South Indian Recipes
Explore 220 authentic South Indian dishes. Import them into your Cook Planner weekly calendar.
Achappam
Sweet and crispy flower-shaped traditional Kerala rose cookies.
Adai
Protein-rich thick crepe made of mixed lentils and rice. Best served with avial or jaggery.
Akki Roti
Rice flour flatbread.
Amla-ginger mixed pickle
Mix of amla and ginger.
Appam
Serve appam hot with coconut milk or vegetable stew.
Arisi Upma
Traditional Tamil Nadu breakfast made with broken raw rice, toor dal, and pepper-cumin tempering.
Avial
A thick mixture of mixed vegetables cooked in a coconut and curd paste, seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves.
Baby mango pickle (Maavadu)
Whole tender baby mangoes in brine.
Banana Chips
Thinly sliced raw plantains deep-fried in coconut oil.
Beans Carrot Poriyal
Finely chopped french beans and carrots stir-fried with coconut.
Beetroot Thoran
Finely chopped beetroot sautéed with spices and fresh coconut.
Bisi Bele Bath
Traditional spiced rice-lentil dish cooked with vegetables, tamarind, and a unique Bisi Bele Bath spice powder.
Bitter gourd pickle (Pavakkai oorugai)
Crispy bitter gourd pickle.
Bread Upma
Savory spiced bread cubes.
Brinjal pickle (Kathirikai oorugai)
Tangy brinjal side dish.
Bun Parotta
Thick, soft, and flaky parotta shaped like a bun, very popular in Madurai.
Butter Murukku
Melt-in-the-mouth crispy rice flour snack made with soft butter.
Cabbage Poriyal
Finely shredded cabbage stir-fried with mustard, curry leaves, split urad dal, and fresh coconut.
Ceylon Egg Parotta
Stuffed parotta folded into a square with a spiced egg and minced chicken filling.
Chana Sundal
Black chickpea stir fry.
Chapati
Soft whole wheat flatbread, a staple healthy dinner option.
Cheese Dosa
Crepe filled with melted cheese.
Chettinad Chicken Curry
Fiery and aromatic chicken curry made with a freshly roasted Chettinad spice paste.
Chettinad Egg Masala
Boiled eggs cooked in a spicy, roasted coconut and spice gravy.
Chettinad Pepper Chicken
Fiery and aromatic South Indian chicken curry cooked with freshly roasted Chettinad spices, black pepper, curry leaves, and coconut.
Chicken Salna
A thin, spicy, and highly aromatic chicken gravy served roadside-style with parottas.
Chilli Idli
Stir-fried leftover idli cubes with onions, capsicum, soy sauce, and green chillies.
Chilli Parotta
Tossed parotta pieces with onions, capsicum, and spicy sauces, a popular Indo-Chinese fusion dinner.
Coconut Chutney
Classic side dish.
Coconut Rice
Fragrant rice mixed with freshly grated coconut and tempered with mustard, curry leaves, and cashews.
Curd Rice
Creamy mashed rice mixed with fresh yogurt and milk, tempered with mustard, green chillies, ginger, and curry leaves.
Curry leaf pickle (Karuveppilai oorugai)
Nutritious curry leaf thogayal.
Dibba Rotti
Thick crispy pan-baked cake.
Dosa
Spread thin on a hot tawa for crispy dosas.
Drumstick pickle (Murungakkai oorugai)
Flavorful drumstick pieces.
Egg Dosa
Crepe topped with spiced beaten egg.
Egg Kothu Parotta
Popular street food made by shredding parottas and stir-frying with eggs, onions, tomatoes, and spicy salna.
Ennai Kathirikai Curry
Baby eggplants stuffed with a roasted sesame-peanut paste in tamarind sauce.
Erachi Pathiri
Deep-fried wheat or rice pastry stuffed with spicy minced chicken/mutton.
Erissery
Sweet pumpkin and cowpeas cooked in a roasted coconut gravy.
Garlic pickle (Poondu oorugai)
Pungent garlic cloves in spices.
Ghee Roast
Crispy paper-thin dosa smeared with ghee.
Ginger Chutney
Spiced ginger side dish.
Ginger pickle (Inji oorugai)
Zesty ginger preserve.
Ginger Tea
Traditional spiced ginger tea.
Gobi Kempu
Crispy, spicy cauliflower florets marinated in spices and deep-fried.
Godhuma Kanji
Sweet broken wheat porridge cooked with milk and sweetened with jaggery.
Godhuma Rava Upma
Broken wheat upma.
Gooseberry pickle (Nellikai oorugai)
Healthy tangy gooseberry pickle.
Green chili pickle (Milagai oorugai)
Fiery green chili pickle.
Idiyappam
Steamed rice string hoppers. Serve with sweetened coconut milk or vegetable stew.
Idli
Serve hot with Sambar and Coconut Chutney. Soak rice and dal for 4-6 hours before grinding.
Idli Upma
A quick breakfast made by crumbling leftover idlis and tempering them with mustard, green chillies, and curry leaves.
Inji Puli
Dark, sweet, sour, and spicy ginger tamarind reduction.
Inji Rasam
Warm, digestive rasam loaded with fresh ginger and pepper.
Jackfruit Chips
Crisp chips made of raw jackfruit arils fried in coconut oil.
Jonna Rotte
Traditional Andhra sorghum flatbread (Jowar Roti) patted by hand and cooked.
Jowar Dosa
Healthy gluten-free crepes made from sorghum.
Kadalai Curry
Spicy black chickpeas curry cooked in roasted coconut gravy.
Kalan
Traditional sour yogurt gravy cooked with yam, raw banana, pepper, and fresh coconut paste.
Kambu Dosa
Healthy, gluten-free crepes made from pearl millet and black lentils batter.
Kambu Kool
Nutritious and cooling pearl millet porridge mixed with sour buttermilk and raw onions.
Kanchipuram Idli
Spiced, aromatic idlis flavored with pepper, cumin, and ginger powder.
Kanjyum Payarum
Traditional comforting Kerala dinner of hot rice gruel served with seasoned whole green gram.
Kara Adai
Spicy and thick mixed lentil crepe served with fresh butter or jaggery.
Kara Boondi
Fried gram flour droplets mixed with peanuts, cashews, and curry leaves.
Kara Sev
Crunchy black pepper chickpea flour sticks.
Kari Dosa
Madurai specialty dosa topped with a thick, spicy layer of minced mutton and egg.
Karonda pickle
Tart and spicy berry pickle.
Karonda pickle (Kalakai oorugai)
Pickle made with seasonal Karonda berries.
Karuveppilai Kuzhambu
Highly aromatic curry made with roasted fresh curry leaves paste, tamarind, and sesame oil.
Karuveppilai Sadam
Aromatic rice mixed with a freshly ground roasted curry leaves powder.
Kathirikai Gotsu
Tangy mashed eggplant curry cooked with tamarind.
Keema Dosa
Crispy dosa stuffed with a spicy dry minced chicken or mutton masala.
Keerai Masiyal
Healthy mashed spinach tempered with mustard, split urad dal, and red chillies.
Keerai Poriyal
Finely chopped amaranth leaves stir-fried and topped with coconut.
Kerala Fish Curry
Spicy and sour red fish curry made with kudampuli (gambooge) and coconut oil.
Kerala Style Vegetable Stew
Mild and aromatic vegetable stew cooked in coconut milk.
Kollu Rasam
Nutritious rasam made with horsegram extract and black pepper.
Kollu Sadam
Healthy and rustic variety rice made with horsegram and a roasted spice powder.
Kootu Chow Chow
Chayote squash cooked with split yellow mung dal and coconut paste.
Kootu Curry
Yam, raw banana, and black chickpeas cooked in a roasted coconut paste.
Kootu Senai
Yam and black-eyed peas cooked with a coconut-cumin paste.
Kothu Chappathi
Leftover chappathis shredded and stir-fried with eggs, veggies, and chicken salna.
Kothu Idli
Leftover idlis cut into cubes and stir-fried with onions, tomatoes, and idli podi.
Kovakkai Fry
Ivy gourd cut into thin rounds and stir-fried with basic South Indian spices.
Kozhi Milagu Varuval
Spicy, dry chicken pepper fry cooked with onions, curry leaves, and freshly ground black pepper.
Kozhi Varutha Curry
Kerala roasted coconut chicken curry.
Kozhukattai
Steamed savory dumplings.
Kozhukattai Sweet
Steamed rice flour dumplings stuffed with sweet coconut and jaggery.
Kuzhi Paniyaram
Savory rice batter dumplings.
Kuzhi Paniyaram Sweet
Sweet puffed dumplings made using rice batter and jaggery.
Lemon pickle (Elumichai oorugai)
Tangy and spicy lemon preserve.
Lemon Poha
Lemon flavored flattened rice.
Lemon Rice
Tangy, yellow rice flavored with lemon juice and tempered with mustard, curry leaves, green chillies, and peanuts.
Lemon Tea
Refreshing hot lemon tea.
Maddur Vada
Crispy, onion-rich flat vadas flavored with curry leaves and semolina.
Malabar Chicken Biryani
Famous layered chicken biryani made with fragrant short-grain Jeerakasala rice, fried onions, and ghee.
Malabar Chicken Curry
Rich chicken curry cooked in coconut oil, fennel, and thick coconut milk.
Malabar Parotta
Layered, flaky flatbread made with maida, very popular for dinner. Best served with Salna or Kurma.
Manga Curry
Tangy raw mango pieces tossed in red chilli powder and coconut oil.
Manga Thokku
Spicy, tangy grated raw mango cooked in sesame oil.
Mangalore Bonda
Spiced, sour yogurt and maida fritters, crispy outside and spongy inside.
Mango pickle (Avakkai)
Traditional spicy mango pickle.
Masala Dosa
Stuff dosa with spiced potato bhaji before folding.
Masala Poori
Bangalore street-style chat made with crushed crispy pooris soaked in a warm peas gravy and topped with sev.
Masala Vada
Deep-fried spiced patties made with coarsely ground chana dal.
Medu Vada
Deep fry till golden brown and crispy on the outside.
Methi Dosa
Crepes flavored with fresh fenugreek leaves.
Mint Chutney
Mint side dish.
Moru Curry
Seasoned sour buttermilk tempered with shallots, garlic, ginger, mustard, and green chillies.
Mour Kozhambu
Ash gourd cooked in a coconut-cumin-chana dal spiced yogurt base.
Murukku
Deep-fried spiral savory snack. Store in an airtight container.
Murungakkai Sambar
Classic South Indian lentil soup cooked with drumsticks, tomatoes, and tamarind.
Mushroom Pepper Roast
Spicy button mushroom stir-fry with onions, green chillies, and crushed pepper.
Mushroom Salna
Roadside-style thin and spicy gravy loaded with fresh button mushrooms.
Mutta Salna
Hard-boiled eggs simmered in a roadside-style thin and spicy salna gravy.
Muttai Kurma
Boiled eggs simmered in a coconut-cashew gravy with warm spices.
Muttai Paniyaram
Egg paniyaram - savory dumplings with egg and onion.
Mutton Chukka
Chettinad pan-fried dry mutton with shallots and freshly ground pepper.
Mutton Salna
A spicy, rich mutton gravy made with ground spices and coconut, served with parotta.
Neer Dosa
Delicate, lace-like, thin rice crepes from coastal Karnataka.
Nellikai-mixed vegetable pickle
Medley of veggies and gooseberry.
Nellikkai Sadam
Tangy, refreshing lunchbox rice made with grated gooseberry (amla) and basic tempering.
Nendran Pazham Nirachathu
Sweet Kerala plantains stuffed with coconut, sugar, and cardamoms, roasted in ghee.
Nethili Meen Varuval
Crispy fried anchovies marinated in red chilli powder, turmeric, and lemon juice.
Nippattu
Spiced crispy rice crackers. Highly portable.
Oats Dosa
Instant crispy crepes made with rolled oats, rice flour, and yogurt batter.
Oats Upma
Healthy rolled oats with vegetables.
Olan
A simple and gentle Kerala Sadya dish made of white pumpkin and red cowpeas in rich coconut milk.
Onion Pakoda
Crispy fried onion juliennes bound with gram flour and spices.
Onion Uttapam
Thick rice-lentil pancake topped with onions.
Othappam Podi
Thick rice crepe topped generously with spicy gun powder (podi) and sesame oil.
Parippu Curry
Steamed yellow lentils mashed with fresh coconut, cumin, and garlic.
Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu
Steamed spiced lentil dumplings simmered in a tangy tamarind gravy.
Pathiri
Soft, thin, gluten-free flatbread made of cooked rice flour, a Malabar classic.
Pavakkai Pitlai
Bitter gourd cooked with chana dal in a tangy tamarind gravy, enriched with roasted coconut-spice paste.
Peanut Chikki
Traditional peanut and jaggery bars. High energy snack.
Peanut Sundal
Healthy boiled peanut snack tempered with mustard, red chillies, and coconut.
Peerkangai Thogayal
A thick, flavorful chutney made with ridge gourd, roasted lentils, and red chillies, perfect for mixing with hot rice.
Pesara Dosa
Spiced whole green gram crepes from Andhra Pradesh. Serve with ginger chutney.
Pineapple Pulissery
Sweet and sour ripe pineapple buttermilk curry.
Podi Dosa
Crepe smeared with gun powder.
Podi Idli
Mini idlis tossed in a generous amount of ghee and spicy gun powder.
Poha
Light and fluffy flattened rice dish with peanuts and spices.
Poondu Kuzhambu
Spicy and tangy garlic pods simmered in a flavorful tamarind and sesame oil gravy.
Poondu Rasam
A comforting, garlicky rasam made with crushed garlic, tomatoes, black pepper, and tamarind.
Poori
Puff fried wheat flatbread. Serve hot with potato masala or kurma.
Potato Bonda
Batter-fried potato mash dumplings flavored with ginger, turmeric, and mustard.
Potato Fry
Crispy and spicy potato cubes pan-fried with mustard, garlic, and chilli powder.
Potato Masala
Classic spiced potato side dish for Poori and Masala Dosa.
Pudalangai Kootu
Snake gourd cooked with yellow split moong dal, coconut-cumin paste, and tempered with mustard.
Pudalangai Poriyal
Snake gourd stir-fried with mustard, green chillies, split urad dal, and fresh coconut.
Puli Upma
Tangy upma made from rice rava and tamarind extract, flavored with roasted peanuts.
Pulicha keera masiyal
Tangy sorrel leaves mash.
Puttu
Steam puttu in a puttu maker using layered rice flour and grated coconut. Serve with kadala curry or banana.
Puttu with Kadala Curry
Kerala steamed rice cake served with a spicy black chickpeas coconut curry.
Ragi Dosa
Finger millet crepes.
Ragi Kali
Nutritional finger millet balls served with a spicy curry or sour buttermilk.
Ragi Mudde
Healthy finger millet balls.
Ragi Roti
Rustic flatbread made with finger millet flour, chopped onions, green chillies, and curry leaves.
Ragi Upma
Healthy semolina-style breakfast made from finger millet flour and vegetables.
Rasam
Spicy and tangy tamarind soup.
Rava Dosa
Instant, thin, crispy crepe made with semolina and rice flour.
Rava Idli
Instant semolina steamed cakes.
Rava Khichdi
A colorful and soft rava dish made with mixed vegetables and ghee.
Rava Laddu
Sweet semolina balls. Dry and easy to pack for kids' lunchboxes.
Rava Paniyaram
Soft instant paniyarams made with rava and yogurt.
Rava Upma
Roast rava well before adding to boiling water to avoid lumps.
Ribbon Pakoda
Crispy ribbon shaped snack made of rice flour and besan.
Sakkarai Pongal
Sweet and rich rice-lentil pudding sweetened with jaggery, flavored with cardamom, and loaded with ghee-fried cashews.
Sambar
Lentil vegetable stew.
Sambar Rice
A comforting one-pot meal of rice, lentils, and mixed vegetables cooked together with sambar spices and ghee.
Semiya Biryani
Spiced vermicelli pulao cooked with mixed vegetables, mint, and whole spices.
Semiya Upma
Vermicelli upma.
Senai Kizhangu Varuval
Yam slices marinated in spices and pan-fried until crispy.
Sepankizhangu Roast
Colocasia (taro root) boiled, peeled, sliced, and pan-roasted with spices until golden and crispy.
Set Dosa
Very soft, spongy, thick dosas served in a set of 2 or 3.
Sevai Coconut
Steamed rice vermicelli mixed with freshly grated coconut and tempered.
Sevai Lemon
Steamed rice vermicelli tossed with lemon juice, turmeric, and a crunchy tempering.
Sevai Pepper
Rice vermicelli tossed with crushed black pepper, cumin, and cashews.
South Indian Thali Rice
Perfectly cooked plain white rice, the foundation of every South Indian lunch.
Spiced Herbal Tea
Soothing tea with local spices.
Steamed Rava Cake
Soft, spongy, steamed semolina and yogurt cake squares.
Sundal Sweet Corn
Quick and healthy steamed sweet corn tossed with mustard, curry leaves, and grated coconut.
Sweet Appam
Puffed sweet appams made with banana and jaggery.
Sweet Puttu
Sweet steamed rice flour.
Sweet Seedai
Crispy deep-fried sweet rice flour balls made with jaggery.
Tamarind Rice
A classic tangy and spiced rice dish flavored with tamarind paste, peanuts, and a special spice mix.
Thakkali Kurma
Spicy tomato coconut gravy, an excellent light side dish for Chapati and Idli.
Thalassery Egg Biryani
Spiced egg biryani layered with Kaima rice and topped with caramelized onions.
Thattai
Crispy, flat savory crackers made of rice flour and roasted gram flour.
Thattil Kutti Dosa
Small, soft, and thick dosas made in batches of 4, served with spicy garlic chutney.
Tomato Chutney
Tangy side dish.
Tomato pickle (Thakkali oorugai)
Spicy tomato relish.
Tomato Rasam
Tangy and spicy soup made of tomatoes, tamarind, crushed black pepper, cumin, and garlic.
Tomato Rice
Spicy and tangy rice cooked with fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, and aromatic spices.
Tomato Sevai
Steamed rice vermicelli tossed in a spicy tomato-onion masala.
Ulundhu Kali
Highly nutritious sweet fudge made of black urad dal flour and sesame oil.
Ulundhu Kanji
Urad dal porridge.
Ulundhu Sadam
Nutritious and traditional rice cooked with whole black gram (urad dal), garlic, and fenugreek.
Urulai Kizhangu Podimas
Mashed potatoes scrambled with onions, ginger, and green chillies.
Vada Curry
Spiced lentil dumpling curry.
Vathal Kozhambu
A tangy Chettinad-style tamarind curry cooked with sun-dried turkey berries.
Vazhaikkai Podimas
Grated raw banana scramble with ginger, chillies, and lemon juice.
Vazhaikkai Varuval
Crispy pan-fried raw banana slices marinated in a spicy masala paste.
Vazhaipoo Vadai Curry
Spiced banana flower dumplings in a flavorful coconut gravy.
Vazhaithandu Kootu
Fiber-rich banana stem cooked with moong dal and fresh coconut.
Veechu Parotta
Paper-thin, large folded flatbread cooked on a hot griddle.
Veg Kurma
Mildly spiced mixed vegetable curry in a coconut-cashew gravy, the perfect pairing for Parotta and Chapati.
Veg Salna
Roadside style empty/vegetable salna served hot with Parotta.
Vegetable Biryani
Aromatic layered rice dish made with mixed vegetables, mint, coriander, and coconut milk.
Vegetable Cutlet
Crispy vegetable patties. Pack with ketchup on the side.
Ven Pongal
Serve hot topped with ghee and accompanied by Sambar and Coconut Chutney.
Vendakkai Mandi
Okra cooked in rice-washed water (mandi) with tamarind and green chillies.
Vendakkai Mor Kuzhambu
Fried okra simmered in a spiced coconut-yogurt gravy.
Vendakkai Poriyal
Okra sautéed with mustard, curry leaves, and fresh coconut.
Vendhaya Kali
Traditional healthy sweet fudge made with fenugreek seeds, rice, and dark palm jaggery.
Wheat Dosa
Wheat flour crepes.
Wheat Rava Khichdi
Healthy broken wheat cooked with loaded vegetables and mild spices.
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