| Pondicherry Cuisine |
The Union Territory of Pondicherry boasts of a sumptuous cuisine that shows strong French and Tamil influences. But the Pondicherry Cuisine reflects a happy blend of the cuisine of the neighboring Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka also. Freshly baked baguettes and crisp croissants with a steaming cup of coffee constitute the breakfast of most of the people in the union territory. This is a French legacy. This is not to suggest that the many south Indian delicacies--such as Masala Dosa, Sambar Vada, and Idli--are not savored and enjoyed at the breakfast time. They are equally, if not more, popular food items eaten at the time of breakfast in Pondicherry.
Other delicacies of the Indian origin that find much favor in Pondicherry are: Coconut Curry, Tandoori Potato, Soya Dosa, Podanlangkai, Assad, Kadugu Yerra, Curried Vegetables, Stuffed Cabbage, Palpayasam (Sweet Milk).
Kadugu Yerra is an incredible curry made with prawns cooked in a spicy tomato sauce with potatoes, vinegar, fenugreek and mustard paste and creamy coconut milk. Curried Vegetables, another local delicacy, is a delicious vegetarian dish. Filled with various nutritious vegetables, this food item is highly colorful in look and lovely in taste. This lip-smacking vegetarian dish is very healthy and wholesome as well.
A common trait of the various local delicacies made in Pondicherry is that they are usually made using very less oil, are high on and are rather easy to digest. No wonder, the Cuisine of Pondicherry much delights the epicure, and adds to the tourist appeal of the pristine natural beauty that is, well, Pondicherry.
