Madurai and Kerala

Rick Stein arrives in the southern town of Madurai in Tamil Nadu - the land of temples. Here he learns the art of temple cooking and perfects the knack of eating with his hands. He samples the famous south Indian sambar before taking a road trip across the spice laden Western Ghats to the land of coconuts, Kerala. For lovers of fish, the Keralan backwaters are the ultimate paradise and its coastline vital to the history of the spice route. Rick cooks south India's favourite dessert, payasam, and a traditional Keralan pork curry.