Rice is served everywhere and always-in south India and flour-based breads are rare, if at all. Rice is used to polish off the very spicy curries of the south, which are in a more liquid manner than those of the north. These curries are often pulse-based and if this sounds restricting, you'll be surprised at what a few spices here and there can do to completely change the taste of things.

The south Indians put chillies, mustard, coconut oil and various other spicy seeds to very effective use to conjure up mouthwatering dishes like dosas (rice pancakes stuffed with potatoes and vegetables), idlis (rice dumplings served with sambar), and so on.

Cuisine of Kerala

`Sadya' - the typical Kerala feast served on a banana leaf, is a sumptuous spread of rice and more than 14 vegetable dishes, topped with `payasam', the delicious sweet dessert cooked in milk. A typical Kerala breakfast may be `idli', sambar, dosa and coconut chutney.

As in much of South India, there is a tendency towards vegetarian food. However, the Muslims and Christians excel in non-vegetarian cuisine like `pathiri' and kozhi curry (chicken), biriyani and fish dishes. There are many restaurants serving seafood - prawn curry in coconut gravy is exceptionally good. Curries are eaten usually with plain steamed rice.

Almost every dish prepared in Kerala has coconut and spices to flavour the local cuisine giving it a sharp pungency that is heightened with the use of tamarind, while coconut gives it its richness, absorbing some of the tongue-teasing, pepper-hot flavours. Tender coconut water is a refreshing nutritious thirst quencher. The crunchy papadam, banana and jackfruit chips can give french-fries a run for their money any day.