Hyderabadi Biryani
A meaty dish containing yoghurt

Poppadoms and Condiments
A quick, simple and fresh starter

Meen Moilee
White fish in fragrant coconut milk

Padma Lakshmi journeys through South India. Starting in Mumbai, she discovers a number street food delights before helping the 'Dabbawallahs' deliver lunch to businessmen in the city centre. She travels inland by plane to Hyderabad where Padma enjoys the opulence of the Royal city and explores the exotic bazaars where she learns how to make a Royal Biryani for 200 children at the home of a first class chef.

In Bangalore, Padma enjoys a typical South Indian breakfast, a Masala Dosa at the Mavalli Tiffin Rooms. She then travels on to India's largest Woman's Co-Operative to make sun-dried Pappadams. Next she heads south to the lush coastal state of Kerala. Here Padma explores the spice warehouses in Cochin and has an insight into the world's only International Pepper Exchange. Padma meets up with a local chef and together they cook a fragrant coconut fish stew amongst the tropical palm fringed backwaters of Kerala.

Travelling through the Cardamon Hills and over the Western Ghats by train, Padma finds herself in a large Krishna Temple. The temples' dining rooms are open to hungry worshipers and it is here where Padma journey comes to an end. She eats with 10,000 pilgrims and learns of the sacred and religious foods in South India.

Tiffin
In South India light meals and finger food is always referred to as tiffin, and Anglo-Indian word meaning 'snack'.

Chutneys and Pickles
Indians crave an array of intense flavours on the same plate. Alongside their curries they have one or two zesty condiments to liven up the meal, cool down the heat of the main dish or sweeten the palate.

Sambhar
A kind of dhal or lentil stew cooked with seasonal vegetables and usually accompanied by spongy rice dumplings.

MORE INFORMATION

Listings of where to stay, where to eat, things to do and how to get there as recommended by the Planet Food crew.