Meatless Feasts : Way Down South in Dakshin

Chandra Padmanabhan sets out the makings for yogurt morning and evening. In the heat of Madras, the milk quickly curdles, so she has fresh yogurt on hand all the time. She never has to rely on electric yogurt machines, thermos jugs or ranges with warm pilot lights. And she never has to wrap her bowl of fermenting yogurt in bulky blankets to make the warmth last. Or resort to buying yogurt at the market.

And that’s a good thing, because south Indian vegetarians like Padmanabhan use lots of yogurt, which Indians call “curd.” They put it into relishes, salads, sauces and beverages, and they stir it into rice as they eat.

“The last course is always the soothing, gentle curd rice, so good for the stomach,” writes Padmanabhan, describing a typical meal in her book, “Dakshin: Vegetarian Dishes From South India” (HarperSan Francisco: $26). First published in India in 1992, “Dakshin” has since been reworked and re-photographed for Western distribution.

When Padmanabhan staged a luncheon in Madras early last year to show off the book, curd rice was included. The rice is rich and complex, seasoned with the spicy tastes of ginger and hot chile and the fresh herbal accents of cilantro and curry leaves. Chewy bits of lentil add nutty texture and protein. And the yogurt contributes a tart, mellow note. Usually, Padmanabhan adds diced green mango, but this time she had stirred in small green grapes from Hyderabad, along with cucumber and carrot.

Dakshina is the Sanskrit word for south. The food of this part of India is almost unknown in the United States, where Northern Indian food predominates. Yet it is very popular within India.

Southern cookery has its own vocabulary. Padmanabhan writes of thick, soupy, lentil-rich sambars ; thinner, spicy rasams , which are eaten like soup, spooned over rice and sometimes sipped from a glass; poriyals , which are dry vegetable curries; kootus , which are moderately moist, and pachadi , the southern equivalent of the north Indian yogurt raita.

The south is rice-eating country. Water accompanies meals, and the coffee is famous, as are the dosais , big lentil-and-rice crepes that are cooked on a griddle and eaten either plain or stuffed. Coconut palms grow profusely, so coconut meat and coconut milk appear in the recipes. Copra-- sun-dried coconut meat from which oil is extracted--is also used in cooking.

One unique southern seasoning is the curry leaf, a pointy leaf that, according to Dakshin’s glossary, has “a flavor reminiscent of curry powder.” The glossary is an add-on for Western readers--there was none in the original Indian edition--and it’s apparent that a Western editor unversed in Indian food wrote that definition, because the leaves actually taste nothing like curry powder. But they’re available fresh in Southern California, so try them in Padmanabhan’s curd rice. The dish resembles a rice salad and translates very well to our warm climate.

CURD RICE

1 cup long-grain rice, cooked

1 small green mango, peeled and finely chopped, optional

1 cucumber, peeled and finely chopped

Salt

2 teaspoons oil

1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

2 teaspoons urad dal, rinsed

2 teaspoons chana dal (Indian garbanzos)

1 fresh red chile, halved

1/2 teaspoon asafetida

Few curry leaves

2 small green chiles, finely chopped

1 (1-inch) piece ginger root, peeled and finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

2 cups plain yogurt

1/2 cup milk

1 carrot, peeled and grated

Additional cilantro

Turn rice into bowl and mash. Add mango, cucumber and salt to taste. Mix thoroughly. Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, red chile, asafetida and curry leaves. When seeds splutter, add mixture to rice. Add green chiles, ginger and chopped cilantro.

Mix thoroughly. Add yogurt and milk. Mix thoroughly again. Garnish with carrot and cilantro. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

322 calories; 156 mg sodium; 17 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 54 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams protein; 1.41 grams fiber.