Beyond Madras

In the era of YouTube recipes and social media food posts it baffles us how some continue to live under a rock and believe that the cuisine of five diverse states can be clubbed under the homogeneous term South Indian food or worse Madrasi fare The disregard about people and cultures can be bothersome because the cuisine from the south comes closest to sattvic in nature Influenced by the culinary practices of its regional communities it is a beautiful coming together of ingredients from peninsular IndiaRecently Dakshin Coastal the restaurant at ITC Maratha in Andheri East reopened introducing a chefrsquos special guided dining concept wherein you experience the rhythmic tempo of thali service alongside explanation by servers on the native origins taste adaptations and combination eating of each course These are priced at Rs 2700Rs 3000 plus taxesThe dakshin immersion begins with a vernacular greeting of ldquoVanakkamrdquo followed by the gifting of a fragrant jasmine coil ldquoReminds you of mallikai or mallipoo wrapped in banana leaves sold at the local market in the south rightrdquo asks Chef Deepti Jadhav catching us unawares as we take in the aroma before sitting down for a gourmet interactive meal ldquoThe experience blends all food from the five southern states while still maintaining the representation and uniqueness of eachThe idea is not to have an unlimited thali meal where all the dishes are placed on one plate but to understand the storyline and connection behind each dish and enjoy a sensory meal In fact Kerala Andhra Pradesh Telangana and Tamil Nadu can be mapped to a spice level with Kerala being the least spicy going up to Andhra where food is the spiciestrdquo says Jadhav who has trained under Praveen Anand the chef instrumental in setting up the original Dakshin in Chennai 33 years agoStarting with sips of neer mor spiced buttermilk with asafoetida and ginger to cleanse the palate we are asked to keep sipping it through the meal to ease digestion we nibble on the basket of mixed papadams dipping into five variants of chutneys We quickly move on to the light bites from Dakshin Vishesha that include the dayrsquos specials of minidosas vadas the famed banana dosa which has subtle hints of ginger helps with digestion vadai crisp lentil dumpling padpe upkari seasonal greens with onion and coconut shavings ananas mensakai pineapple curry made with chilli and coconut served with iddiappam or appam Jadhav points out how pairings are crucial and while certain chutneys are recommended the guest is encouraged to taste and assess what pairings suit them bestTelangana and Andhra ThaliComparing notes with the Andhra and Telangana thalis Jadhav tells us how these biodiverse sister states are divided into three culinary zonesmdashcoastal Andhra Rayalaseema and Telangana The semiarid Telangana sees the popularity of milletbased bread roti whereas rice is predominant in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions Here most curries called koora snacks and sweets vary in the method of preparation and differ in name too ldquoAndhra cooking has certain unique characteristics that set it apart The sourtangy taste notes come from tamarind Guntur chilli famous for its heat and pungency grows here and the cuisine features it often among other spices that are used in a symphony to carefully balance the gradual titillation of the palate Freshly grated coconut or coconut milk is added to the gravies to balance out the pungency One of the quintessential dishes is pappu or dal of thick consistency made with native herbs and spices There are some signature stews such as the pulusu Eggplant is a favoured ingredient often used in everything from koora to pachadirdquo says JadhavThe bendakaya pulusu is okra in a tangyfiery curry while the muv vankaya has slowcooked baby aubergines in a paste of coconut poppy seeds and cashew paste much like the Bengali poshto and is served with iddiappam and appam The tomato pappu lentils cooked with tomatoes onions and chillies tempered with garlic and mustard and urlagadda kara curry potatoes tossed with onion and chillies served with veechu paratha and kal dosai had us off to a good start The nonvegetarian thali variant includes Telangana kodi roast spicy morsels of chicken with onion and green chilli chapa pulusu spicy and tangy gravy of fish kodi egru spicy chicken masala served with veechu paratha and kal dosai A rice dish called nimmakaya chitrannam sees rice tossed with lemon juice ginger green chilli and tempered with mustard Its mild zesty flavours are heartwarming For dessert the thali offers the simple semiya payasam and badam halwaKarnataka thaliKarnatakarsquos topographic and climatic diversity divides the state into four culinary zonesmdashcoastal Karnataka old Mysore plains Malnad hills and north Karnataka plateau The northern part with its proximity to Maharashtra and Goa is impacted by the adjoining statesrsquo culinary traditions ldquoThink buns and curries infused with vinegar or jolada rotis jowar flatbread that are a staple with akki rottis rice flatbreadrdquo explains JadhavThe Malnad region is known for its bamboo banana and yambased preparations The vegetarian meals from the temple towns of Gokarna and Udupi are now famed globally The Udipi brahmins and Iyengars are vegetarians the Bunts and the Shettys savour nonvegetarian delicacies the Saraswat Brahmins love seafood and in Coorg you will find spicy pork curry and coffee Go southward and ragi is considered a staple Jadhav tells us how barring Northern Karnataka cuisine which is spicy the liberal use of ghee palm sugar jaggery and seasonal vegetables and fruits in main curries make the dishes of the region less spicy as compared to Andhra or Tamil fareNext the kai kurmah vegetables simmered in a gravy of coconut poppy seeds and spices battani masala green peas in a masala of onion tomatoes red chillies and coconut is served with veechu paratha and kal dosai The nonvegetarian variant includes meen kaidina semolina and byadgi chilli coated fried fish sunkat jeeri meeri prawns tossed in onions byadgi chillies and vinegar with hints of cumin and thengenkai kori chicken simmered in a mildly spiced coconut gravyOf course there is sambar rasam and curdmdashstaples of a South Indian thali For the rice course there is bagala bhath curd rice and bisi bele bhath and fragrant steamed rice that goes beautifully with a few drops of gheeFor sweets there was basundi and saffroninfused badam halwa that Jadhav mentions is common across states and takes hours to cook but is the perfect ending to a dreamy Karnataka thaliAndhra special Gongura biryani by Sravani MellacheruvuGongura hibiscus sabdariffa a super hit Andhra favourite ingredient is an excellent source of folate and Vitamin B6 Biryani made of gongura has a strong taste and is considered healthy tooMethodSoak 1 cup seeraga rice for an hour cut a cup of onion carrots eggplant and potatoes into cubes In a pot add 2 tbsp oil then add frac12 cup gongura leaves frac14 of the onions and green chillies Close the lid and cook until soft Let it cool and grind to a paste Boil4 frac12 cups of water add bay leaf and cook rice Keep aside Take a pan add some ghee cumin star anise cinnamon and fry till golden brown Add veggies and cook covered for 10 minutes Now add gongura paste chilli powder and coriander powder and cook for five minutes In a large pot layer the gongura mixture and rice Seal with aluminium foil and cook on very low flame for 2030 minutes Mix well garnish with cilantro Serve hot immediatelyKarnataka special Chicken ghee roast by Sravani MellacheruvuThis fiercely popular Mangalorean chicken recipe has its origins in Kundapur close to Udupi Spicy just as it is tangy it has a robust flavour imparted by spices and gheeMethodIn a mixing bowl mix a cup of curd 14 tsp turmeric and one lemon juice and marinate chicken for an hour Dry roast 8 dried red chilies 12 tbsp fenugreek seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp coriander seeds a few cloves and peppercorns Cool and make a paste along with 12 cloves garlic and a small bolb of tamarind In a wok heat ghee add curry leaves and marinated chicken Add the masala and cook until the ghee separates Add some jaggery salt and mix well Serve with Kanchipuram or chiblu idlis or dosasFeels like homeThe South SocialThis latest cloud kitchen in Bandra by Sravani Mellacheruvu brings the authentic taste of South India to Mumbai Yoursquoll find some interesting traditional Andhra dishes such as Gongura and Mangalorian ones such as Chicken Ghee roast that are not commonly available on other South Indian menus They provide daily meal service and private catering as wellCALL 8976198832Prabha KiniPreCOVID homechef Prabha Kini welcomed guests to try a typical GSB Gaud Saraswat Brahmin thali at her home in Santa Cruz Now you can order it online It includes rice dalitoy tender cashew tondli chana ghashi jackfruit chakko thotta idli achar mangane lentil paysam phodis fritters of breadfruit sweet potato potato etc kori roti chicken ghee roast and chicken sukkaCALL 9820884070SadaamSaadam is a healthconscious brand by Chef Pooja Naheta that excels in authentic South Indian cuisine with special Andhra and Karnataka courses that are vegan sugarfree and glutenfree Do try their dum biryani mirchi ka salan pesarattu dosa in the Andhra selection and Nipattu piloyodhari and kajujaggery laddu in the Karnataka selectionCALL 9867380078