Start with the staples

One of the main staples of the south indian diet consists of sambar and iddly. Often enjoyed at breakfast and dinner, this savory "soup-like" dish is filled with a variety of vitamin-punching vegetables and a high protein lentil base.

In my kitchen, especially on a relaxing Sunday morning, I awaken to the kitchen filled with blossoming aromas of Sambar powder. A pressure cooker whistles a lovely tune that draws me out from underneath the covers, still in my night clothes to the sun-filled kitchen.

The table is piled high with white, perfectly dome-shaped little cakes of iddly; bowls of colorful, mouth watering, steaming sambar; and often a zesty and spicy side of chutney.

Start your south indian cooking experience with the following 3 recipes to get your first taste of my Kuchanur farmhouse kitchen:

1) Sambar
2) Tomato Chutney
3) Iddly

Before you know it, you'll find yourself craving the same pillowy-soft iddly soaked in masala and spicy-heat (karam) of chutney on your Sunday mornings.