3 Healthiest and Best South Indian Recipes
Every homemade preparation is healthy, and all the moms know to cook the tastiest of foods. Each state has its delicacies and every street can boast of its favorite flavor that all the food lovers gather to cherish. Then, there are tastes that are so commonplace and served often at our tables with many other special delicacies. Many a time, the special foods tend to push the simple flavors to oblivion. My sole objective is to acquaint my readers with some of the healthiest and best South Indian recipes.
Well, I am reminded of one such simple taste that I always used to enjoy with any main course. As a child, I have hardly enjoyed any other curry as much as ‘Veppilakatti' which is a tangy, sweet chutney. I assume, many of you can relate to this scenario and will have your own special tastes that you enjoyed as a child. When these tastes are simple and healthy, they become super special.
There are three such healthiest and best South Indian recipes which I think are irreplaceable from the dining table.
Veppilakatti
As a child I found Veppilakatti to be the most unfussy curry to have with rice. It is one of the best South Indian recipes I could ever think of. Obviously, I never knew the ingredients back then yet I always enjoyed the taste.
We always used to have it at home in a small glass bottle and it was as simple as that. It is basically curry leaves and coconut roasted with spices ground to powder. The spices added to it are chili powder, tamarind, pepper powder, salt, asafetida, and fenugreek. Depending on your taste buds, some people do away with the last two ingredients.
It is also made with lemon or neem leaves in some parts although I am not sure how that tastes. The blend of tamarind and curry leaves gives a unique aroma and a delicious taste. If you can keep it in an airtight glass bottle it is sure to stay fresh for up to a month. Now you know why this preparation is a favorite among those who are staying away from home or travelling far. This healthiest and simplest of flavors can be very pocket-friendly and easy to make too.
Rasam
For many people, the word ‘Rasam' is not unfamiliar. It is derived from the word ‘rasa' which means juice or extract. And as the meaning suggests it is a watery extract of vegetables and more essential that of tamarind, pepper, and cumin amongst other spices. It is one of the healthiest and best South Indian recipes.
Thanks to the ingredients in it, of late, rasam has been one of my favorite appetizers and yes it can be had after a good meal too. I would say it is a poor man's soup. Though sourness is the prominent taste that caresses your taste buds, you will certainly savor the distinct flavor of pepper, cumin, garlic or tomato.
The presence of aforesaid spices adds a lot of health values to rasam making it a good antioxidant, promoting digestion, preventing constipation and as a whole, it is a balanced food.
Depending on where you belong, types and flavors change too. The types of rasam highlighting different flavors include tomato, pineapple, pepper, parsley, garlic, tamarind and so on.
This healthy and traditional flavor can be enjoyed hot especially during winter and rainy season alike.
Inji Curry (ginger curry)
It is certainly one of my favorites if I am having rice. Let alone the health benefits, the explosion of flavors it makes in the mouth is really tempting to go for another scoop. Inji (ginger) curry is a traditional recipe and is referred to in fables and folklore of Kerala. As the name suggests the basic ingredient for this curry is ginger and is one of the best South Indian recipes.
It is a perfect blend of ginger, chili, jaggery, asafetida, thick tamarind juice, mustard and fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, coconut oil and salt sautéed well to a golden brown semi-solid paste. It is difficult to pinpoint a single taste in your mouth, as it has sweetness, sourness, pungency all at the same time.
A story has it that when the learned scholar Vararuchi while visiting a house asked the host to prepare 1000 curries for his meal. The clever lady of the house understood what he had meant and prepared Inji curry which is said to be equivalent to a thousand curries.
Since ginger has several medicinal properties it has been an unavoidable element in most of the curries in India. Needless to say, Inji curry is not just a fusion of flavors but a reservoir of healthy ingredients.
If properly made and preserved well, it can last for a month. The best of flavors need not be highly expensive or available only at star hotels, you just can prepare them at the comfort of your own kitchen. They are traditional, healthy and easy to prepare, and they hardly require any exquisite ingredients. Try them right away to invigorate your taste buds.
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Author
Deepu
A Travel enthusiast and Foodie, craving to explore the intricate beauty of nature and its gift of delectable treats. Pens down his thoughts and experiences to present a delightful journey for his readers
Yummy! That soup looks heavenly
it s really worth trying
I never had the opportunity to taste foods from other countries. Very sure I am gonna try
i really think you should try these!
I love indian food. Are you going to post some traditional recipes on your blog too?
We can do that. Thanks for your interest.
These sound so good! I love recipes that are healthy but also full of flavor. When you cut out all the junk in your life, you find that the more flavor you can infuse the better.
totally agree with you and you have got the point. these flavors are in fact so full of healthy and essential spices that make them worth tasting.
very nice. thanks for sharing. i’m surprised the rasam has a sour taste. im used to indian recipes having spice.
yes, it s a very healthy drink like soup. Since the base usually is prepared with tamarind juice or tomato, it s got the sour taste.
I am jealous on how talented you are when it comes with making nutritious foods. I am not a mother yet, but I would love how to able to make and come up with my own recipes that my future husband and kids will surely love.
well, now you have three flavorful and healthy recipes right in front of you. please do try 🙂
The Inji Curry sounds delicious! I can not even imagine the mix of flavors! Indian cuisines is one of my favorites, wish I could make ssome of these
i am sure you would love it once you try it. Ginger is after all good for our body
I like Indian food but I haven’t heard of Inji Curry and Rasam. Both looks delicious! I hope my Indian friends can cook it for me.
yes, please ask them. you need to try these 🙂
Don’t think I’ve ever experimented with ginger in a curry before, but you’ve made it sound quite nice, I’ll give it a shot
it will be a great shot! do try 🙂
that soup looks amazing. i def need to try this out. i love to try new things.
then this is one of the new things you should try
I love to try more of Indian foods even though they are spicy. Still, I love to try them. 🙂 These foods look delicious!
spicy but healthy too. so please do try.
I always liked South Indian food. And now a day, I am trying my hands on different recipes. Thanks for sharing the list. Would definitely try them.
please do and share your opinion
Didn’t know much about Indian soups and now I learned three new recipes in 1 post! Thanks for sharing and I will try it out when i am making Indian food diinner at home in the future! – Knycx journeying
and i would say it is certainly worth trying
I think I had tasted the ginger curry before. It was good and soothing (i love ginger!).
yes super healthy too
amazing, I really love foreign kitchen and everytime want to try something new. very interesting. didn’t try Indian food but I guess it’s a big omission wanna try
please do. some of these spices really good for health
My mouth is burning just by looking at those, are they as spicy as they look?
well, well.. depends, how much chili you add.
Really amazing!
It is the most comfort food—rice, ghee with piping hot rasam
Do visit my blog and give your valuable feedback
It looks really nice
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Feels like I reached my home town 😊❤️😊
Thanks for sharing. I am a big fan of South Indian home cooking and will want to try these recipes.