named it sambar, after himself. Today, there are numerous variations on the dish such as seafood sambar, chicken sambar, and even the unusual milk sambar.
A traditional southern Indian dish known as masala dosa is popular throughout the country, made from a batter of soaked rice and lentils that is baked into a thin pancake and usually stuffed with potatoes, onions, and mustard seeds. The dish is often garnished with grated coconut and chopped coriander. With its huge popularity, there are also some variations of the dish, such as mysore masala dosa,rava masala dosa, onion masala dosa, and paper masala dosa. It is usually consumed as a quick snack or as a part of any meal of the day. Masala dosa has even made the list of 10 foods to try before you die, complied by the Huffington Post, alongside famous dishes such as Beijing duck, moussaka, and BBQ ribs.
Pongal is a rice pudding that is usually eaten during special or ceremonial occasions in Southern India and Sri Lanka. It is usually cooked in a clay pot over an open fire. Milk and water are boiled first, and according to Tamil beliefs, if the liquid spills over the pot it will bring good luck and prosperity to the family. The preparation of pongal is a family affair because each family member ceremonially adds a handful of rice to the pot. Subsequently, remaining rice is added to the dish with sweet (sakkarai) or savory (ven) ingredients. Pongal is served on banana leaves, and before it is consumed the entire family says their prayers to the Sun god. If there is any pongal left, it is usually shared with friends and relatives. The dish originated among the Sri Lankan Tamil ethnicity and the name of the dish is derived from Thai Pongal, a festival celebrated on January 14th, symbolizing the end of the harvest season, the Tamil equivalent to Thanksgiving. On that day, pongal is prepared in many Tamil households around the world.
This sweet, buttery dish is made with freshly harvested new rice, jaggery and ghee (clarified butter), with the addition of dried coconut, sesame seeds, raisins, milk, and cashew nuts. Sakkarai pongal is traditionally prepared as an offering to the Sun God during Makar Sankranti, a three-day harvest festival in mid-January, celebrated in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. The rice is typically cooked outdoors over a fire, with the cooking pots turned to the East, where the sun rises, and it is also customary to allow the dish to pongal, meaning to boil over during cooking, which symbolizes an abundance of food. This creamy, aromatic porridge is traditionally served alongside savory donuts called vadas and coconut chutney.
Coconut chutney is a popular South Indian condiment or side dish, consisting of a coconut stew that is combined with shallots, tamarind, ginger, chiles, and curry leaves. It is a specialty of the North Malabar region, where it is prepared in two versions - solid and liquid. The liquid version is usually served with idlis and dosas, while the solid version, also known as uruttu chammanthi, is commonly served with rice, either for lunch or dinner. It is said that the best coconut chutney is made with ammikal, or mortar and pestle, when the chutney is ground by hand, resulting in a far superior flavor than the ones made with a blender or a food processor.
Murukku is a popular Indian snack with a crunchy texture, usually made with rice flour and urad dal bean flour, combined together into a spiral-shaped paste that is deep-fried in oil. Most of these savory snacks are additionally flavored with cumin, onion powder, or chili. Originating from Tamil Nadu, its name means twisted, referring to its unusual shape. Today, it is widely available throughout India, but it is most popular in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and of course, Tamil Nadu. Murukku is often prepared for Indian festivities such as Diwali, Krishna Jayanti, and Vinayaka Chaturthi. Due to its great popularity, there are different versions of the snack, so it is sometimes dusted with sesame seeds and salt, while minced vegetables are often added to the paste before cooking.
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