There's a preconception that South Indian food is always about vegetarian dishes, but it's just not true! From Telangana to Karnataka, the cuisines vary and with that, the variety of dishes and their tastes also differs. From Chicken to Pork we got you covered. Here are 3 best none veg south Indian dishes that would keep you drooling over
1. Chicken Chettinad
A very famous dish from Tamil Nadu, Chicken Chettinad is surely a treat to all the nonveg lovers! It is fiery in taste and is made with ground spices such as red chilies, kalpasi, coconut, poppy seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, black pepper, groundnuts, onions, garlic, and gingelly oil, and the chicken is marinated with yogurt along with this ground spices and is cooked till it's super tender and juicy.
The key ingredient to this dish is the 'Chettinad Masala' which are made with all the spices and The ingredient that makes the onion tomato base of this dish different from others is the freshly grounded Chettinad masala, and fresh coconut. While the Chettinad masala gives it a hot and spicy flavor, fresh coconut adds a refreshing taste to the dish.
Recipe for making Chicken Chettinad
● Grind all the ingredients for the paste.
● cut the chicken into. Marinate the chicken with the paste and yogurt
● Chop the tomatoes, coriander leaves, and the onions
● Heat oil and add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and cumin, saute till the aroma comes out
● Add the chopped onions and the curry leaves. Saute until the onions are golden and translucent.
● Add the tomatoes and saute for another 5 minutes.
● Add the marinated chicken and turmeric powder. Saute for 10 minutes, sprinkling water at intervals so that it doesn't get stick to the pan
● Add enough salt, cover with a lid, and cook until done. Add more chili or pepper if you want to increase the spice level.
Serve garnished with coriander leaves and enjoy with roti, naan, or hot steaming rice.
2. Kerala Karimeen Fry
Pearl-spotted fish or Karimeen is another delicacy from the state of Kerala. Found in the backwaters of Kerala, the fish gets uniquely flavored with the sweetness of the freshwater and the salinity of the seawater. The fish is marinated in spices such as chili, pepper, turmeric powder and is deep-fried in Coconut oil for that authentic South Indian taste.
Recipe for making Karmeen fry
● In a bowl, mix the ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, red chili, pepper, salt, and lemon juice properly
● Wash and clean the fish thoroughly and make slits on it on both sides.
● Marinate the masala on the Karimeen and leave for 30 minutes
● Deep fry in coconut oil. Serve hot, sprinkle some curry leaves above it.
Karmeen fry is a very good starter for your meal. Enjoy that hot piping fish having flavors of the south.
3. Coorg Pandi Curry
How can a nonveg lover leave out on Pork? Pandi curry is famous in Mangalore and is one of the gems of corgi cuisine. It is a rich, curry filled dish having chunks of meat that gives you a slight taste of pepper and tamarind in each bite. The dish is cooked in the masala and boiled on medium flame. Timing is the most important aspect of this dish, if pork is your thing then definitely you should give this one a try.
● Recipe- For preparing the delicious dish, first cut and wash the pork pieces. Drain the excess water.
● Add the masala paste to it and let it marinate for an hour or so
● Fry the garam masala ingredients on medium heat.
● Grind them to a fine powder and set aside.
● Grind the onions, green chilies, garlic, ginger, coriander, and curry leaves along with the cumin seeds to a coarse paste.
● Heat oil in a pan or a Kadai.
● Splutter mustard seeds.
● Add the ground coarse paste and fry till the raw smell of onion and garlic starts leaving.
● Add the marinated pork to this and mix well, till the paste has coated the meat.
● Cover the vessel and allow to cook for 10 - 15 mins.
● Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
● Can be served with hot rice, dosa, chappathis, bread
So tthe next time you visit South India, make sure you try these dishes apart from the regular Idli dosa and Hyderabad biryani.