Two glasses of Indian chai on a stone beside the water in Alappuzha, Kerala

A South Indian food guide, state by state

There is no single South Indian cuisine. A state-by-state guide to what to eat in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Puducherry, and how to eat a meal on a banana leaf.

Mahek Jatana

30 October 2026

2 minutes

Outside India, ‘South Indian food’ often means a dosa and a bowl of sambar. In fact each state, and often each community within it, cooks differently: coconut and seafood on the Kerala coast, tamarind and pepper in Tamil Nadu, fierce chillies in Andhra Pradesh and the slow-cooked Deccani dishes of Hyderabad. This is a short guide to what to look for.

Kerala

Sadya: a vegetarian feast of many small dishes served on a banana leaf, most famously at Onam.
Appam and stew: lacy rice pancakes with a mild coconut-milk stew, a Syrian Christian classic.
Karimeen pollichathu: pearl spot fish wrapped in banana leaf and cooked with spices; a backwater speciality.
Malabar biryani and snacks from the northern coast around Kozhikode.

Tamil Nadu

Tiffin: idli, dosa, pongal and vada for breakfast, with chutneys and sambar.
Meals: rice with sambar, rasam, vegetables and curd, often unlimited.
Chettinad: richly spiced meat and vegetable dishes from the Chettiar community’s home region.
Filter coffee, poured between a tumbler and a bowl to cool it and raise a froth.

Karnataka

Udupi cuisine: the temple-town vegetarian tradition behind many South Indian restaurants across India.
Bisi bele bath: a hot, spiced rice and lentil dish.
Mangalorean seafood on the coast, and Kodava pork curry in Kodagu.
Mysore pak, a rich gram-flour sweet from Mysuru.

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

Andhra meals: rice with dal, tangy pickles and some of the hottest curries in India; gongura (sorrel) pickle is a favourite.
Pesarattu: a green-gram dosa, often with ginger chutney.
Hyderabadi biryani and haleem: the great dishes of the Deccani kitchen. See our Hyderabad guide.
Irani chai with Osmania biscuits.

Puducherry

Puducherry’s Creole cooking blends French and Tamil traditions, and the town has bakeries and cafés that reflect its French past. Look for heritage restaurants in White Town and the Tamil Quarter.

Eating well

Eat with your right hand when eating with your hands; restaurants will always bring a spoon if you ask.
On a banana leaf, folding the leaf towards you at the end usually signals that you enjoyed the meal.
‘Meals’ restaurants serve rice and curries at lunchtime; tiffin is served in the mornings and evenings.
Choose busy places where food is cooked fresh, and drink sealed or filtered water.