Turmeric has expanded St. Louis conceptions of Indian cuisine

By offering a menu that explores the regional cuisines of India, particularly southern India, Turmeric has expanded local conceptions of what Indian cuisine can be. It helps that they’re doing this on a stretch of Delmar Boulevard that is one of the liveliest pedestrian strips in St. Louis. The section of the menu devoted to dosa (thin, fermented rice crepes) and uthappam (thicker fermented rice batter pancakes) is a welcome surprise to south Indian diners. There are also traditional south Indian entrees like the yellow dal tadka (yellow lentils cooked with tomato, curry leaves and black mustard seeds), a common household staple. The tomato-based thakkali rasam broth, a soup eaten with rice daily throughout South India, is flavored here with coconut and black pepper.