Meals and rice

Two idlis and one medu vada with sambar and chutney. Medium

Paper-thin dosa roasted in ghee, with sambar and two chutneys.

Crisp dosa with potato masala, sambar and coconut chutney. Medium

Steamed rice and coconut puttu with black chickpea curry and a pappadam. Medium

Leela's wedding recipe: tender mutton in coconut milk with whole spices and ginger. Medium

Two lacy rice appams with a mild coconut milk stew of potato, carrot and beans.

Fragrant ghee rice with cashews and raisins, served with dal fry.

Kaima rice layered with chicken masala, fried onions and ghee. With raita and pickle. Medium

Our banana-leaf meals with a piece of fish fry and a bowl of fish curry. Spicy

Matta rice, sambar, rasam, pulissery, thoran, avial, pickle, pappadam and payasam. Refills on rice and curries. Medium

Two pieces of the day's catch fried in masala, with onion salad and lime. Spicy

Prawns slow-roasted with shallots, tomato and curry leaves. Spicy

Pearl spot marinated in masala, wrapped in banana leaf and pan-roasted. Spicy

Seer fish in a sour, red kodampuli curry, cooked and served in a clay pot. Spicy

Button mushrooms tossed with crushed pepper, shallots and curry leaves. Medium

Layered flatbread, made to order.

Beef dry-roasted with coconut slivers, pepper and curry leaves. Spicy

Home-style chicken curry with roasted coconut and black pepper. Spicy

Spiced chicken and potato cutlet, crumbed and fried, with tomato sauce. Medium

Crunchy lentil fritters with shallots and green chilli. A tea-time favourite. Medium

Rice ada cooked slowly in sweetened milk. Weekends and Onam.

Sweet, salted or mixed.

Black tea with lemon, ginger and a little spice.

Brewed fresh with chicory and served in a steel tumbler and dabarah.