1 Mango Pickle
When it comes to raw mangoes, age doesn’t matter. Old aged to children, all are fond of mangoes. If this is the case, imagine the combination of spices along with raw slices. The pickle has to be preserved for better taste and longer duration. Usually, Indian families have grannies to take care of this. This can be eaten with anything.
2 Sambhar
This reminds you of those typical hands full of Sambhar rolling downwards. Yea, most of the liquid ingredient loved by every South Indian. It is grated gravy similar to soup. It can be made in a variety of ways and using various ingredients. Tamarind water is the tastiest thing you can add. The other additions are carrot, beans, coriander leaves, onion, etc. The dish has to be semi-liquid to taste better.
3 Potato Fry
This is another walk while you eat category dish. Perfectly chopped potatoes make you fall for this one. To make them taste better is where your spices come into the picture. They go well with anything in the main course, may it be rice, Papad or even snacks sometimes. The chopped pieces are boiled into perfect slices to melt in your mouth.
4 Upma
This is one of the easy to cook dishes. It is an all-time favorite dish of old age people because the effort needed to make and eat is quite less. It is garnished with raw veggies as well as boiled veggies. This one is cooked in different varieties. They include Wheat Upma, Aval Upma, Bread Upma and Idly Upma.
5 Idly
Something that would fulfill your hunger and add to nutrients. You can call it an everyday breakfast for the South Indians. Their day starts with Idli and ends on Idli. Initial preparations do take time due to the long fermentation process involved. But the result is worth the wait.
6 Medu Vadai
It includes Urad dal as the main ingredient. The Dal being rich in proteins, the popularity of this dish exceeds beyond our imagination. It also comes in the list of fermented foods. It is an unusual combination of fried oval vadas with spicy Sambhar and yummy coconut grated chutney. It has marked itself amongst the top South Indian breakfast list.
7 Dosa
Subordinate of Idli is something we are looking at currently. Idli and Dosa go hand in hand. People tend to use the same batter for both. They do vary in shape and taste but not in their yumminess. Dosa is known for its crispiness that leaves you craving for never ending hunger. You can call it a member of the breakfast list.
8 Masala Dosa
This is an advanced version of Dosa. The only difference being the addition of grated or chopped potato as a base in the Dosa roast process. This again is served with Sambhar and various Chutney’s to flourish its taste. The delicacy of this dish can be very well understood by its ranking in World’s delicious dishes.
9 Kanchipuram Idly
This is a revised version of idly or you can even say another unique specialty. This has derived its name from the dish being a star in the South areas. The distinguishing factor is the addition of spices in the curry leaves along with Kaju which is in the grated form.
10 Onion Uthappam
Not always can people eat the same food in the same form.That is when variations and twists of making come into the picture. This one is a perfect example of the real twist. It has Dosa as the base and garnished toppings to give it that perfect look and taste. Onion is the star ingredient and hence the name. It has to achieve brownish shade for indicating perfect and stabilized cooking.
11 Rava Dosa
Like mentioned earlier, change is only constant. And here it is with another variation in the ingredient to end up making the same dish with a slightly different taste. Rava is used here to get that thick texture. This is served with Sambhar and Chutney.
12 Appam
This is very well known in Kerala as the star dish of the state. It is a somewhat circular bubble with soft material in the center and crispy at the edges. The basic idea is again fermentation. The ingredients used are very few and quite simple. It is served in combination with Chutney.
13 Malabar Fish Curry
Not much of non-veg is famous in South India apart from a few. That list includes Malabar Fish Curry as the Keralite star. As it is a gravy based dish, it can be served with rice along with bread, etc. Fish has to be the main ingredient which is cooked in perfect proportions of spices.
14 Rasam
Tamil Nadu states “Rasam” in its special list. Nothing can beat the taste and the mouth watery feeling of eating Rasam. The most important and tasty ingredient used is the tamarind water or pulp which gets that yummy sour flavor to let your mouth water. It also includes a lot of spice combinations as per one’s choice. It is thick gravy served with rice, bread, etc. Some people prefer eating it separately as well. Many weddings witness its presence.
15 Vegetable Semiya
This is a blend of fresh veggies as per its name. The profound combination of veggies with spices is what makes this dish stand out. This one is quite famous as it is easy to cook and one amongst the various healthy dishes.
16 Ven Pongal
It is an abbreviation for Khichdi. Something that really distracts your attention, is the huge amount of ghee used. This can be eaten as breakfast as well as main course depending on one’s hunger. It is preferably served with hot Sambhar to get that spicy feel.
17 Biryani
One of the major ingredients used is Rice. This rice is not plain cooked instead, it is cooked with an unique and amazing combination of spices. Food without garnish is not tempting. Same goes on with Biryani. Biryani is usually garnished with ginger and also roasted onion slices. Green chilies could also get your tongue on fire. Biryani is known to be one of the common functional recipes. It is thus cooked in different styles in different areas according to the variation in their food culture. Biryani also differs with individual person’s taste may it be a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian. It is offered in combination with salad or raita as per ones choice.
18 Tamarind Rice
Here comes the one we were waiting for! Perfect taste with an easy way of make! Yes, you guessed it right. The tamarind rice is one among those dishes which need less effort but produce glamor all around. This is nothing but rice boiled in a blend of veggies, spices, grated coconut and not to forget the tamarind pulp.
19 Chicken 65
Chicken 65 is something that non-veggies wouldn’t miss eating. This is a dish which is rich in spices and the one that can be served with veggie food like rice, Idli, and Dosa.
20 Chakkarai Pongal
This is another variety generated from rice extracts. It has marked a remarkable position in the list of South Indian desserts. The duration of cooking could be approximately 30-40 mins in total. To get that dessert look and taste, sugar, cashew nut gravy, etc. are added. Dry fruits are the must. It has derived its name from the festival of Pongal.
