Padma Lakshmi has a way of making South Indian food feel like something you could whip up on a regular weeknight. Born in Chennai and raised between India and the United States, she grew up with the smells of mustard seeds popping in hot oil and the comfort of rice mixed with yogurt.
As she once revealed in Instagram, for preparing the dish, she boils yellow lentils in a cooker.
This is the dish Padma says her family eats almost every day. Here are five South Indian recipes she has made simple enough for home cooks everywhere. Along with it she makes a quick tadka in a separate pan. Cumin seeds, shallot, curry leaves, green chili, turmeric, and chopped tomato go into hot oil. Sometimes adding chopped cucumber or a few shredded carrots makes it more crunchy. It is almost no-cook once the rice is ready, and it cools you from the inside out. She has called it pure comfort food. This old family recipe appears in Padma’s cooking list and still feels fresh. She boils potatoes, peels them, and smashes them roughly. In a pan she toasts white gram lentils and mustard seeds in oil, then adds onions, green chiles, and ginger. These recipes show why Padma’s approach works so well. She stays true to the flavors she grew up with while making the steps clear and the ingredients easy to find. You do not need a special occasion to cook them. You just need a little time, a few spices, and the willingness to let mustard seeds dance in hot oil.
