Tamil

Tamil Nadu is the southern tip — its cuisine is the most rice-and-tamarind-driven in India, anchored by the temple-and-banana-leaf tradition. Idli, Dosa, Vada, Pongal — most "South Indian" breakfasts the rest of the world knows came from here.

Chettinad cooking (from the inland Chettiar merchant community) is the spice-heavy branch — black-stone curry powder with kalpasi (lichen), star anise, marathi mokku (dried flower bud), maipoo (mace), and a hand-roasted spice blend that's distinct from anything else in India. Chettinad Chicken (kozhi varuval), Pepper Chicken, Mutton Sukka are emblematic.

Madurai Jigarthanda (rose-syrup-and-almond-gum cold drink), Karaikudi varieties of fish-and-prawn, banana-leaf meals (sappadu) at temple cities — Tamil is regionally subdivided. Sambar (toor dal stew with vegetables and tamarind) and Rasam (peppery tamarind broth) are the meal liquids. Filter coffee (chicory blend, served in stainless tumbler-and-dabarah), Murukku (savoury rice-flour twist), Adhirasam (jaggery-and-rice deep-fried disk), Mysore Pak (ghee-and-besan fudge) are the snacks and sweets. Pongal in January — the harvest festival cooks fresh-rice-and-jaggery-and-milk offering in clay pot until it boils over.