I am based in Chennai for some time on work. I’ve been here for about a month and I’ve painfully realized that the south indian food I like so much is practically uneatable here. Why ? Because it is so goddamn SPICY. I am Indian and I can safely claim that I am used to higher levels of spice than folks from elsewhere, but the food in Chennai is way too hot even for me.
It wasnt like this. I wonder why the spice levels have increased intolerably. Every freaking thing has extra spice in it, from the plain old sambar to even curd rice with minced green chillies. I mean, seriously, WTF ?!
Where, oh where can I find a decent south indian thali or just about anything in Chennai which is not over-cooked, over-spiced and dripping with grease ?
Grossly unhealthy food – biryani’s and anything fried – are high on the popularity charts here in Chennai. I am not surprised that the city has one of the highest heart attack rates in country.
It seems to me that the days of the stereotypical spartan Tamilian are long gone. Sigh.