South Indian flavours, the next big thing V
ikram tells us, “Having just come back from a tour of South India and Sri Lanka, I think the new and upcoming flavours are definitely going to be cooking with whole spices and then finishing the dish with a splash of fresh, creamy coconut milk. The flavours are going to get bolder and stronger and people are going to enjoy more regional cuisine rather than just curries. In fact, folks who are well travelled are going to ask which part of the world the cuisine is from, and restaurants are going to have to be more astute in making sure that the flavours are unique and true to the region.” He goes on to add, “One of the things that totally fascinated me about South Indian cooking is the use of chillies with dried fish. They use a combination of coconut, chillies and dried fish along with tamarind as a side dish which ������
enhances the main course or sometimes even tones it down! Every restaurant has its unique style of a side condiment that is either learnt from a very senior chef or grandmother that the chef is proud to showcase. I’m happy to note that in the coming year, the future of our Indian cuisine is very bright and healthy.”
Chef Vikram Vij who owns the restaurants Vij’s and Rangoli in Canada, swears that regional South Indian flavours will dominate global cuisine trends in 2013