5 delicious reasons to travel to South India

mukul tumung 06-Feb-2018

India is home to some of the most delicious cuisines. Especially in the South of India, there are so many cuisines with so much variety that even the local people have no idea about it.

Skipping out the famous Idli and Dosa, there are numerous other special dishes that make South India heaven of a place to travel. The South of India not only has some exquisite and exotic places like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka but also has some of the most mouth-watering foods in the world. This makes it one of the best reasons to travel.

One of the fascinating facts about South India is that each state has its own special cuisine. Here are 5 dishes that are found in the south which are unpopular but are worth traveling all the way the south:

1. Sadya

Sadya - A full course from the heart of Godâ€™s country Kerala Sadya is a full course meal in Kerala served on a banana leaf. Sadya is prepared by both men and women which is vegetarian, for festive events or occasions like Onam and weddings. The word Sadya in Malayalam means banquet. In general, Sadya consists of 24-28 dishes which are all served unbelievably on one single course. In some special cases, the number may also reach 64 dishes.

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2. Pullyogare or Pullyodharai- Tamarind Rice

Pullyogare or in simple words Tamarind Rice is a rice dish in the South of India. It is generally prepared in South Indian states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Karnataka. Puli in Pullyogare refers to sour taste which refers to the use of Tamarind in the dish. As based on history, the turmeric powder was supposed to be a symbol of auspiciousness and therefore it is the key ingredient in all South Indian dishes.

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3. Thoran

Thoran is a coconut based dish. It is mainly a Keralite cuisine. Thoran is usually served with steamed rice. In traditional ways, Thoran is made out of chopped vegetables like cabbage, bean, unripe jackfruit or Bittergourd. The chopped vegetables are mixed together with grated coconut, mustard seeds, curry leaves and turmeric powder. Then it is stirred.

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4. Kozhukkatta

Kozhukkatta is a South Indian dish which is very famous and is made from ingredients such as rice flour, grated coconut filling and jaggery. It has similarities with Modak which is a Maharashtrian dessert. Kozhukkatta is eaten either as a breakfast or a snack with tea. It is made all over Tamil Nadu and is associated with the God Ganesha. It is often used as an offering dish to Ganesha.

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5. Theeyal

Straight from Kerala, Theeyal is a dish having similarities with Sambar which is also a famous South Indian cuisine. Theeyal is prepared out of a mixture of roasted coconut, dried red chili, coriander seeds and fenugreek. In various parts of Kerala, Theeyal is combined in the traditional Sadya menu.