Starters and Snacks

Medhu Vada*

Golden, crispy lentil doughnuts served with coconut chutney and sambhar, a spiced lentil stew.

Samosa*

Crisp pastry triangles filled with spiced potatoes, peas, and aromatic spices.

Dosas and Idlis

Plain Dosa

Thin, crispy crepes made from fermented rice and lentil batter, served with chutneys and sambhar.

Masala Dosa*

A crisp dosa stuffed with spiced potatoes and onions, served with coconut chutney and sambhar.

Idli

Soft, steamed rice cakes served with coconut chutney and sambhar. A comforting classic.

I think it’s likely that there are people who come into the restaurant and say: I want paneer tikka masala. And it is someone’s job to go to that person and say, we don’t have that. If you want something like that, perhaps you could try this other thing. And I think there is a little bit of editing that happens if you run a South Indian restaurant, where maybe you do decide to bring paneer onto the menu. It’s not going to be good, because you don’t know how to make it, but it is what the people want.

Curries and Sambhar

Chow Chow Kootu*

A comforting stew of chow chow (chayote squash), coconut, lentils, and mild spices. Served with chapati, a wheat flour flatbread.

Spinach Curry (Keerai Kootu)*

Fresh spinach cooked with coconut milk, cumin, mustard seeds, and garlic.

Aloo Curry*

South Indian-style potatoes sautéed with mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric, and chilies.

Vengayam Sambhar (Onion Sambhar)*

A tangy, spiced lentil stew with onions and vegetables, tempered with mustard seeds, chilies, and curry leaves. A staple accompaniment to rice and dosas.

When Jacob wants to create fusion dishes, they’re specifically based on South Indian food. I could have made it a paneer tikka masala taco. But I chose to make it a kootu taco. Personally? I think a kootu would be great in a taco.

Breads

Chapati*

Whole-wheat flatbread traditionally served with vegetable dishes.

Parotta

Layered, flaky flatbread that perfectly soaks up flavorful curries.

Beverages

Masala Chai

Black tea infused with aromatic spices, milk, and sugar.

Filter Coffee

Strong, sweet South Indian-style drip coffee served with frothy milk.

There are lots of other cultures, like in Thailand or in Southeast Asia, that use these same ingredients, because of the climate, literal cross-pollination, and the history of trade routes between these countries. You can see this lineage in the food.

*featured or mentioned in the play.