The winter season is when the tongue desires to savor more and more. Indian delicacies come to the rescue, with the spice, the flavors and added nutrition as well. And you might not know that certain South Indian foods from South India are a perfect treat for the stomach in winter season. Today, let’s get to know about the foods from the south. Catch up with these three amazing dishes-

Kollu Rasam -

The first dish on your plate is the Kollu Rasam, all the way from Tamil Nadu. It is also known as the Horse gram soup. The Kollu rasam is a special dish of Kongunad, Tamil Nadu. It is very helpful if you are down with cough and cold and gives relief to the throat and sinus. Also horse gram is beneficial in weight loss.

Ingredients needed are – Horse gram, water, tamarind, Indian sesame oil, pepper, cumin seeds, garlic, tomato, mustard seeds, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, jaggery, coriander leaves.

Now let us start preparing the Kollu Rasam. Take 2 cups of water and 1/4^th cup horse gram. Boil in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes. Drain all the water and keep it aside in a bowl. This is our Kollu or the horse gram liquid. Take a tamarind (lemon size) and soak it in a cup of water for 15 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind to extract its pulp. Remove the seeds and the pith, then keep it aside.

Take a pan and heat Indian sesame oil. Add pepper, cumin seeds and garlic. Saute it well until it begins to pop. Add a chopped tomato. Sprinkle some salt and cook it for a while. Add 1/4^th cup cooked horse gram. After the mixture is well cooked, let it cool. Then take 1/4^th cup water and grind the mixture in a fine paste.

Now again, heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal and fenugreek seeds. After it splutters, pour the tamarind juice and the ground paste in it. Put some curry leaves. Stir it well. Cook for 10 minutes on a low flame.

Add the Kollu or the horse gram liquid to the pan. Cook it for a couple of minutes. Add a piece of jaggery and coriander leaves. Your dish is ready. Serve it hot with rice. You can also eat the rasam like hot soup.   

The Beetroot Thoran –

This is exactly what you need for all the nutrients and taste. This South Indian delicacy is a perfect match to your rice meals. The sweetness and spices is the added oomph you need in winters. The famous thoran comes from traditional Kerala cuisine, simply easy to prepare and actually healthy owing to the beets and being a gluten free, vegan dish.

Let’s get going with collecting the ingredients first – Small firm beetroots, fresh curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, garlic, green chilies, onion, fresh grated coconut (desiccated coconut only if fresh isn’t available).

Here’s a step by step guide to making the Beetroot Thoran –

 Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan on a medium flame. Add 1/4^th tsp mustard seeds. After they sizzle, add a sprig of curry leaves to it. Put 1/4^th cup finely chopped onions in the pan. Stir it well.

Grate 250gm beetroot and add it to the pan. Now add 1/8^th tsp turmeric with some salt. Stir well and fry it for about 2-3 minutes. Cover the lid and let it cook on a low flame.

Till the time beetroot cooks, grind 1/4^th cup fresh grated coconut, 2 green chilies, 2 garlic cloves with ½ tsp cumin seeds to form a coarse paste. Once the beetroot is cooked, add the coconut and spice mixture to it. Stir it well together and cook for 2 minutes.

Your dish is ready to serve with rice and chapatti. Enjoy your wholesome healthy meal.

Dappalam –

The traditional dish from Andhra is a delight to eat. It is tangy, sweet and spicy. The best part is it is a mixed vegetable stew, that means you have so many veggies on your plate…complete nutrition in a meal. Dappalam eaten with dal and rice is just an amazing lunch.

To make Dappalam, you need – 1 cup bottle gourd (peeled and cut in cubes), a chopped carrot, 2 chopped sweet potatoes, 2 Drum sticks (cut in inch long pieces), 4 chopped green chilies, 1 cup tamarind water, 2 tsp jaggery, ½ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp red chili powder, 2 tsp rice flour, oil, ½ tsp mustard seeds, 1/4^th tsp yellow fenugreek seeds, 1/4^th tsp asafoetida and 2 sprigs of curry leaves.

Let us start making the dish. Take a cup of water in a pressure cooker. Add all the vegetables and green chilies with some salt and turmeric powder. Cook it for three whistles. Then take a bowl. Put tamarind water, rice flour, turmeric powder and red chili powder. Blend it well to form a smooth mixture.

Meanwhile, take a saucepan and heat oil on a medium flame. Now add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Add asafetida and curry leaves. Put the prepared tamarind mixture and stir well. Add the jaggery and cooked vegetables. Cook it well, until the flavors get embraced in the stew.

You are ready with the Dappalam. Serve it with steamed rice to enjoy your perfect Andhra lunch.

South Indian food is well known for its health benefits. Make sure you include the typical food from South India to your diet. It’ll spice up your meal as well as pump you up with necessary nutrients.