Dining Out

South Indian cuisine to tantalise tasebuds

STEEPED in art and science, South Indian dishes are not only delicious but offer medicinal benefits to heal and maintain good health – and now diners can experience the best of this traditional cuisine thanks to Apatha’s which launched in Panania last month.

Opening a shopfront for takeaway initially, owners Alagiri and his chef wife Nithya have had to include two tables and will soon be expanding to meet the demand for their high value, fresh, beautiful food.
Alagiri said they decided to call their eatery ‘Apatha’s’ after the Indian word meaning ‘ancestral grandmothers’ since Nithya comes from a long line of cooks who passed down their secret family recipes through the generations.
“Our Apathas were talented culinary artists who cooked mouthwatering dishes by playing with herb and spice combinations to create the six key, balanced tastes of sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent which is central in every South Indian dish,” he said.
“It’s pleasing to see how many customers we have had coming to try our food and we are in the process of expanding the menu.”
With no additives, preservatives, MSG or yeast and reasonably priced, dishes range from $7 to $15, and you can even pick up a small cup of soup (Rasam) for $2 and a larger cup for $5.
“In India we have the soup for breakfast as it has many health benefits including helping control diabetes,” Alagiri said.
All halal, some of the popular dishes include the classic rice and chicken or mutton (mutton dishes must be pre-ordered) biryani, chicken, mutton or vegetable curry, along with Dosa (thin pancake) and Uthappam (thick pancake) served with Sambar – a lentil-based, vegetable stew made from tur dal, mustard, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, fresh grated coconut, dried red chillies, curry leaves, onion, tomato, tamarind and vegetables – and more.
It’s open Monday to Saturday, 11.30am-7pm.
With a website coming soon, you can find the menu on facebook, call or email ahead at orders@apathas.com.

Apatha’s,
6/48 Anderson Avenue,
Panania.
Ph: 0411 476 545.