Pondicherry
The cuisine of Pondicherry has a mixture of Tamil and French influence, given the history of the area as a former French outpost until the late 20th Century. Common foods include baguettes and croissants with coffee for breakfast, ratatouille, coq au vin, bouillabaisse, which all reflect their French heritage or South Indian meals such as masala dosa , sambar or idly.
Quiche- It is a popular dish from the French cuisine in Pondicherry. The dish is an open baked tart with a savory egg custard filling, accompanied with cheese, meat, seafood, and vegetables.
Soyabean dosa - It is considered as a staple item in breakfast in Southern parts of India. In the Dosa batter a definite proportion of Soyabean paste is added and the rest of the process remains same as making Dosa. It is a protein rich meal and worth trying in Pondicherry.
Ratatouille - A classic French vegetarian dish, the inspiration behind the namesake Disney movie. A cousin of Salad Niçoise, this too originated in Nice. Consumed as a side dish it is usually accompanied with pasta or bread. Tomato, garlic, onions, auberges, bell peppers and zucchini form the main ingredients. They’re all tossed up in herbs, oregano, thyme and rosemary.
Coq au vin - A classic French chicken casserole, the chicken is braised in a rich burgundy red wine with mushrooms and garlic along with chunks of pork or bacon to add the extra flavor.
Bouillabaisse - It’s a traditional fish stew found in the south of France but now it can be found in Pondy as well. The stew contains fresh fish and locally available seafood in addition to onions, tomatoes, potatoes, fennel and garlic.
Crepes - A French street food, it can be found in almost any restaurant in Pondy. Crêpes come in two types - sweet and savory. Sweet crepes usually have a filling of chocolate, Nutella, marmalade or jam, often topped with whipped cream or icing sugar. The Savory crepes on the other hand have fillings like egg, cheese, mushroom, spinach. Delicious either way.
Croissant - Fluffy crescent shaped pieces of heaven, croissants are a staple in France. Light and fluffy they’re usually topped off with butter or they come with a filling of ham and cheese.
Crème Brûlée - Crème Brûlée is a soft custard with a caramel layer on top. But the magic of this dessert lies in sprinkling the top with sugar and then using a blowtorch to burn it up to give a nice crispy crunch.
