Vegetarian Varieties – South meets North
Chutneys
Curries
Gojjus
Pachadis
Rasam
Rise Dishes
Rotis
Snacks
Sweets
Many Indians are vegetarians or consume more vegetables than meat. As a result of this, there is large numbers of excellent traditional as well as modern Indian vegetarian dishes and recipes available. However, these dishes might not be Vegan because they might use ghee and in few yogurt. We suggest our readers to replace ghee with either margarine or olive oil to make vegetarian Indian food into a vegan Indian food.
No south Indian meal is complete without a chutney-finely ground vegetables, spices and the ubiquitous coconut, tempered with asafoetida, curry leaves and mustard. Some are sweet, some are sour and some are fiery hot. They can be eaten with plain rice, with fried vadas, with dry rotis and just about anything. Like pickles, they add colour and variety to a simple home-cooked meal. These chutneys are easy to make and vary from everyday to the special.
Pachadi or Raita as they are otherwise called, are consumed with pulavs and rotis. They are very simple and easy to prepare. They serve as a side dish for all kinds of occasions like parties, festivals etc. since raw vegetables are used to prepare these, their nutritive values are retained.
Gojjus are a common preparation in South Indian homes. They serve as a main as well as side dish because of their tangy and sweet combination. They serve as tongue ticklers, especially after recovering from illness.
Most South Indian cooking revolves around rice white, fluffy and always served hot.Plain white rice is the preferred staple for standard Rasam and sambar. But for festivals and special occasions, rice can be dressed up to suit the day. Sometimes, spicy like puliogre and lime rice and wholesome and different like rajma rice and methi rice. Here are some unusual dishes presented in the section that follows, like coriander pulao and pudina pulao, which come in handy for parties. However, to truly impress, try saffron and cream flavoured rice- rich beyond expectations and with a heavenly flavour.All rice dishes given in the section that follows are accompanied by a pachadi or curry which best brings out its flavour. You could also mix and match your own combinations.
The Indian Curry is a legend. Unfortunately, most people associate the word curry with a non vegetarian dish. But for most South Indians, curry is a vegetarian delicacy which goes well with rice or rotis. It may be made with one or more vegetables and is the main dish around which other dishes like cereals and chutneys revolve. A Curry does not have to have a gravy, it can be dry as well. The use of dry fruits to thicken gravies or added whole to curries gives them a rich look and colour and softens the flavour. For festivals, curries are made without the use of onion or garlic. There are many such recipes listed below, and others which you can alter by omitting onion.
The original ‘pepper water’ as Rasam was known for a long time. They come in a variety of flavours and aromas. Most rasams use daal as base, along with tomatoes or tamarind. While it can be drunk plain, Rasam is best suited to hot white rice which brings out its flavour.
Contrary to popular perception, rotis are widely eaten in South India. They may be made out of rice, wheat, ragi, jowar, maida or even sooji. They may also be stuffed with masalas or vegetables, fried, or roasted plain. They go well with curries, stuffed, plain or with a simple pachadi.
Snacks or ‘Tiffin’ are made all the time in south Indian homes. Some are eaten hot, some stand in for long journeys and others are staples for school and office lunch boxes. You need little notice to make these snacks. Some are oil free and other are filled with vegetables. They may also serve as short-eats when guests stop by in the evenings.
Finally Sweets! Those sinful, sumptuous sweet somethings leave a lingering taste in your mouth. No festival is complete without them, no meal is allowed to end before a sweet is passed around. Sweets may be served in any form fried, steamed or even baked. Not all are bad for you. Some of these sweets are actually nutritious and oil free. You don’t need much notice and none are elaborate or laborious. Some are even made from discarded seeds and fruits, leftover sugar syrup or cream.
Curries
Gojjus
Pachadis
Rasam
Rise Dishes
Rotis
Snacks
Sweets
Many Indians are vegetarians or consume more vegetables than meat. As a result of this, there is large numbers of excellent traditional as well as modern Indian vegetarian dishes and recipes available. However, these dishes might not be Vegan because they might use ghee and in few yogurt. We suggest our readers to replace ghee with either margarine or olive oil to make vegetarian Indian food into a vegan Indian food.