Western Indian cuisine: weather, geography and religion influence flavor in region's rich and diverse culinary traditions

Nation's Restaurant News, March 27, 2006 by Erica Duecy

"It is the combination of spices--you can buy mixed vindaloo masala in the bazaars--and the use of vinegar, which acts as a preservative, that makes vindaloos different from other Goan foods," writes Jaffrey. "Because of the vinegar, vindaloos are considered a perfect wedding dish that, once made, may be served again and again over several days."

While Catholic Goans typically make their vindaloos with pork, Indian Muslims and Hindus use duck or fish.

Pork sausages also are a popular snack for Catholic Goans, according to Cardoz. "when we'd go to Goa [when he was young], sometimes we'd take the ship going south," Cardoz remembers. "At the dock there'd be these people selling cooked sausages in small country loaves of bread. The sausages were vinegary and peppery with chiles--it was amazing."

In contrast to other areas of the country, "there's no yogurt in any dish in Goa," says Cardoz. "The acidity is usually gotten through tamarind or palm vinegar or palm sap."

Karnataka Kerala: Dosas, Idlis and Uttapams

Traveling south through Karnataka and Kerala, the weather grows hotter and so does the food. The cuisine of those two southwestern states features more steaming and stir-frying. Both regions are known for their fiery coconut curries and light snacks, such as savory pancakes, crepes, doughnuts and flat breads. Spices like black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and tamarind are commonly used.

Rice is a staple of the diet and often is served with side of sambar, a tamarind-accented lentil-and-vegetable soup; rasam, a thin lentil soup; an assortment of dry and curded vegetables; and a yogurt sauce preparation called pachadi.

Dosas are savory crepes made from rice and bean flour and are often filled with curried potatoes and called masala dosa. Idlis are small, fluffy steamed patties made from rice and lentil flour. Uttapams are savory pancakes studded with tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and mushrooms. Those dishes usually are served with coconut chutney and sambar on the side.

In New York and Los Angeles, scores of restaurants serve south Indian specialties. At Bombay Cafe in West Los Angeles, the restaurant's most popular South Indian dish is masala dosa.

"There's a growing awareness of the different regional foods here, but it's nothing like in England," Chaparro says. "There, you have restaurants specializing in Keralan cuisine only. It's touted as the next big thing."

At Cafe Spice in New York's Greenwich Village, dosas--cooked on a griddle in front of customers--are among the restaurant's most popular dishes, according to Sushil Malhotra, president of Cafe Spice Restaurant Group, a six-unit collection of Indian casual and fast-casual restaurant concepts, based in New York. Dosas are available stuffed with curried potatoes, chicken tikka, minced lamb, spiced shrimp and mushroom with vegetables.

The restaurant also serves idlis and uttapams, which are growing in popularity, he says.

In suburban areas as well, southern Indian cuisine seems to be catching on. Emmanuel Shanthakumar, a chef-restaurateur who hails from the region, owns two Royal India restaurants in the greater Salt Lake City area. While Royal India's bread and butter is northern Indian food, southern Indian dishes now account for about 20 percent of the menu, he says. Shanthakumar's dosas and onion bhaji, seasoned onions dredged in chickpea flour batter and deep fried, are his most popular southern Indian dishes.