PAKASASTRA

Acid Cakes made of Black Pulse and Rice Flour

Fermented flatcakes made from black pulse flour and rice flour, leavened naturally over one to two days until pleasantly sour, then spiced with black pepper and cumin and baked…

ANOTHER KIND

A traditional Canarese-style pepper water (rasam) made by frying and grinding pepper with red lentils in ghee, then simmering with lime juice, aromatic seeds, and curry leaves.…

MAHARATTAH PEPPER WATER

A robust and aromatic South Indian pepper broth (rasam) made by simmering ground pepper with red pulse, then enriched with cooked brown pulse and finished with ghee-fried spices…

Curry or Pepper Broth

A boldly spiced South Indian pepper broth from 1836, built on a fragrant paste of black pepper, dried chillies, and carapala leaves simmered with tender pallakayas. The broth is…

Dried Vegetables Friable in Ghee

A traditional South Indian preservation method from the Tamil and Malabar regions, in which ripe vegetables are sun-dried, soaked overnight in salted acid whey, dried again, and…

FRIED BRINJALLS

A traditional South Indian preparation of long black brinjalls (eggplants) stuffed with a fragrant paste of asafoetida, curry leaves, and fenugreek, fried in ghee, and finished…

Liquid Sour Curry

A tangy, tamarind-based sour curry made with soft-cooked fruit pieces, tempered spices, and the distinctive flavour of asafoetida. This traditional South Indian preparation bala…

Jack Curry (Unripe)

A traditional South Indian curry made from unripe jackfruit, seasoned with black pepper, red chillies, and asafoetida, and slow-boiled until it ferments three times for a deeply…

GANUSUGADDA WHEY

A traditional South Indian whey-based preparation from 1836, simmered with ganusagadda root (elephant foot yam) and boot gram powder, then finished with a fragrant tempering of…

Brown Pulse or Horse Gram Pongal

A hearty and aromatic rice and mixed pulse pongal from the 1836 Pakasastra, enriched with ghee, nuts, vegetables, and five spices. This beginner-friendly adaptation guides you t…

Acid Curd and Rice

A simple and tangy South Asian rice dish from 1836, made by combining freshly boiled rice with soured curd and finishing with a fragrant tempering of mustard seeds, cumin, red c…

Greens and Mango Curry

A vibrant South Indian curry combining tender leafy greens and tangy young mangoes, simmered with red chilli powder and fenugreek, then finished with a fragrant ghee-fried tempe…

Curry Broth

A deeply spiced South Indian broth from 1836, built by frying and grinding black pepper, dried chillies, and carapala leaves with asafoetida before simmering until reduced. Fini…

Gooseberry Chatney

A tangy, spiced gooseberry chutney from the 1836 Pakasastra, made by fermenting pounded gooseberries with green chillies and salt before finishing with fenugreek powder, red chi…

Green Pulse Curry

A simple South Indian curry from 1836 combining boiled green pulse and fenugreek leaves, finished with fried black pulse and red chillies for a rustic, earthy dish. The fenugree…

Lime Juice and Rice

A tangy, aromatic rice dish from 1836 seasoned with mustard, cumin, red chillies, and fresh lime juice, finished with a dusting of turmeric. This South Indian-style dish is brig…

Fried Paddy and Coriander Leaf Cakes

A traditional South Indian snack cake made from dry-fried paddy that is soaked overnight in whey, then pounded with fresh coriander leaves, salt, and red chilly powder, shaped i…

GREEN TAMARIND AND PLANTAIN ROOT CHATNEY

A tangy, spiced South Indian chutney made from green tamarind and plantain stalks or roots, ground with chillies and turmeric, then finished with a mustard and cumin tempering i…

Long Pumpkin Cakes

A traditional Indian fried cake made from sliced long pumpkin and ground black pulse, seasoned with salt, cumin, and asafoetida, then sun-dried before being crisped in ghee. The…

Green Plantain and Black Pulse Cakes

A traditional South Asian fried cake made from soaked and ground black pulse blended with bruised green plantain, seasoned with salt and cumin, shaped by hand, sun-dried, and th…

Cakes made of various kinds of Pulse

A traditional South Asian recipe of mixed pulse cakes — made from green, brown, black, and red lentils — fried in ghee until golden, then rested in a seasoned curd mixture of sa…

Flour Food

A traditional multi-grain flour made from boiled wheat, chenna (brown pulse), and barley, ground into a versatile powder. This nourishing staple from 1836 can be served sweet or…

Beaten Rice Cakes

A traditional South Indian preserved snack made from beaten rice soaked in whey, seasoned with coriander, chilli, and sesame, then sun-dried into firm cakes. These long-lasting…

Curry

A simple, tangy curry from the 1836 Pakasastra cookbook featuring young mangoes and aromatic spices simmered together in an iron pot. The combination of fenugreek, mustard, cumi…

Fried Brown Pulse

A simple, satisfying snack of brown lentils (dholl) soaked, dried, and fried in ghee until puffed and golden, then tossed in a spiced ghee coating of ground salt and red chillie…

Dholl Curry

A simple and hearty colonial-era Indian curry made with boiled greens and red pulse, finished with a fragrant tempering of black pulse and red chillies fried in ghee. This begin…

BLACK PULSE AND RICE

A traditional South Indian dish of boiled rice mixed with a spiced black pulse powder, finished with fried black pulse and red chillies. Simple and hearty, this recipe from Paka…

BROWN PULSE POWDER AND RICE

A simple South Indian rice dish from 1836 in which boiled brown pulse is dried and ground into a fine powder, then mixed with boiled rice, chilly powder, and salt, and finished…

Broad Cakes of Rice Flour

A traditional South Asian stuffed rice cake made from a blend of rice, black pulse, and green pulse flours, filled with spiced boiled brown pulse powder and served warm with ghe…

CURD CURRY

A tangy South Indian curry from 1836 in which a prepared vegetable is simmered in curd, then finished in ghee tempered with dried chillies, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, fenug…

Cocoanut and Rice

A simple and fragrant South Indian rice dish made with freshly processed tender coconut, seasoned with salt and chilly powder, and finished with a mustard and cumin tempering in…

Green Tamarind or Pooliumkai Chatney

A boldly flavoured South Indian tamarind chutney combining both unripe and ripe tamarind with green chillies, fenugreek powder, sesame oil, and asafoetida. The mixture is slow-c…

Beaten Rice and Plantain-Stalk Cakes

Crispy fried cakes made from beaten rice soaked overnight in sour curd and mixed with bruised plantain stalk, salt, and chilly powder. A traditional South Indian snack that requ…