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Time of India
16-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Time of India
7 lesser-known cuisines of South India
South India is known for its dosas, idlis, and sambar—but there's so much more gently cooking behind the scenes. Every region has its own quiet gems, shaped by coastlines, forests, homegrown grains, and traditions passed down through temple kitchens. This variety isn't just delicious—it reflects how people live, grow, and share their food with care. Here's a look at some lesser-known southern cuisines that carry stories in every bite. Kongunadu (Tamil Nadu) This cuisine comes from the western part of Tamil Nadu and uses very little oil and spices, so the natural flavours stand out. Coconut, groundnuts, and turmeric are used a lot, giving the food a soft, comforting taste. Dishes like soft Kambu Dosas (made with pearl millet) and Kola Urundai (lentil dumplings) make the meal feel simple and filling. It's the kind of food that doesn't just satisfy hunger—it leaves you feeling light, cared for, and well-fed. Udupi (Karnataka) Udupi cuisine is a traditional temple-style vegetarian food that's full of flavour, even without using onion or garlic. Meals are balanced, with rice, dal, rasam, vegetable curries, and chutneys, usually served on banana leaves. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Beyond Text Generation: An AI Tool That Helps You Write Better Grammarly Install Now Undo Dishes like saaru, majjige huli (buttermilk curry), and chana sundal are not just tasty—they're made to keep the body and mind calm and balanced. Malnad (Karnataka) Found in the hilly, forested regions of Karnataka, Malnad food is closely connected to nature. It uses wild greens, local yams, bamboo shoots, and plenty of coconut in its curries. Dishes like tili saaru (a light rasam), akki rotti (rice flatbread), and honey-soaked sweets make this cuisine feel fresh, earthy, and perfect for the rainy season. Chettinad (Tamil Nadu) While known for its spicy non-veg fare, Chettinad also offers bold vegetarian dishes using kalpasi (stone flower), fennel, and star anise. The food here is deeply aromatic and often cooked in iron pots. Curries are slow-cooked and layered with flavour. It's rich, but made with ingredients that aid digestion like tamarind, garlic, and dry-roasted spices. Telangana (Telangana) This region's cuisine leans on heat, tamarind, and millet. Ragi sangati (finger millet balls) with spicy gongura chutney is a classic. Telangana food is unfiltered and robust—there's a raw honesty to it. It's designed for tough terrains and hot weather, which is why it's big on cooling elements like curd and fibre-rich grains. Nellai (Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu) Located near the southern tip, Nellai cuisine has strong coastal and agrarian roots. Tamarind, coconut, and banana flower are common ingredients. Famous for its halwa, the region also offers lovely everyday meals like keerai masiyal (mashed greens), kootu (dal-vegetable curry), and simple podi-drenched rice. It's soulful and full of local flavour. Kodava (Coorg, Karnataka) Kodava food comes from the misty hills of Coorg and is known for its bold flavours and local ingredients. While pork is a key part of the cuisine, the vegetarian dishes are just as special—like bamboo shoot curry and coconut-rich koot curry. This food follows the rhythm of the region, using what grows fresh in the land and forests around it.
New Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Kongunadu takes the spotlight
Known for its bold use of spices, locally sourced ingredients, and age-old culinary wisdom, Kongunadu cuisine hails from the western regions of Tamil Nadu. Offering a refreshing departure from the more widely recognised Chettinad fare, it presents a distinctive flavour profile that is both rustic and refined. At the food pop-up event 'Flavours of Kongunadu with Chef Harshini' at Feast, Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel, Hyderabadis were treated to an authentic taste of this lesser-known culinary tradition. The festival featured a thoughtfully curated menu by Chef Harshini, founder of Soul on a Plate and a passionate advocate of Tamil cuisine. With her deep-rooted knowledge and contemporary flair, Chef Harshini crafted a dining experience that celebrated tradition and storytelling. Her menu invited diners to explore rare regional recipes passed down through generations. Presented in a thali format for the tasting session, the meal was a vibrant showcase of Kongunadu flavours. We began with a zingy and refreshing Pacha Puli Rasam, a no-cook rasam made with raw tamarind, which immediately set the tone for the lunch. The Vazhaipoo Vadai, crispy fritters made from banana flower, chana dal, curry leaves, onion, and spices — was a delightful starter. A standout dish was the Prawn Thokku, featuring succulent prawns simmered in a rich, spicy, tangy tomato-based sauce. Paired with Malli Biryani (a fragrant coriander-based biryani), it was simply irresistible.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Check out the Kongunadu cuisine at Brickfields' Erode Amman Mess that has already won over a huge following
KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 10 — So why are there long queues at Erode Amman Mess in Brickfields? What is so good about this place... which is how we ended up at Erode Amman Mess. The crowd in front of the restaurant at the corner of Jalan Tun Sambanthan and Jalan Rozario is hard to miss. What makes it different here is how everyone gets to queue in comfort as chairs are provided. But there's no queue for our weekday lunch. Weekends are when crowds of people come. Depending on how big your party is, the wait can be say 10 to 15 minutes for two diners. Mutton Biryani has tiny 'seeraga samba' infused with flavour and dotted with tender mutton pieces — Picture by Lee Khang Yi Once you walk in, you're greeted with a packed dining room outfitted in gold accents, chandeliers and even a gold lion head water feature. Its opulent décor may scare you but don't be intimidated, the food served here is down to earth goodness. Originating from Tamil Nadu in India, the restaurant offers Kongunadu cuisine where its hallmark is balanced spices and flavours At almost every table, people are tucking into the Erodu SPL Veg Meal. At RM14.95, it's bang for your buck with unlimited rice, ghee, special podi, sambar, special kuzhambu, two types of poriyal, kootu, pachadi, appalam, pickle, curd and honey gulkhand. Gobi Manchurian (left) is a classic Indo Chinese dish with sweet, spicy flavours while the Chicken Milagu Gravy (right) makes a good pairing with the rice — Picture by Lee Khang Yi It's definitely the most superior banana leaf rice meal I have ever had. Even the leaf is laid on top of a silver tray, so you won't have any messy accidents. The vegetables rotate daily so your palate is never jaded even if you're a regular here. One time there was beetroot and drumstick or murungkai. Another time, it was a bean feast, with black eyed beans, chana dal and butter beans with different vegetables. The podi, a mixture of spices, taste like toasted peanuts and enhances the fluffy rice. Here, the appalam is huge, giving you maximum crunchiness. Curd and ghee is by request so ask for those, if you fancy them with your meal. Japan Chicken (left) is like a riff of buttermilk chicken and Prawn 65 with Karuveppilai Pepper Gobi (right) uses curry leaves and pepper to cook the cauliflower — Picture by Lee Khang Yi The other star here is the Mutton Biryani (RM22.95), which is prepared Kongu-style with tiny grains of seeraga samba. It comes in a deceptively small looking pot. Once you start digging into it though the biryani seems endless. The flavour of the tender mutton pieces are infused in the small grains, leaving you satisfied even after demolishing half of the hefty portion. We suggest you pack home the remainder to relish later. Ask for curd and curry too with your biryani for a complete experience. With your meals, there's a huge choice of curries, fried items and then there is their Indo Chinese selection, which is their version of Chinese classics. Gobi Manchurian (RM14.95), the classic Indo Chinese dish, with its balanced sweetness and spiciness makes it enjoyable while the Chicken Milagu Gravy (RM16.95) allows you to drench your rice happily with the spice forward curry. Remember to add the 'rasam' to your order, whether it's the Kozhi Rasam (left) with chicken broth or the weekend special of Nandu Rasam (right) with the sweet crab flavour — Picture by Lee Khang Yi One of their iconic dishes is Japan Chicken (RM17.95). It's inspired a few copycats as some like to recreate it at home. For our palates, it may not be exciting as it tastes like a doppelganger of buttermilk chicken, a common dish found in dai chows. On the same flavour profile, there's also a Butter Garlic Mushroom (RM17). It has less liquid but the creamy, thick sauce adheres to the cauliflower florets. What worked better was the Karuveppilai Pepper Gobi (RM14.95) with a more piquant pick-up for the vegetable using curry leaves and pepper. The winners here are the rasam. Here, it's not just spices but it's tiny bowls of soupy heaven that will brighten your day wonderfully. Mutton Kola Urundai (left) is filled with moist minced mutton cooked with herbs while one can end the meal with a cup of Mylapore Filter Coffee (right) served in a 'dawara' tumbler set — Picture by Lee Khang Yi The Kozhi Rasam (RM5) uses a chicken soup base while the weekend special Nandu Rasam (RM7.95) is sweet from the crabs. Another must-eat here is the Mutton Kola Urundai (RM4.95 per piece) or mutton meatballs. The Kongu classic looks like an ordinary dark brown ball but inside is the treasure of moist minced meat mixed with herbs. There's also various fried items like Pepper Chicken Fry, Chicken 65 and more, but we settled for the Prawn 65 (RM22.50) with prawns battered and deep fried. Do not miss the dessert here, washed down with their Mylapore Filter Coffee (RM5). The coffee is served in a brass dawara tumbler. Pour the aromatic brew in the smaller tumbler filled with fresh cow's milk to mix it together. I like mixing it a few times like the teh tarik man until the sugar melts. For a lighter, coconut forward dessert, order the Elaneer Payasam (left) and the divine Beetroot Halwa (right), a warm pudding of happiness with beetroot, milk, raisins and nuts — Picture by Lee Khang Yi If you're looking for your usual creamy payasam with vermicelli and sago pearls, you will be disappointed as here, they serve Elaneer Payasam (RM10), a Kongu classic. The cool coconut forward dessert is lighter and more refreshing. The mixture is composed of coconut water, pounded coconut pulp, coconut milk with a mild hint of cardamoms. What blew our minds was the Beetroot Halwa (RM6.95), a daily dessert special. The texture when served warm is similar to a pudding made from grated beetroot cooked with milk, raisins and nuts. Every bit of that dessert was happily scraped away till the bowl was empty. This Beetroot Halwa alternates with the Carrot Halwa that is a big crowd favourite. Most of the diners visit for lunch. For dinner, they serve idli, dosai and idiyappam. The interior (left) of the restaurant features gold accents, chandeliers and gold lion head water feature while one can spot Erode Amman Mess (right) from the crowd that flocks here during weekend lunch — Picture by Lee Khang Yi It was a great meal, made even better by the hospitality of Dr Pallavi Tarun who was at hand with recommendations for the halwa and rasam. She's also mentioned in their Google reviews by numerous diners. Erode Amman Mess started out in Erode, a city in Tamil Nadu, India, hence the name. As time passed, many gave it the nickname, 'Amman Mess' which stuck even after they opened in Chennai. They have outlets in Dubai, Singapore and now in Malaysia, where they were brought in by Sri Paandi Restaurant about a year ago. Erode Amman Mess, G9 (Retail). Sentral Suites, 248, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. Open daily: 11.30am to 4pm, 6.30pm to 11pm. Facebook: Instagram: * This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal. * Follow us on Instagram for more food gems.
