Vermicelli Kheer · Tamil Nadu. Semiya payasam in the South and seviyan kheer in the North: thin wheat vermicelli roasted in ghee and simmered in milk with cardamom, cashews and raisins. Festival-ready in half an hour.
Coconut Rice · Tamil Nadu. Thengai sadam, or kobbari annam in Telugu homes: cooked rice tossed with freshly grated coconut and a crackling tadka of mustard, dals, cashews and curry leaves. A temple-festival and lunchbox favourite.
Upma · Tamil Nadu. Classic South Indian rava upma: roasted semolina cooked soft and fluffy with mustard seeds, curry leaves, onion, ginger and green chilli, finished with ghee and a squeeze of lemon.
Pudina Coconut Chutney · Tamil Nadu. A bright green chutney of fresh mint, coriander and coconut with green chilli and a touch of tamarind, cool and sharp next to hot idli or dosa.
Coconut Chutney · Tamil Nadu. The everyday white chutney that goes with every idli and dosa: fresh coconut, roasted gram and green chilli ground smooth and finished with a crackling mustard and curry-leaf tadka.
Veg Kurma · Tamil Nadu. The roadside-hotel kurma of Tamil Nadu: mixed vegetables in a fragrant coconut, fennel and roasted gram gravy, gentle enough to mop up with flaky parotta or soft chapati.
Pepper Chicken Fry · Tamil Nadu. A South Indian dry fry where chicken, shallots and curry leaves are roasted in a heap of freshly crushed black pepper until dark, glossy and warmly fiery.
Rasam Powder · Tamil Nadu. A peppery, cumin-forward podi for thin, tangy South Indian rasam. Lighter on dal than sambar powder and sharper on the nose.
Sambar Powder · Tamil Nadu. Tamil-style sambar podi of roasted coriander, red chillies, dals, fenugreek and curry leaves. One batch makes about 20 pots of sambar that taste like home.
Ambur Chicken Biryani · Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu's famous Arcot-style biryani: short-grain seeraga samba rice cooked right in a brick-red chicken masala built on soaked dried chilli paste, mint and plenty of shallots.
Curd Rice · Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu's thayir sadam: soft rice mashed into cool curd with a crackling mustard and curry leaf tadka. The best use of leftover rice.
One-Pot Tomato Rice · Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu's thakkali sadam: rice cooked in one pot with a tangy, spiced tomato masala. Lunchbox food that's good warm or cold.
Ven Pongal · Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu's soft, savoury rice and moong dal porridge, cooked mushy and finished with a ghee tadka of whole pepper, cumin, ginger and cashews.
Idli with Coconut Chutney · Tamil Nadu. Soft, fluffy steamed rice and urad dal cakes from a naturally fermented batter, with a fresh green-chilli coconut chutney and a mustard-seed tadka.
Sambar · Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu's everyday toor dal and tamarind stew with drumstick, shallots and brinjal, made with a freshly roasted sambar powder.