I was introduced to Indian cuisine early in life, thanks to my mother – a gourmet cook who lived many years in Pakistan.  By the age of ten, I could tell my naan from my papadum.  I considered myself quite the sophisticate.  Samosas were my favorite – and the hotter the curry, the better.  Not bad for a kid from Oklahoma.

But horrible for a kid from Kerala.  Because once you’re in the know, there’s much more to Indian food than tandoori chicken.  Regional variation is the spice of life, and there’s a world of difference between Northern and Southern Indian cuisine.

The Battle of North and South

Your standard Indian restaurant specializes in Northern cooking.  Meat usually takes centerstage – along with hot vindaloo curry, stuffed samosas and deep fried pakoras.  All well and good.  But travel south, and find a more vegetarian cuisine.  Southern cooking tends to be spicier (most Malaysian Indians are from the South), and their recipes feature less oil, less milk, more coconut, and a variety of dishes unknown to the average American diner.  Among the more enticing offerings, you’ll find:

Idlies – a.k.a. Indian dumplings.  Those of us with a Jewish background with find the shape and texture somewhat familiar – they resemble matza balls.  A mélange of rice and lentil, idlies are steamed and served floating in a spicy soup called Sambol. 

Hoppers (appams) – Crisp bowl shaped breads, made from fermented rice and wheat flour – sorry, no alcohol!  They’re traditional served for breakfast with garnishes such as curry.  A common variant on the theme is the egg hopper – an appam with a sunny side up egg nestled midcenter.

Then there are string hoppers, or idiappams.  Imagine a nest of Ramen noodles, chilled and formed into little tangled discs.  They hold their shape surprisingly well, and are served with sambol on the side for dipping.

Utthappams – Indian pizza!  Well, sort of.  Uttahappams are large, thick pancakes of fermented rice and lentil (common ingredients in Southern cooking.)  Like pizza, they’re served to taste with any number of toppings – onions, tomatoes, vegetables and curry.  Chewy, thick and savory.

Dosas – a perennial favorite, are a type of Indian Burrito (again with the comparisons!)  They’re encompassed by a thin crepe wrapping of rice and dal (lentil), stuffed with various fillings.  Huge and filling, Masala Dosas are stuffed with potatoes.  Rava Dosas add wheat to the crepe, and Paper Dosas are unfilled (crepe only.)

Then there’s Vadai – a lentil/potato fritter, deep fried and shaped into dumplings or rings.  It’s a street food favorite – the ring shaped Vada look remarkably like plain donuts, hold the sugar.

The Crossover Cuisine  

And Southern Indian cooking offers more than just novelty.  It also serves as a good introduction to Sri Lankan cuisine.  Sri Lankans have their own version of Dosas, called Thosas, and both hoppers and string hoppers are regular fare at Sri Lankan breakfasts.  Along with their regional variations on Indian Biriyani (spiced rice), curry and Vadai, these southern dishes provide the smallest of tastes of what awaits in the less known world of Sri Lankan cuisine.

When You're Ready to Eat

Although it’s more prevalent than in past years, it still takes footwork to find South Indian dishes in NYC.  Forget Curry Row on 6^th street – there’s only Northern food there.  Instead, head to Chennai Garden (129 East 27^th Street) in Manhhattan, hidden on the outskirts of Curry Hill (the area along Lexington from 32^nd – 27^th.)  Near St. Mark’s there’s Madras Café (79 2^nd Avenue) and Chola’s uptown (232 East 58^th).  But Queens is your best bet.  There’s Maharaja Quality at 73-10 37^th Avenue, and Dosa Hut (serving up the obvious) at 45-63 Bowne Street.  If you want, you can even venture down the street to Bownie (143-05 45^th Avenue) and get a first taste of Sri Lankan!