A Beginners Guide To Cooking Authentic South Indian Food

Published by: ABP Live
Image Source: Pinterest/ektasanhra

1. Understanding The Basics:

South Indian cuisine is known for its bold flavours, aromatic spices, and the perfect balance of tangy, spicy, and savory elements. Get to know about the key ingredients like coconut, curry leaves, mustard seeds, and tamarind.

Image Source: Canva

2. Essential Spices:

South Indians use spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, asafoetida, red chillies, and black pepper a lot. These spices give a unique flavour to the cuisines.

Image Source: Canva

3. Tempering:

Tempering is commonly known as 'tadka' in India. This is an important step to bring out the authentic South Indian flavours.

4. Mastering The South Indian Rice:

Rice, being the staple food of South India, is served with every meal. Ponni, Sona Masuri, and Basmati, are among the different types of rice that are served with dishes in South India.

Image Source: Pinterest/dualsnatural

5. Using Coconut:

Coconut is the main ingredient of almost every South Indian meal. It's either used in the form of milk or is grated into dishes.

Image Source: Canva

6. Fermented Foods:

Many South Indian dishes such as dosa, idli, and appam, rely on fermented batters. It's necessary to master the process of fermentation to achieve the rich taste and texture.

Image Source: Pinterest/theculinarypeace

7. Balancing The Flavours:

South Indian cuisines have the perfect balance of flavours. For example, Sambar has a perfect mix of tangy and spicy flavours. Authentic South Indian food requires a perfect combination of flavours.

Image Source: Pinterest/diasfreda

8. Making Chutneys:

South Indians serve chutneys along with their meals. To ace the perfect authentic South Indian food, it's necessary to make fresh chutneys, especially, coconut and tomato which are the essential accompaniments.

Image Source: Pinterest/mharini

9. Slow Cooking:

Slow cooking allows to cuisines to develop deep and rich flavours. It's necessary to allow the curries and stews to simmer, and let the spices infuse properly.

Image Source: Canva