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Taste of South India
What to Eat in South India – Top 50 Foods
South Indian cuisine – from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana – is built on rice, lentils, coconut, tamarind and curry leaves. Breakfast means crisp dosas, fluffy idlis and steaming sambar; Kerala adds coconut-rich seafood and banana-leaf feasts; Karnataka brings Mangalorean coastal curries; and Andhra and Hyderabad serve some of India’s spiciest food and its most famous biryani.
Mains, Breakfasts & Street Food
Tamil Nadu
Crispy Rice Crêpe with Potato (Masala Dosa) – A paper-thin, golden crêpe of fermented rice and lentil batter, folded around turmeric-spiced potatoes and served with sambar and coconut chutney.
Steamed Rice Cakes (Idli) – Pillowy, cloud-soft cakes of fermented rice and lentils – the classic South Indian breakfast, dunked in sambar and chutney.
Lentil and Vegetable Stew (Sambar) – A tangy, tamarind-laced lentil stew with drumsticks, okra and shallots, spiced with roasted sambar powder – on every South Indian table.
Peppery Tamarind Soup (Rasam) – A thin, fiery broth of tomato, tamarind, black pepper and cumin, sipped from a cup or poured over rice.
Savory Lentil Doughnuts (Medu Vada) – Crisp-shelled, fluffy-centered urad dal fritters with curry leaves and peppercorns, perfect with coconut chutney.
Chettinad Chicken – A fiery, aromatic Tamil curry built on freshly roasted spices – star anise, kalpasi (black stone flower), fennel and dried red chilies.
Thick Rice Pancake (Uttapam) – A soft, thick pancake of dosa batter topped with onions, tomatoes, chilies and coriander.
Peppery Rice and Lentils (Ven Pongal) – Creamy, ghee-rich rice and moong dal with black pepper, cumin, ginger and cashews – a soothing temple-style breakfast.
Shredded Flatbread Stir-Fry (Kothu Parotta) – Flaky parotta chopped on a hot griddle with egg, curry and onions, the clanging metal blades part of the street show.
Tamarind Rice (Puliyodarai) – Rice tossed with a dark, tangy tamarind paste, peanuts and curry leaves – a favorite temple offering and travel food.
Dindigul Biryani – Tamil Nadu’s own biryani made with short-grain seeraga samba rice and tender mutton, peppery and fragrant.
Kerala
Kerala Fish Curry (Meen Curry) – Fish simmered in a tangy, fiery red sauce soured with kudampuli (Malabar tamarind), or a mild coconut-milk moilee.
Lace Rice Pancakes with Stew (Appam and Ishtu) – Bowl-shaped fermented rice pancakes with crispy lace edges and a soft center, paired with a fragrant coconut-milk vegetable or chicken stew.
Steamed Rice Cylinders with Chickpea Curry (Puttu and Kadala) – Layers of steamed rice flour and fresh coconut, served with a spicy black chickpea curry.
Kerala Beef Fry (Beef Ularthiyathu) – Beef slow-roasted with coconut slivers, black pepper and curry leaves until dark, crisp-edged and intensely spiced.
Malabar Biryani – The Muslim Mappila community’s fragrant biryani with short-grain kaima rice, chicken or mutton, fried onions, cashews and raisins.
Pearl Spot Fish in Banana Leaf (Karimeen Pollichathu) – A backwater favorite: whole fish smothered in spicy masala, wrapped in banana leaf and pan-roasted until smoky.
Mixed Vegetables in Coconut and Yogurt (Avial) – A colorful medley of vegetables bound in a coconut-yogurt paste and finished with raw coconut oil and curry leaves.
Kerala Prawn Roast (Chemmeen Roast) – Plump prawns tossed in a thick, spicy masala of shallots, tomato and chili until caramelized.
Banana-Leaf Feast (Onam Sadya) – Kerala’s great festival meal of 20-plus vegetarian dishes served in order on a banana leaf, from rice and sambar to payasam.
Flaky Layered Flatbread (Kerala Parotta) – Buttery, many-layered flatbread, scrunched to release its flakes and served with beef fry or chicken curry.
Karnataka
Mysore Masala Dosa – A crisp dosa spread with fiery red chutney inside before the potato filling – Bengaluru’s breakfast pride.
Spiced Lentil Rice (Bisi Bele Bath) – A hot, comforting one-pot of rice, toor dal, vegetables and tamarind, spiced with its own aromatic masala and topped with ghee.
Lacy Rice Crêpes (Neer Dosa) – Soft, thin, “water” dosas from the coast, made with rice batter and served with chicken curry or coconut chutney.
Mangalorean Fish Curry – Coastal fish simmered in a vibrant red coconut gravy with tamarind and Byadgi chilies.
Chicken Curry with Rice Wafers (Kori Rotti) – A rich Mangalorean chicken curry poured over crisp, paper-thin rice wafers.
Chicken Ghee Roast – Mangalore’s famous dish of chicken roasted in ghee and a tangy, fiery red masala.
Finger Millet Balls (Ragi Mudde) – Healthy, earthy millet dumplings swallowed with spicy saaru (lentil soup) – a rural Karnataka staple.
Rice Flatbread (Akki Rotti) – Crisp rice-flour flatbreads with onions, chilies, coconut and dill, patted out by hand on the griddle.
Andhra Pradesh & Telangana
Hyderabadi Biryani – The legendary dum biryani of the Nizams: long-grain basmati layered over marinated goat or chicken with saffron, mint and fried onions, slow-cooked under a sealed lid.
Slow-Cooked Meat and Wheat Porridge (Haleem) – Hyderabad’s Ramadan specialty: meat, wheat and lentils pounded for hours into a silky, rich porridge.
Mutton with Sorrel Leaves (Gongura Mamsam) – Tender mutton cooked with tangy gongura leaves, a signature sour-spicy Andhra flavor.
Green Moong Dosa (Pesarattu) – A protein-rich crêpe of whole green gram, often served with upma tucked inside and ginger chutney.
Andhra Chicken Curry (Kodi Kura) – A fiery, red-hot chicken curry from the land of Guntur chilies, India’s spiciest cuisine.
Green Chilies in Peanut-Sesame Gravy (Mirchi ka Salan) – Long green chilies in a tangy nutty gravy, the classic partner to Hyderabadi biryani.
Tangy Tamarind Fish Curry (Chepala Pulusu) – Fish simmered in a sour, spicy tamarind gravy, tastier the next day.
Stuffed Baby Eggplants (Gutti Vankaya) – Small eggplants stuffed with a roasted peanut, sesame and coconut masala and braised until tender.
Tempered Tamarind Rice (Pulihora) – Andhra’s festive version of tamarind rice, bright with turmeric, mustard seeds, chilies and peanuts.
Desserts, Sweets & Drinks
Milk Pudding (Payasam) – South India’s beloved festival dessert: rice, vermicelli or lentils slow-cooked in milk or coconut milk with jaggery, cardamom, cashews and raisins.
Mysore Pak – A rich, melt-in-the-mouth sweet of gram flour, sugar and lots of ghee, invented in the Mysore Palace kitchens.
Bread Pudding with Saffron (Double ka Meetha) – Hyderabad’s royal dessert of fried bread soaked in saffron-cardamom milk and topped with nuts.
Apricot Dessert (Qubani ka Meetha) – Stewed dried apricots in syrup, served with cream or custard at Hyderabadi weddings.
Semolina Pudding (Rava Kesari) – Bright orange semolina pudding with ghee, saffron, cashews and raisins.
Sweet Rice Dumplings (Unniyappam) – Little round fritters of rice, banana and jaggery, fried in ghee in a special pan.
Tirunelveli Halwa – Glossy, wobbly wheat halwa cooked for hours with ghee and sugar – a Tamil Nadu temple-town legend.
Halwa counter – colorful blocks of halwa at a sweet shop South Indian Filter Coffee – Strong chicory coffee brewed in a metal filter, mixed with hot milk and sugar and poured between tumbler and dabarah until frothy.
Spiced Buttermilk (Neer Mor) – Cooling buttermilk with ginger, green chili, curry leaves and salt – the perfect antidote to the heat.
Banana Fritters (Pazham Pori) – Kerala’s favorite teatime snack: ripe plantains dipped in a light, sweet batter and fried until golden and crisp.
Banana Fritters (Pazham Pori) Jigarthanda – Madurai’s chilled drink of milk, almond gum, sarsaparilla syrup and ice cream – its name means “cool heart.”
Coconut Water (Elaneer) – Fresh green coconuts hacked open by roadside vendors, the most refreshing drink in the south.
Tips: Start the day with dosa, idli and filter coffee at a busy local “tiffin” spot. Eat a traditional meal on a banana leaf with your right hand, try Hyderabadi biryani in Hyderabad and seafood on the Kerala and Mangalore coasts, and ask for “less spicy” in Andhra.
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