5 lesser-known cuisines of South India

When we talk about South Indian cuisine, the only thing that we can think about is idli, dosa and fish. However, it's more than that and comprises of several dishes inspired by several other types of cuisine. Southern India is represented by four regional styles namely - Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. All these four regions have had the influence of several castes and communities on the rich culinary heritage. Most of the foods of the South Indian cuisine are made using traditional Indian spices as Kerala used to be a hub of spices earlier. Even to date, Kerala is called the ‘Spice capital of India’. Although all South Indians enjoy vegetarian delicacies, South India, contrary to the general belief, is not predominantly vegetarian. The whole of South India might unite by the fact that their staple is rice and lots of herbs & traditional spices are used in their cooking. Here we list some lesser-known regional cuisines of South India. (Image courtesy: iStock)

It is another popular cuisine of South India where lots of non-vegetarian dishes are cooked. Chettinad cuisine is an extraordinary non-vegetarian cuisine that features the Chettinadu cooking style. This is the cuisine of a community, also known as Nattukotai Chettiars. Its distinguishing features are the use of black pepper and the preparation of savoury meats with marinades and broths. Also, what sets it apart from the other South Indian cuisines is the fact that most of the dishes are made using freshly ground spices. Also, this cuisine uses lots of sun-dried vegetables and meats in its dishes. Some of the popular dishes of Chettinad cuisine are Chicken Chettinad and Palkatti Chettinadu. (Image courtesy: iStock)

TamBrahm cuisine or the cuisine of Tamil Brahmins is particularly known for its vegetarian dishes. Traditionally, the Tamilian Brahmins eat dishes like rice, khichdi, Payasam, Koottu or Stew on a banana leaf with side dishes like papad, achar or pickle, rasam, curd and kozhambu. Most of the dishes made in this cuisine use spices like cinnamon, fennel, and nutmeg, and peppercorn. Following the principles of Ayurveda, this cuisine caters to the 6 tastes - sweet, salty, sour, bitter, astringent and pungent. Also, the TamBrahm cuisine is focused on nutrition, flavour, texture and variety. Some of the popular foods made in this cuisine are Vazhalaikai Kootu, Mor Kuzhambu and Vengaya vathakuzhambhu. (Image courtesy: Instagram/@kannammacooks)

It’s the cuisine of the Malabar region situated in Kerala which constitutes the areas of Kannur, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad and Kasargode. The food of Malabari cuisine comprises of several religions & castes and has the influence of foreign countries as much as rural food practices. As Malabar Coast served as one of the important trading centres, the Malabari cuisine uses lots of traditional spices like cardamom, ginger, turmeric, pepper and cinnamon. You can spot dishes made from prawns, fish, crabs, lobsters and these are served with rice. Malabari cuisine also uses lots of coconut in their dishes. This cuisine is famous for Thalassery Biryani, Kozhi Porichathu, Crab Roast and Thattu Dosa. (Image courtesy: Instagram/@zarin_cooks)

Its cuisine is influenced by the local people. One of the staple food of Coorg cuisine is rice, as it grows in abundance here. One of the unique dishes of this cuisine is Akki Roti made with rice. The Coorg cuisine is famous for its “pure” or “strict” non-vegetarians, as some of them like to call themselves. And it goes back to the time when they hunted animals like wild boar, birds and deer. We can also say that no Coorg dish is complete without a non-vegetarian dish. Most of the curries made in this cuisine are made of coconut, which is ground to paste with onions, garlic and a selection of other spices. In the past, coconut oil was also used for cooking. Some of the popular dishes of Coorg cuisine are Kadambuttu, Pandi Kari, Noolputtu and Koli Kari.(Image courtesy: Instagram/asoi_3d_trishul)