A complete guide to the famous foods in Southern India

Family and food are the two biggest obsessions of all Indians and it defines their identity as a nation. India is a country with a huge diversity in language, culture, traditions, and cuisine as well. Indian cuisine is not just about one culture but a combination of different foods across the Indian regions. Each Indian state has its own culture with a unique cuisine that depicts an extremely refined expression of the taste of local spices, ingredients, and cooking methods. 

Diverse Indian Culture and Cuisines

The culture of India is considered as a part of the world’s biggest and oldest evolution and it is known as the supreme culture across the world. Indian cuisine consists of a wide range of traditional and regional cuisines that were built-in to the wide Indian subcontinent. Depending upon the huge diversity in the culture, soil, ethnic group, climate, and occupations of India, the cuisine varies significantly. Each cuisine utilizes locally available fruits, vegetables, and spices.

On the basis of religion especially Hinduism, Indian food is greatly influenced by traditions and cultural choices. During the Islamic era, Mughals also introduced certain dishes like pilaf and samosa which have become a part of Indian cuisine as well. Different historical events like colonialism, trade relations, and invasions were the major cause of the introduction of different food items to the Indian subcontinent.

Indian cuisine has also influenced various other countries’ cuisines across the globe such as Middle East, Europe, Southeast Asia, East Africa, North America, Oceania, Fiji, Mauritius, and the Caribbean. Indian cooking methods are entirely different from the rest of the world and the taste also differs substantially. Butter chicken, bread, rich vegetable curries, and tandoori naan are known as the North Indian staples which are just a fraction of India’s diverse culinary offerings.

South Indian Food

All South Indian states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka own various common dishes as well as certain traditional and cultural values. South Indian fast food near me is the most famous one across the world and there are various South Indian food cuisines which are getting more popular in different foreign countries and North India as well. There are a lot of health benefits and important nutrients associated with south Indian food.

Idli is one of the most delicious and famous food items of south Indian food. South Indian food is quite light to the stomach so people can easily carry their work lifestyle without any dizziness. The food of south India is highly recommended by different organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO) across the world. The south Indian foods are well known due to their spicy food items and different kinds of spices as well. South Indian fast food near me has a great impression on native and foreign leaders.

All dishes are prepared according to the climatic conditions of South India as south India is quite hot and lies across the beach areas so their dishes are such that goes best with their climate. South Indian foods are basically vegetarian in nature and rice is one of the essential food items of all states. South Indian food is famous for its delicious taste and its taste becomes exceptional when you serve it with non-vegetarian embellishments.

Each South Indian state has its unique kind of cuisine which becomes famous across all the states. The south Indian cuisine caters to the food of five main southern states of India and the union territories of Lakshadweep, Pondicherry, and the Nicobar Islands. This cuisine consists of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. South Indian people utilize fish, spices, and coconuts in the most effective manner because most of them have coastal kitchens. People of Tamil Nadu use tamarind more frequently because they want to impart sourness to all dishes.

Following are the most popular and best-rated dishes of Southern India.

• Pongal

Pongal is a delicious rice dish that is sweet and often prepared during ceremonial or special events in Sri Lanka. This dish is always cooked in a clay pot with an open fire. Water and milk are boiled first because people of Tamil used to believe that if liquid spills over the boiling pot, it will surely bring prosperity and good luck to the family. During the preparation of Pongal, every family member puts a handful of rice into the pot ceremonially as its preparation is considered as a whole family affair.

The remaining rice is then added to a dish with sugar cane, beans, and ground cashews and this dish is served on the leaves of banana. And before eating this dish, all family members say their prayers to their god Sun.

• Masala Dosa

Masala dosa is one of the traditional dishes of southern India and is extremely popular throughout the country. It is prepared from the batter of soaked lentils and rice and then baked into a pancake. This dish is generally stuffed with onions, mustard seeds, potatoes, and tomatoes. The garnishing of masala dosa is done with chopped coriander and grated coconut. Due to its popularity across all states, masala dosa is categorized into different dishes like Rava masala dosa, Mysore masala dosa, paper masala dosa, and onion masala dosa.

• Chicken 65

Chicken 65 is a classic dish with origins in Chennai and it consists of deep-fried chicken which is marinated in lemon, red chilies, ginger, and various other spices. The history of this dish revealed that originally it was made with 65 chili peppers and there are several other theories behind this single dish.

• Upma

Upma is a wholesome south Indian dish that is generally made with rice flour or dry semolina. It is cooked into a thick porridge which is traditionally famous and served hot for breakfast. The taste of this dish is a little bit bland therefore, people used to add beans, nuts, and spices like chilies and turmeric to the dish in order to enhance the flavor. 

The Columbian discovery also has brought a lot of new fruits and vegetables such as chilies, tomatoes, potatoes, guava, peanuts, etc. They have now become the most common staples among different regions of India. Indian cuisine played a vital role in shaping the history of international relations. Because the spice trade was the main catalyst between Europe and India. During this trade, the spices were mainly brought from India, and then they were being traded around Asia and Europe.