This recipe calls for raw green bananas which are abundant in South India. These are not the unripe version of North America’s “Chiquita” yellow banana. They are similar to what we can buy as unripe plantains. They are starchy and used as a vegetable instead of a fruit.
Bananas are one of the most beloved foods in South India and South Indians take them very seriously. One friend in Kerala, Mr. Abraham, who you’ll meet a little further along in our storytelling, has six kinds of bananas growing in his backyard. Tamil Nadu is India’s largest banana growing state weighing in with a …
A Kozhambu (can also be spelled Kuzhambu) is a gravy that accompanies the main carbohydrate of a meal – or in this variation with fish – the protein. A Kozhambu can be like a broth, very thin and flowing, or thicker like a gravy but not as thick as a kootu or stew. It may …
Chefs Dhiraj, Suresh and Chindi at Grande Bay Resort and Spa in Mamallapuram shared this authentic drumstick Sāmbhar soup with us. The fact that we walked their organic garden and saw the drumsticks hanging from the trees just a few feet from where we were cooking the soup made this a truly “mile zero” meal.
Kootu is the Tamil word for “add” and it typically refers to a dal dish with a variety of vegetables added. Each region of South India will add their own favourites. Chef Chindi Varadarajulu of Grande Bay Resort in Mamallapuram likes to add any combination of ash gourd, squash, pumpkin, carrots, potatoes, broad beans, green …
Read more about Vegetable Kootu (dal with mixed vegetables) from the Grande Bay Resort and Spa
We crave dosas, those crispy crepes of bean and rice flour so ubiquitous in the five states that make up South India. Slowly, as more South Indians immigrate to Canada, we are able to find restaurants that serve them here. But what is only an occasional treat here, is a daily routine when we travel …
The first time I took a group to India in 2012, my in-country guide’s name was Prince Charles. He has since become as close as a brother to me. He is not actually a member of the British royal family. Charles is a South Indian who was raised in a small village near Mamallapuram. He …
Meet our friend Mr. N. Jenardhanam Kind, gentle and keenly interested in the circumstances and welfare of others – these are thoughts that spring to mind when I think of our friend Janardhanam. Sitting across from him, whether it be for a dosa (rice and lentil batter crepe) breakfast, a mid-morning dose of strong South Indian …
Read more about Mr. N. Janardhanam and his life in Mamallapuram
Isha’s Ginger Coriander Coffee aka Sukku Coffee is an herbal infusion. It has a positive effect on your prana or life energies. If you’d like to eat and drink food that increases your energy, it’s best to avoid coffee and tea. That’s because they are stimulants that block your ability to receive energy. The caffeine …
Read more about Isha’s Ginger Coriander Coffee aka Sukku Coffee
We are so happy to share this recipe for Isha’s Coconut Buns. It’s an adaptation of one of the more popular tea time treats in Peppervine Cafe at Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. We stopped for a chai break there one day and enjoyed freshly cut wedges of it. They came from huge …