I arrived in Chennai a couple of days ago for the next leg of my work trip. Chennai feels quite different - safer, cleaner, a bit flashier. There is a lot of neon at night and the women wear not only beautiful saris but lots of gold and flowers in their hair. Some amazing colourful temples which I have only driven past which is a shame, but its been nice to have a tiny look in the very short time I am here.
The regional specialities of South India are different. Dosa is huge around here which is fantastic because I love dosa - also dishes with coconut cream (think korma). Its extremely hot and humid with lots of mosquitoes, and the local language is tamil, so there are some regional similarities with Sri Lanka I believe.
On to the food!
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| enormous masala dosa on my last day in mumbai, before the flight to chennai |
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| mushrooms and pea curry in chennai - the only meal i have had which is slightly disappointing. Mushrooms are a weird fit in India. |
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| Upma (semolina) with idli (steamed rice cake) chutneys and sambar (the tomatoey soup). YUM. |
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| masala dosa from a little stall. really good - i;m getting better at eating dosa with only my right hand |
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| four different styles of uttapam (rice pancake) including tomato and onion (I didn't eat all these!) |
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| tadka dahl, rice with saffron and nuts, and aloo palak (potatoes and spinach)./ All completely delicious - i love the spinach curries here. |
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| Rava masala dosa - a regional speciality made from semolina flour stuffed with potato |
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| a special treat for dessert - stewed figs and dates. AMAZING. Who said fruit was boring????? |
Oh. My. Goodness. That food all looks so amazing! Jealous!
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