Edible Vancouver Island January/February 2024

FEATURE ARTICLE

The Spice of SOUTH INDIA

SOUTH INDIAN FOOD IS FINALLY MAKING ITS WAY TO THE SPOTLIGHT ON VANCOUVER ISLAND WORDS + PHOTO MEG SEQUEIRA

A woken as the train jerks suddenly, I am greeted by the miles of swaying coconut trees beyond the window of my train traveling down the southwest coast of India. Outside, the monsoon rain drenches the lush paddy fields teeming with rice; inside, the rain pours through the poorly sealed windows and trickles down the walls of my cabin as waiters move briskly down the aisle, hands full with dishes made from the rice we're passing by: dosa, idli, vada and uttapam. I gather by the meals being served that it is early morning, because though gaining traction in Canada as options for lunch and dinner, these fermented rice and lentil fares are traditional South Indian breakfast foods. Served with spicy vegetable curry, coconut chutney, fiery tomato and tamarind sauce, South India greets the light of day with a powerhouse of spice alongside a steaming cup of chai.

INDIAN FOOD'S GROWING POPULARITY IN WESTERN CANADA

For Indians, spice is the ultimate comfort. So when Punjabi immigrants came to British Columbia in the early 1900s, it was natural for them to set up restaurants serving comfort food that took them back, if only momentarily, to a more familiar table halfway around the world. Since then, North Indian food has enjoyed a dominant reputation in the Western Canadian culinary experience. Influenced in large part by Central Asian trading, North Indian food relies heavily on Mughlai (Indo-Persian flavours) and is made rich through the addition of dairy to fatty meat dishes. Its relatively milder profile curried favour with the British who brought it to England, where chicken tikka masala has for years been widely lauded as Britain’s unofficial national dish.

28 JAN/FEB 2024 EDIBLE VANCOUVER ISLAND