South India boasts a plethora of food options - ranging from restaurants, street stalls, fine dining establishments, and food delivery apps that offer all types of cuisines. No matter which you choose to dine with, you are guaranteed that the food will be yummy. Some travelers do warn of the "Delhi belly" or the "Tamil tummy trouble," but I, thankfully, haven't had any digestive issues in India and look forward to trying more varieties of food here.
Day 1 Breakfast: Stepping off the plane in Chennai, I knew exactly what my first meal had to be ā a quintessential South Indian breakfast called 'tiffin.' With its delectable assortment of dosas, idlis, vadas, green chutney, red sambar, and rava kesari, a tiffin is not just a snack but a cultural experience. Determined to dive headfirst into Chennai's culinary scene, I turned to the popular Swiggy app, widely used across India for ordering food deliveries.
Here's a closer look at the different elements that comprise a traditional tiffin:
Idli: Pillowy soft and fluffy, idli is created from a combination of fermented rice and lentil. Perfectly complemented by the accompanying sauces, idli adds a light yet satisfying base to the tiffin experience.
Vada: Shaped like a doughnut, vada is a deep-fried snack made from black lentil. Similar to idli, vada serves as a versatile vessel for scooping up the various sauces, adding a delightfully crunchy counterpoint to the soft idli.
Dosa: Crepe-like dosa is another staple of South Indian cuisine, derived from a mixture of lentil and fermented rice.
Sambar: Made primarily from lentils, sambar is a lentil-based stew featuring an eclectic mix of vegetables and tamarind. Rich in flavor and texture, sambar brings a welcome dose of heat and acidity to the otherwise mild tiffin.
Chutney: Commonly referred to as thogayal in Tamil Nadu, chutney consists of a variety of dipping sauces made from spices, herbs, vegetables, and fruits.
Rava Kesari: Last but certainly not least, rava kesari is a decadently sweet dessert composed of semolina, ghee, sugar, and flavorings such as saffron and cardamom.
The tiffin truly is an experience to be had.
Day 1 Lunch: For lunch, I visited the a Keralan restaurant, Ente Keralam, which is renowned for its authentic South Indian cuisine served on a traditional banana leaf.
The meal at Ente Keralam offered something reminiscent of a 3-course dining experience, in which I started off served with a tangy buttermilk with aromatic curry leaves. The following courses included crispy plantain slices alongside Keralan red rice, complemented by sambar, assorted chutneys, sauces, and spices. The meal concluded with a delightfully sweet dessert trio of the palada payasam (made with milk, sugar, and rice ada), fruits, and some other sweet, syrupy concoction before being given sugar-coated fennel seeds that taste like mint pop rocks. These supposedly help freshen up your breath after the meal.
Day 2 Breakfast: I still haven't had a chance to go grocery shopping at an actual supermarket. Instead I make what I can with what my fridge was pre-stocked with - sourdough bread, egg, avocado, and a sauce leftover from breakfast the day prior.
Day 2 Lunch: It's another day of online food delivery (Zomato), and I ventured into exploring a new cuisine via the esteemed Pandan Club. Their Pad See Ew and Chili Chicken dishes effectively quelled some of the Chinese food craving I was having.
Day 3 Brunch: I was thrilled to sample the Thai cuisine at Absolute Thai, and it truly exceeded my expectations. The diverse menu featured a fusion of Malaysian, Indonesian, and Thai delicacies. The Yellow Curry Dim Sum was absolutely divine, and the complimentary Thai wrap appetizer reminded me of the ssam lettuce wraps from Korean cuisine. A definite must-visit spot in Chennai.
Day 3 dinner: All the takeout meals I was having made me worry for my health, but alas, I was strapped for cash, and I relied heavily on food deliveries through Swiggy and Zomato.
Upon my initial arrival in India, I was cautioned by fellow travelers to steer clear of paneer due to concerns about the water used in its preparation. After three days of dairy avoidance, I decided to take a chance and indulge in the paneer biryani. To my relief, I experienced no digestive discomfort, and although the biryani was slightly saltier than I prefer, the generous portion of rice (1000ml) meant that I could pack leftovers for lunch the following day.
Overall, I am highly impressed with the vast variety of cuisines available here. With each passing day, I look forward to discovering even more culinary options, whether it be through dining out or utilizing online delivery services.
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