colors of southern india

Colors of Southern India

Kerala Did you know ?

Symbols of Kerala

Elephant Great Hornbill Coconut Kanikonna Seal of Kerala

• The National Geographic's Traveller magazine names Kerala as one of the "10 paradises on the world"and "50 must see destinations of a lifetime". Kerala is better known as "The God's own Country“

• Kerala in the native language, Malayalam means “Land of coconuts” • Kerala is the only state in India where Ayurveda is still a main stream medicine. There are Ayurvedic medical colleges and hospitals

across the state • Kerala backwaters are a mazelike waterways running almost across the state. These are bordered by paddy fields, coconut trees and

green foliage. It is definitely a unique geographic formation • Kerala is the first state in India to reach 100% literacy rate • Female to male sex ratio is highest in India • Kerala is a state where you can see Asian elephants very commonly. Elephants are entwined with Kerala’s culture from ancient times

Life expectancy rate in Kerala is the highest in India • Padnabham Temple is the rechest temple in the world located at Thiruvananthpuram • Kerala is a rich state for spices, coffee, tea, paddy and banana plantations

Date of Formation 1 November 1956

Size 38,863 sq km

Population 33406061

Capital Thiruvananthapuram

Rivers Periyar, Bharathapuzha

Languages Malayalam, English

Andhra Pradesh Did you know ?

Symbols of Andhra Pradesh

Blackbuck Indian Roller Neem Tree Seal of Andhra Pradesh

Lotus

• Potti Sriramulu fasted for over 50 days, for achieving the State of Andhra, and lost his life in the process. His sacrifice became instrumental in the linguistic re-organisation of States

• Pingali Venkayya, who designed the Indian National Flag, was born in Bhatlapenumarru, in the Krishna district. He served in the British Indian army during the Anglo-Boer wars in South Africa

• Andhra Pradesh is the largest producer of rice in the country. It also accounts for about 55% of the country's production of castor, and about94% of Virginia tobacco

• Nagarjunasagaris the world's tallest masonry dam, at a height of 124 metres, and creates a reservoir holding up to 11,472 million cubic metres

• Andhra Pradesh has a coastline of 970 KM, making it the second longest coastline in India • In the late 18th century, the single largest source of revenue for the East India Company came from the hundi in Lord Venkateswara

Temple in Tirumala • Golconda, near Hyderabad was India’s richest diamond mine. It produced renowned diamonds like: the Koh-i-Noor, the Darya-e-Nur,

the Nur-Ul-Ain, the Hope diamond and the Regent diamond • Pochampally sarees are distinguished for their unique design and fabrics

Kuchipudi

Telangana*

Andhra

* Telangana is to identify its official bird, animal, tree, dance


Size 160,205 Sq km

Population 49,386,799

Capital Hyderabad

Rivers Godavari, Krishna, Wainganga, Tungabhadra, Chitravati, Musi, Banda, Papagni

Languages Telugu

Date of Formation 2 June 2014

Size 114,840 sq km


Capital Hyderabad

Rivers Godavari, Krishna, Bhima , Manjira , Chitravati, Musi, Papagni

Languages Telugu, Urdu

Seal of Telanga

TAMILNADU Did you know ?

Symbols of TAMILNADU

Nilgiri Tahr Emerald Dove Palm Tree Seal of Tamilnadu Glory lily

• Tamil Nadu is often referred to as 'a land of temples' and Tamils are proud of the religious traditions and follow them strictly. The Tamils have been the greatest of temple builders and its rulers have always been the patrons of art and architecture including the Pallavas, Cholas and the Pandyas

• The word RICE is derived from Tamil word ARISI (wiki) • Tirukkural, which was written nearly two millennia ago portrays a universal outlook. This is evident as the author, Tiruvalluvar, does not

mention his religion, land, or the audience for his work. He is often portrayed as a holy saint of Tamil Nadu today. Tamilnadu has 133 feet statue of Tiruvalluvar in Kanyakumari

• Carnatic music is the classical music form of Southern India. This is one of the world's oldest & richest musical traditions. The Trinity of Carnatic music Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri were from Tamil Nadu

• Bharatanatyam is a classical dance form originating from Tamil Nadu. Bharatanatyam is thought to have been created by Bharata Muni, a Hindu sage, who wrote the Natya Shastra, the most important ancient treatise on classical Indian dance. In ancient times it was performed in Hindu temples by Devadasis. In this form, it as also been called sadir or chinna melam

• Marina Beach (which is in Chennai) is the second longest beach in the world, after Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro • Tamil is the first Indian Language to attain Classical Language Status

Date of Formation August 15,1947

Size 1,30,058 sq km


Capital Chennai

Rivers Kaveri, Palar, Pniyar, Bhavani

Languages Tamil Bharatnatyam

Karnataka Did you know ?

Symbols of

Karnataka Lotus Elephant Sandal Seal of Karnataka Indian Roller


Size 52,850,562 sq km


Capital Bangalore

Rivers Krishna, Tungabhadra, Cauvery, Kabini

Languages Kannada, Kodava, Tulu

• Kittur Rani Chennamma (1778-1829): Queen of the princely state of Kittur she was the first woman to lead an armed rebellion against British governance and kappa tax in 1824

• Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha (KKGSS): The KKGSS, in Bengeri in Hubli, is the only unit in India that is authorized to manufacture and supplythe Flag of India. Set up in 1957, the khadi flag conforms to the Bureau of Indian Standards benchmarks

• Akashvani (All India Radio): This is what the All India Radio is officially known as since 1956. The term Akashvani was coined by MV Gopalswamy of Mysore after setting up the nation’s first private radio station in his residence, “Vittal Vihar” in 1936

• Karnataka State: The state of Mysore state was formed on November 1st 1956 after the States Reorganization Act. Effective from 1973, the state became known as Karnataka

• Devanahalli: This is now the site of the new Bengaluru airport and is the birthplace of Tipu Sultan • Vijayanagara Empire (1336-1646): Hampi (a UN World Heritage Site) belongs to this and has the most famous set of archaeological

remnants. It has lasted longer than the Mughal Empire and covered an area that was comparable if not larger • Coorg produces some of the best Robusta Coffees in the world • R.K. Narayan's fictional Malgudi town was named after the old Malleswaram and Basavanagudi • Karnataka is one of the largest exporters of Silk in India • Bangalore is India’s Information Technology hub, and is home to over 200 Software MNCs. It is often reffed to as the Sillicon Valley of India

Yakshagana

Sankranti Did you know ?

Tamilnadu - Thai Pongal

•It is strictly a rural festival.

it is the biggest harvest festival, spread over four days

•The first day bhogi pongal, second day surya pongal, third day mattu pongal and fourth day kanum pongal

•Community meals are made from the freshly gathered harvest and enjoyed by the entire village

Andhra Pradesh – Sankranthi

•e festival, Sankranti (మకర

సంక్ర ంతి), is celebrated for four

days in Andhra Pradesh

•Day 1 – Bhogi

•Day 2 – Makara Sankranti the main festival day

•Day 3 – Kanuma •Day 4 – Mukkanuma

Kerala - SABARIMALA •At the hill shrine SABARIMALA, people gather to worship the light of makara jyothi

•Lord Ayyappa is adorned with special jewels known as thiruvaabharanam

•Legend has it that these jewels were donated to the Lord by pandalam maharaja

•Onum is more famous festival in Kerala than Sabarimala

Karnataka -sankaranti

•Festival called sankaranti of Suggi (ಸುಗ್ಗ)ಿ

•Cows and bullocks are decorated and feed pongal

•In the night the animals are made to jump over the fire

•People wear colorful clothing; visit their near and dear

Pongal festival is for nature worship, Thanks giving, Sharing Social cohesiveness, Getting rid of evil

Bharata Natyam

• Bharata Natyam is a classical dance form originating in Tamil Nadu. It has its inspirations from the sculptures of the ancient temple of Chidambaram. Bharata Natyam comes from the words Bhava (Expression), Raga (Music), Tala (Rhythm) and Natya (Classic Indian Musical Theatre). It is considered to be a ‘fire dance.’ It is one of the five major styles (one for each element) that include Odissi (element of water), Mohiniattam (element of air), Kuchipudi (element of earth) and Kathakali (element of sky)

Kathakali

• Kathakali originated in the state of Kerala. It is noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary per- cussion. It is considered to be a combination of five elements of fine art: Expressions (Natyam, the component with emphasis on facial expressions), Dance (Nritham, the component of dance), Enactment (Nrithyam, the element of drama with emphasis on “mudras”, which are hand gestures), Song/ vocal accompaniment (Geetha), Instru- ment accompaniment (Vadyam)

Kuchipudi

• Kuchipudi is unique among the Indian classical dance styles. It uses fast rhythmic footwork and sculpturesque body movements. Stylised mime, using hand gestures and subtle facial expression, is combined with more realistic acting, occasionally including dialogues spoken by the dancers. Traditionally, Kuchipudi was performed as a dance drama based on scriptures and mythology, and the portrayal of certain characters is a central motif of this dance form. Another unique feature of Kuchipudi is the Tarangam, in which the performer dances on the edges of a brass plate, deftly executing complicated rhythmic patterns, while sometimes also balancing a pot of water on the head

Yakshagana

• Yakshagana is a form of classical fork theatre which originated from Karna- taka. Literally Yakshagana means song or ‘gana’ sung by a Yaksha. Yakshas were an exotic tribe who are mentioned in ancient Indian Literature. It is a product of Vaishava Bhakti Movement. The origins of Yakshagana can be traced as early as eleventh century A.D.It is usually performed in the twilight hours and is an amazing blend of Sanskrit drama, songs that are folksy in origin and the battles and acts of heroism from the great epics of Mahabharata and Rama- yana. The performers of Yakshagana wear colorful masks during their performance which turn their performance into a visual delight for the viewers

Traditional Dance Of South India

South Indian marriages

వివాహం Vivāhaṁ

ಮದುವೆ Maduve

വിവാഹം

vivaham

திருமணம் Tirumaṇam

Delicacy of Southern India Some age old practices good for health

• South Indian cuisine includes the cuisines found in the four southern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu

• Similarities and differences among cuisines:

– The similarities among the four states' cuisines include the presence of rice as a staple food, the use of lentils and spices, dried red chilies and fresh green chilies, coconut, and native fruits and vegetables including tamarind, plantain, snake gourd, garlic, and ginger

– The four cuisines have much in common and differ primarily in the spiciness of the food

– Kerala, Tamil Nadu, south and coastal Karnataka and most parts of Andhra Pradesh use more rice

– North Karnataka, on the other hand, consumes more ragi and jowar, while the Telangana region uses more jowar and bajra

– Consumption of rice is more common among certain Brahmin communities

• The cultural heritage of virtually all civilizations includes fermented foods made by the souring action of microbes. Fermented foods are consumed in every country throughout the world and play an important role in our diet for centuries. There are nutritional benefits from fermented foods

• Idli for example is a fermented food of India which is prepared by steaming a fermented black gram (Phaseolus mungo L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.) batter. It makes an important contribution to the diet as a source of protein, calories and vitamins, especially B-complex vitamins, compared to the raw unfermented ingredients. It can be produced locally and used as a dietary supplement in developing countries to treat people suffering from protein calorie malnutrition and kwashiorkor. Other egs: Curd, lassi, buttermilk, Dosa, dhokla, Jalebis, Kanji, appams etc

Delicacy of Southern India Some age old practices good for health

• South Indian cuisine includes the cuisines found in the four southern states of India: AndhraPradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

• Similarities and differences among cuisines

– The similarities among the four states' cuisines include the presence of rice as a staple food, the use of lentils and spices, dried red chilies and fresh green chilies, coconut, and native fruits and vegetables including tamarind, plantain, snake gourd,garlic, and ginger

– The four cuisines have much in common and differ primarily in the spiciness of the food.

– Kerala, Tamil Nadu, south and coastal Karnataka and most parts of Andhra Pradesh use more rice.

– North Karnataka, on the other hand, consumes more ragi and jowar, while the Telangana region uses more jowar and bajra

– Consumption of rice is more common among certain Brahmin communities.

Sweet (madhura)

•Milk, butter, sweet cream, wheat, ghee (clarified butter), rice, honey, raw sugar, ripe fruits of many kinds

Sour (amla)

•Limes and lemons, citrus fruits, many kinds of immature fruits, yogurt, mango powder, pomegranate seeds, tamarind

Salty (lavana)

•Salt (ayurveda recommends rock salt), salty pretzels or pickles

Bitter (katu)

•Greens of many kinds, turmeric, fenugreek

Pungent (tikta)

•Chili peppers, ginger, black pepper, clove, mustard, radish,

Astringent (kashaya)

•Beans, lentils, turmeric, cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and cabbage etc

Which are the six tastes? Ayurveda perceives food in terms of the six tastes – sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent, and astringent. Ayurvedic cooking includes all of these six tastes at each main meal you eat. Each taste has a balancing ability, and including some of each provides complete nutrition, minimizes cravings and balances the appetite and digestion.

The cultural heritage of virtually all civilizations includes fermented foods made by the souring action of microbes. Fermented foods are consumed in every country throughout the world and play an important role in our diet for centuries. There are nutritional benefits from fermented foods.

Idli for example is a fermented food of India which is prepared by steaming a fermented black gram (Phaseolus mungo L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.) batter. It makes an important contribution to the diet as a source of protein, calories and vitamins, especially B-complex vitamins, compared to the raw unfermented ingredients. It can be produced locally and used as a dietary supplement in developing countries to treat people suffering from protein calorie malnutrition and kwashiorkor. Other egs: Curd, lassi, buttermilk, Dosa, dhokla, Jalebis, Kanji, appams etc

SOUTH INDIAN CUISINES

The cuisines of Andhra are the spiciest in all of India

• Generous use of chili powder and tamarind make the dishes tangy and hot. The majority of a diverse variety of dishes are vegetable- or lentil-based

Regional variations

•The three regions of Andhra Pradesh have their own variations. Telangana region shares some of the Central Indian and Vidharba region of Maharashtra. The area has more jowar- and bajra-based rotis in their main staple menu

•The Rayalaseema district shares borders with eastern Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and its cuisine has similarities to that of those regions

•The more fertile Andhra coastal region has a long coastline along the Bay of Bengal, and its cuisine has a distinctive flavor with various seafood. Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, has its own characteristic cuisine, which is considerably different from other Andhra cuisines.

•The Nizams patronise the Hyderabadi cuisine, which is very much like the Nawabs of the Avadh and Lucknowi cuisine

•The only difference is that the Nizams of Hyderabad prefer their food to be spicier, resulting in the Hyderabadi cuisine, which includes kacche gosht ki biryani, dum ka murgh, baghara baingan, and achaari subzi during the reign of the Nizams

Popular Andhra dishes

•Vegetarian • Tiffins: pesarattu (mung bean pancake), attu, bobbatlu, pulihora or pulihaara (tamarind & lemon rice), upma • Pickles (pachhallu): cut raw mango) pickle, maaghaya, gongura pachadi, pandumirapakayala pachadi, tomato pachadi, allam (ginger) pachadi, dosakaya pachadi, dosavakaya, chintakaya (tamarind) • [Curry|Curries]] (kooralu): gutti vankaya, bendakaya fry, dondakaya fry, cabbage pesara pappu, carrot fry • Pappu (lentils)( varieties: thotakura (amaranth – pigeon pea stew) pappu, chukkakoora pappu, menthikura pappu, palakura pappu (spinach – pigeon pea dal), dosakaya (yellow cucumber – pigeon pea stew), tomato, beerakaya, sorakaya

•vegetarian • Pulusu: palakoora pulusu, sorakaya pulusu, thotakoora pulusu, anapakaya pulusu, gongura pulusu koora • Chaaru: tomato chaaru, miriyala chaaru (pepper), ulava chaaru • Chaaru and curd variations: perugupachadi/majjiga chaaru with potlakaya (snake gourd), sorakaya (bottle gourd) • Snacks: sakinalu, chekkalu, murukulu, jantikalu, chakkil alu • Sweets: pootarekulu, kaaja, ravva laddu, boondi laddu, pesara laddu, sunnundalu, thokkudu laddu, ariselu, nuvvula laddu

•Chutney and pickles • Raw pachadi-vankaya pachadi, dosakaya vanakaya pachadi, tomato pachadi, cabbage pachadi, pickles of avakaya (mango), usirikaya (Indian gooseberry), ginger, citroen, gongura, t omato, garlic

•Non-vegetarian • Hyderabadi biriyani and various Hyderabadi meat dishes make up part of Hyderabadi cuisine. The rest of Andhra cuisine has a various versions of lamb and chicken, and the coastal region has extensive varieties of seafood. Dishes include kodi iguru (chicken stew), kodi pulusu (chicken gravy), chepa pulusu (fish stew), fish fry and prawn curry.

Andhra food

Karnataka cuisine is very diverse

•Described as the mildest in terms of spice content of these four states' cuisines, there is a generous use of Jaggery, palm sugar and little use of chilli powder

•Since the percentage of vegetarians in Karnataka is higher than other southern states, vegetarian food enjoys widespread popularity

•Udupi cuisine forms an integral part of Karnataka cuisine.

North Karnataka cuisine

•In north Karnataka the staple grains are jowar and bajra

•Rottis made out of these two grains along with side dishes made of eggplant, fresh lentil salads, spiced and stewed lentils are popularly consumed

•They also consume a variety of spicy condiments like chutney powders and pickles

•Of all the other regional cuisines in Karnataka, this is known for its fiery spice level and heat

•Eateries called Khanavallioften run by families serve inexpensive but tasty home style food

•Most of them are run by Veerashaivaa are therefore vegetarian but Khanavallis serving non-vegetarian food are not uncommon

Coastal Karnataka cuisine

•The cuisine of coastal Karnataka is marked by widespread use of seafood, coconut and coconut oil

•Rice is the staple grain and is the centerpiece of every meal

•Gravies called 'Gassi' made from chicken, fish, meats are served with rice

•Lentils and vegetables cooked with coconut, spices and tempered with mustard, curry leaves, generous asafoetida, called Huli, is also served with rice

•A Rasam-like preparation is called Saaru, which again is served with rice.

Coastal Karnataka cuisine

•The meal will also contain vegetable side dishes called Palya

•Other accompaniments include curd-based Tambli, sweet-tangy Gojju, pickles and Happala, Sandige(Fryums) or Papads

•Some of the distinct breakfast foods served here include Bun, Biscuit rotti, Goli Bajji, and Patrode

•Chutney and pickles: Pickles popularly are Appemidi(found in Dandeli forest), Bettada nelli, lemon, Amateykai, and Mixed vegetables. Chutneys: Ground nut Chutnety, Cocnut Chutney, Onion Chutney

Coorgi cuisine

•Coorgi cuisine is very distinct from the other regional cuisines of Karnataka, much like their culture. The hallmark of Coorgi cuisine is the widespread use of pork, game, and meats

•They also use kokum generously in their cooking. While the staple food remains rice and rice-based preparations like kadambattu, steamed rice dumplings and rice rottis, their expertise in cooking non-vegetarian foods is unmatched.

South Karnataka cuisine

•The south Karnataka or the old Mysore cuisine is dominated by Ragi or finger millet and rice. Ragi in the form of Ragi mudde of dumplings or steamed rice is the centerpiece of a meal

•Often served with these two dishes are vegetable sides or Palya, Gojju, pickles, Tovve – mildly spiced lentils laced with Ghee, Huli – the lentil curry and Tili Saaru, a peppery thin watery curry almost likeRasam

•Certain preparations like Bas saaru, which is a spiced lentil with vegetable or greens' stock along with seasoned vegetables or greens, Upp Saaru which is another lentil stock based accompaniment to rice or mudde, Mosoppu, which is mashed spiced greens, Maskai, which is mashed spiced vegetables, are typical home style food from this region.

South Karnataka cuisine

•Avare Kal (or Indian beans) is a popular vegetable consumed during winter. They are used in a variety of dishes like Usali, Upma, Huli, Hitakida Bele Saaru, etc.Rice preparations usually served as the second course of a traditional meals include Bisi bele baath, Chitranna, Hulianna, etc. • Yogurt is a typical part of every meal in all the regions of Karnataka and is probably the most popular dairy product. Generally yogurt with rice constitute the final course of a meal. Buttermilk laced with spices and curry leaves is also popularly served with meals especially during summer

•Ghee and butter are also popular cooking mediums for those who can afford them, and are mostly reserved for festivals and special occasions.

Udipi hotels

•The credit for popularising these foods elsewhere in India goes to Udupi hotels

•In fact, in north India, Udupi hotels are often synonymous with south Indian food, even though the range of foods they serve is mostly restricted to the Karnataka cuisine

•These small establishments serve inexpensive vegetarian breakfast dishes throughout the day, all over India

•These were mostly run by people native to the Canara region

•The famous Masala Dosa traces its origin to Udupi cuisine and was subsequently popularized by Udupi restaurants

Most famous food items

•People from Karnataka are notorious for their sweet tooth. Mysore Pak, Obbattu/Holige, Dharwad pedha, Pheni, Chiroti are popular sweets. Apart from these sweets there are other lesser known sweets like 'Hungu', Kajjaya, Coconut Mithai, karjikai, Rave Unde, sajapa, Pakada Pappu, Chigali, a variety of Kadubus, Tambittu, Paramanna, and Hayagreeva. Most of these sweets are not milk-based, unlike the popular sweetmaking tradition elsewhere in India. Most of these sweets are made using Jaggery and not refined sugar

•Some typical Breakfast dishes include Masala Dosa, Ragi rotti, Akki rotti, Vangi Baath, Menthya Baath, Tamato Baath, Khara Baath, Kesari Baath,Shavige Baath, Davanagere Benne Dosa, Uppittu, Plain and Rave Idli, Mysore Masala Dosa, Kadubu, Poori, Avalakki etc. Lunch items include (sambar)Huli, (rasam)thili, Kootu, Gojju and a delicacy called Bisi bele baath, Chitranna, Kosambri(Salad), Pachadi or Mosaru bajji

•Snack Items: Kodabale, Chakkali, Nippatu, Maddur Vade, Aamb Vade, Golli Bajji, Mangalore Bun,

Karnataka Food

• Kerala cuisine is quite diverse

• The diversity is best classified on the basis of the various communities

• Most of the food is vegetarian but with the higher Christian and Muslim population than other states, non-vegetarian dishes are also common

• The Hindus, especially the Namboodris and Nairs have a predominantly vegetarian cuisine, whilst the Christian and the Muslim communities have a largely non-vegetarian cuisine

• The Syrian Christian dishes and Malabari Muslim dishes are famous. Since Kerala's main export is coconuts, almost all of the dishes, irrespective of the variety in the cuisines of the different communities, have coconuts associated with them, either in the form of shavings or oil extracted from the nut. Seafood is also very popular in the coastal regions and eaten almost every day.


• Vegetarian: olan, paalpradaman, nendarangai chips, aviyal, pulissery, erucherri, sambar, rasam, kalan, upperis, pachady, kichadi

• Non-vegetarian: shrimp coconut curry, fish curry (various versions depending on the region), fish fry, chicken fry with shredded coconuts, fish pickle, podimeen fry, meen thoran (fish with coconut), Karimeen (pearl spot fish) pollichathu, shrimp masala, chicken stew, mutton stew, duck curry, malabari fish curry, kakka (shells) thoran, kalllumekka, crabs, malabar biriyani, thalassery biriyani, pearl spot fish, jewel fish, mussels, squid, kappa boiled, kappa (tapioca) vevichathu with non- vegetarian curries

• Malabar biriyani is a rice cuisine the difference is it uses Khyma rice instead of basmati rice

• The main variants are Thalassery biriyani and Kozhikode biryani

• Pidi with mutton curry or chicken curry

• Porotta with chicken curry or mutton curry

Snacks

• Upperi, payasam, banan fry (ethaykkappam or pazham pori), ullivada, kozhukkatta, avalosunda, unniyappam, neeyyappam, unnaykka, thira, churuttu, boli, modhakam, paal vazhaykka, cutlets, halwas, cakes, vattayappam, kinnathappam, irattymadhuram

Breakfast: Puttu (with banana or kadala curry, egg curry, or beef fry

• Appam (velayappam, palappam) with curry, vegetable stew, fish molee, chicken or mutton stew, beef curry, duck roast, pork masala. Idiyappam also with same curries

• Pidi with mutton curry or chicken curry.

• Idli, dosai with chutney

• Kanji with dry beans, pickle, pappad and made with coconut

• Typical Indian masala dosa (Kerala style): It is a combination of shredded, cooked, and fried vegetables with Indian sauce and a lot of spices as the basic stuffing, enveloped by a thick brown dosa made out of a dal and rice batter. To embellish this unique preparation, it is served with hot sambhar and coconut chutney.

Kerala food

Tamil cuisine groups dishes under five slightly overlapping categories

•First are the dishes that necessarily are mixed with rice; various Kuzhambu, Sambhar, Paruppu, Rasam, Thayir, K adaiyalsand the likes belong to this category.

Tamil cuisine groups dishes under five slightly overlapping categories

•First are the dishes that necessarily are mixed with rice; various Kuzhambu, Sambhar, Paruppu, Rasam, Thayir, K adaiyalsand the likes belong to this category

•The second are the side dishes that accompany such mixtures; Kootu, Kari, Poriyal, Pickles, Papads fall into this category

•Third are the short snacks and their accompaniments; vadai, bonda,bajji, soups, various chutneys, thayir pachadi and the likes belong to this category.

•The fourth category is usually the rich, sweet dishes that serve as desserts; Payasam, Kheer, Kesari and a plethora of Indian sweets belong to this category

•The fifth category includes "tiffin", or light meals. • This include various types of idlis, various types of dosai, poori, types of pongal, types ofuppma, idiyappam, aappam, adai, parotta, paniyaram etc.

Preparations from the fifth category are served for breakfast and dinner, usually not as midday meal

•Tamil cuisine mainly offers light breakfast, lighter dinner, a heavy midday meal and evening snacks, often served with tea or coffee

•Third to follow will be the Rasam again, mixed with rice, one usually eats this accompanied by crisps

•The last of the courses will invariably be rice with curd or yoghurt; this is usually taken along with pickles

Side Dishes

•Throughout the meal, the side dishes are served and eaten with the courses, depending upon one's taste or choice; side dishes are constantly replenished during any meal. As a last course, the desserts are served. Finally guestsIn eitherto the typical meal (Lunch conclude the meal with retire case, a living room and or Dinner) banana and freshlyserved on a banana leaf. Mealsbetel leaves, betel nuts will be made paanconsisting of are and lime. paan is considered a digestive aid. and often accompanied by various pickles The situationappalams. with Tamil non-vegetarian meals, except that is similar the first and second courses are usually replaced by various Biryanis and non-vegetarian gravies. In either case, a typical meal (Lunch or Dinner) will be served on a banana leaf. Meals are often accompanied by various pickles and appalams.

Food is generally classified into six tastes – sweet, sour, salt, bitter, pungent and astringent and traditional Tamil cuisine recommends that you include all of these six tastes in each main meal you eat.

•Each taste has a balancing ability and including some of each provides complete nutrition, minimises cravings and balances the appetite and digestion.

•Sweet (Milk, butter, sweet cream, wheat, ghee (clarified butter), rice, honey)

•Sour (Limes and lemons, citrus fruits, yogurt, mango, tamarind)

•Salty (Salt or pickles)

•Bitter (Bitter gourd, greens of many kinds, turmeric, fenugreek)

•Pungent (Chili peppers, ginger, black pepper, clove, mustard)

•Astringent (Beans, lentils, turmeric, vegetables like cauliflower and cabbage, cilantro) Chettinad cuisine

•Chettinad cuisine is famous for its use of a variety of spices used in preparing mainly non-vegetarian food

•The dishes are hot and pungent with fresh ground masalas, and topped with a boiled egg that is usually considered an essential part of a meal

•They also use a variety of sun-dried meats and salted vegetables, reflecting the dry environment of the region

•The meat is restricted to fish, prawn, lobster, crab, chicken and mutton. Chettiars do not eat beef and pork

•Most of the dishes are eaten with rice and rice based accompaniments such as dosais, appams, idiyappams, adais and idlis. The Chettinad people through their mercantile contacts with Burma, learnt to prepare a type of rice pudding made with sticky red rice.

•Chettinad cuisine offers a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Some of the popular vegetarian dishes include idiyappam, paniyaram, vellai paniyaram, karuppatti Most famous food items paniyaram, paal paniyaram, kuzhi paniyaram, kozhakattai, masala paniyaram, adikoozh, kandharappam, seeyam, masala seeyam, kavuni arisi and athirasam.


•Vegetarian: kevar kalli, idli, sambar, vadai, rasam, dosa, thayir sadam (yogurt rice), thayir vadai (yogurt-soaked fritters), kootu(vegetables in wet style), poriyal/kari (vegetables in dry style), murukku, uthappam, idiappam, appalam (deep fried lentil-flour crisps) andpapadum (baked lentil-flour crips), freshly made thayir pachidi (yogurt mixed with fresh vegetables).

• Non-vegetarian: karuvattu kuzhambu (salted, dried fish in sauce), chettinad pepper chicken, fish fry, and Kanji with "old fish" gravy.

Tamil food A typical Tamil meal consists of many spicy and nonspicy dishes.except Brahmins and a couple of nonBrahmin castes, tamils eat more non-vegetarian. Many of these dishes are typically mixed and eaten with steamed rice, which is the staple food of the region

Cinema of Southern India

Colors of Southern India

colors of southern india

Lifestyle