A Southern Soul in Delhi's Heart

ANYONE who knows me well knows of my deep and enduring affection for the cuisines of southern India.

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From the gentle shores of the Konkan coast to the spiceladen kitchens of Tamil Nadu, each dish tells a story, rich with memory and flavour. I find joy in the simplest of preparations the delicate tendli bibbe upkari, where crisp ivy gourd twirls with tender cashews in a whisper of coconut and tempered spices; the sweet-tart pineapple pulissery, sun-kissed and simmered in Kerala's age-old tradition; and of course, the comforting duo of soft idlis and bold sambhar from Tamil Nadu, soul food in every sense.

Growing up in Mumbai, my mornings often began with the quiet clatter of wheels against pavement annas on bicycles, pedalling through the waking city, baskets brimming with idlis still warm from steam, medu vadas golden and crisp, sabudana vadas, masala pohe, and fluffy upma. Their fare, humble in price but rich in flavour, was a daily comfort for office-goers and students alike, devoured on street corners, often standing.