Do you have any idea about what makes south India such a great destination to travel to? Is it its amazing tourist spots, the vivid ancient sculptures or the rich and varied cuisine? There are many reasons that people say and one of the main reasons is its special mouth-watering cuisine. The south Indians are not afraid to experiment with their food. And they have a lot of old traditional recipes that make this cuisine something more interesting and give a unique experience than the other cuisines across the globe.
Starting from the famous vegetarian varieties of Udupi and Andhra Pradesh to the festive fare of Tamilnadu, Kerala and Konkan Karnataka, there is something there for every food addict in south India. If you are visiting the southern part of India, try out all the best and the most popular traditional dishes of South Indian Food.
South Indian cuisine is vastly different as it is steamed, spiced and tastier with different enriching flavours. Even the tandoori, Nan, butter chicken is delicious, but they are just a fraction of the country’s culinary offerings. To get a complete picture of Indian food varieties, you will also need to step ahead to the south.
When it comes to south Indian dishes, it has a lot of varieties and this cuisine is perfect for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Not only all the south Indian dishes are mouth-watering and eye-watering, but they are healthier too. From the huge list of food recipes, it is very difficult to pick up the top dishes.
Here are some of the best and the most popular tastier traditional dishes that you should not miss.
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Dosa
A traditional breakfast that is made from fermented rice and lentil batter is dosa. This is much like crispy thin crepe and can be accompanied by sambar and coconut chutney. In dosa, there come a lot of varieties, like the masala dosa, Rava dosa, Mysore dosa, and many other new dosa varieties are up-coming. The masala dosa is stuffed with spicy mashed potatoes and onion while the plain dosas are hollow and the rave dosa and made up of semolina rather than using the traditional dosa batter.
Now there are lots of dosa varieties as some new age variants get creative with fillings such as cottage cheese or mixed vegetables. No matter what type of dosa you wish to have this delightful light dish is best when eaten hot.
Link to Buy: Dosa Instant Mix, Dosa Pan
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Idli Sambar Coconut Chutney
The soft, fluffy idlis are what many south Indian households eat for breakfast. These are made from the fermented lentil and rice batter and are steamed in little circular moulds. The resulting spherical cakes are served with delicious sambar and coconut chutney.
The sambar is a lentil soup that has tamarind and a variety of spices and vegetables. Coconut chutney is made with fresh farm coconuts and gives a complete feel when had with idlis.
Idlis are mild and light and this can also be had as an ideal snack when your stomach needs something out of fiery flavours.
Link to Buy: Idli Instant Mix, Sambar Instant Mix, Sambar Powder, Coconut Chutney, Idli Rava
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Medu Vada
The Medu Vada comes with a small hole in the centre and has been one of the most favourite south Indian dishes so far. This is not the everyday cuisine but also the one on the days of celebrations and the festive.
They are very crisp on the top but soft inside and are meant to be the great ancestors of doughnuts due to their shape. They are mostly prepared at home, but still are much famous as street food. People like to have them with the hot sambar, coconut chutney and even with curd.
Link to Buy: Medu Vada Instant Mix, Sambar Instant Mix, Sambar Powder, Coconut Chutney
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Hyderabadi Biryani
As the name suggests Hyderabadi biryani has evolved from Hyderabad and is one of the world-famous foods. This is a specially prepared rice dish that has different layers mixed with different seasonings, vegetables and or meats. This dish, in particular, can be served with vegetables, chicken, lamb or even with seafood. A type of yoghurt dressing called raita is often given to pair with this Hyderabadi biryani. In south India, there are more than 40 versions of biryani. Wherever you travel in south India you can see different varieties of biryanis.
Link to Buy: Hyderabadi Biryani Masala
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Filter Coffee - Hot Beverages
There is nothing like having a tumbler of south Indian filter coffee to kick start your morning. Nowhere in India does coffee like the south. It is prepared with the fresh coffee beans taken from the southern Indian coffee growing regions, roasted, ground and sometimes blends with the chicory.
In a steel filter, the coffee is brewed and is then mixed with the hot milk and is poured vigorously between two tumblers from a great height. Doing this you get a frothy strong brew and this is then served in a stainless steel glass.
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Uttapams
What is uttapam, is it a pancake or a pizza? It is neither pancake nor pizza, it is an uttapam. This special pizza-like dish is made with the batter of fermented rice and the lentils loaded onto a griddle. As for toppings, the chopped tomatoes, onions, chillies, carrots are sprinkled on. The result is a fluffy and delicious uttapam that can be had with great varieties of chutneys.
Link to Buy: Uttapams Instant Mix
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Appams
Appam is a flat lacy pancake that is prepared from a fermented batter of coconut milk and rice. It has a crisp side and an airsoft fluffy centre. This is a much-loved dish among the people in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Even the neighbouring country, Sri Lanka cherishes it as much for breakfast and dinner. It is very simple to prepare appams and can be eaten with any favourite spicy curry.
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Upma - Breakfast
Begin a day with steaming Upma and feel the difference. It's a perfect breakfast recipe. They can be taken as snacks, brunch and can be a substitute for a meal. It is prepared with semolina and aromatic seasoning and some vegetables. This is one of the dishes that you can make easily with no longer time and also you can adjust its taste according to your choice.
Link to Buy: Upma Instant Mix, Upma Rava
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Rasam – Appetizers
This is one of the mandatory parts of south Indian meals. This pungent soup is prepared with tamarind pulp which is then mixed with the various spices and is finally tempered with mustard and curry leaves. It is the most fluid of all the gravies and is well known to be an amazing digestive acid.
Link to Buy: Rasam Powder
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Pongal - Dessert
Pongal dessert is one of Tamil Nadu's most popular sweets. This particular dish is made with jaggery, rice, lentils and ghee and is a dish of sweetness. This is usually prepared for a festival called Pongal in Tamil Nadu.
These are some of the best south Indian dishes that are very tasty as well as healthy. All the south Indian dishes are not rocket science that means you can prepare easily at home with the essential ingredients. Thinking where you will get all these ingredients? Don’t worry! You can get all types of South Indian Food Items Online from justhaat.com one of the most trusted Online Asian Grocery Supermarket in UK. Not only that you can even try ready-to-eat Indian meals, all type of Authentic South Indian Rice, Spices & Masalas, etc that are available at justhaat.com. It is one of the best places to buy all South Indian groceries online in UK. So hurry up and buy all type of Indian Groceries Online at the best price and enjoy making all the great South Indian dishes easily at home.
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