An Exquisite Guide to the Authentic & Heartwarming South Indian Street Food
South Indian street food is as simple, delicious with exotic flavours as other parts of India. Just like North Indian street food most dishes are a popular breakfast or snack from various regions.
Apart from chaats, there are a range of dishes that are available on streets. An interesting part of Indian street food from this part of the country is that while there are dishes that are well known worldwide and managed to make theier way from streets and south Indian homes to luxurious hotels and fine dining restaurants. Then there are hidden gems that are least known to other parts of the country.
List of most popular vegetarian street food in South India:
- Dosa: A very popular South Indian dish are these crisp savoury gluten free pancakes made of rice and lentil fermented batter. This lovely dish is served with accompaniments such as chutneys and sambar. It is available in most restaurant’s South Indian menu. Among various versions of dosas that are available on streets, a few popular varieties are – uttapam, masala dosa, kal dosa, Mysore masala dosa.
- Idli: A Steamed rice cake made of rice and lentil fermented batter. It’s one of the most preferred breakfast dishes in South India.
- Kothu Parotta: One of the most favourite street foods in Tamil Nadu is this delicious dish made of shredded flaky multi-layered flatbread stir fried with assorted vegetables in a spicy curry sauce. Check out the detailed recipe in Flavours Treat.
- Appam: A pride of the Malabar cuisine is this thin pancake made of fermented rice and coconut batter. It is served with vegetable Ishtu. It is usually served for breakfast or dinner.
- Idiyappam: String hoppers also known as ottu shavige, nool puttu, noolappam are made of rice flour and pressed into noodles in a disc shape and steamed.
- Masala vada: Crispy deep fried savoury lentil fritters that are perfect to enjoy with a cup of chai.
- Mysore pak: A royal dessert from South Indian state Karnataka, named after a city “Mysore” it originated from.
- Churumuri: A Popular street food found across Karnataka. It is a puffed rice snack with varied flavours and tastes from different regions.
- Mirchi bajji: A very popular teatime snack sold by street food vendors in most of the places in South India. It’s a deep fried battered long green chilli.
- Pazham pori: A deep fried fritters made of ripe banana.
- Bonda: A deep fried snack available in various sweet and savoury versions across South India. The most popular are aloo bonda made of mashed potato, essential spices and flour, Mysore bonda and sweet bonda called undampori.
- Mangalore Buns: A delicious, sweet fried bread made of banana and flour.
- Punugulu: A very popular street food from Andhra cuisine is this deep-fried dish made of rice, lentils, spices.
- Alebele: Sweet stuffed pancakes from Goan cuisine.
- Irani Chai: The pride of South Indian city Hyderabad is this drink well known for its creamy and unique taste.
- Parotta: Layered flatbread that’s a most loved street food by people in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
- Filter coffee: It is the best South Indian coffee made of dark roasted coffee beans and chicory. Malnad is well known as the coffee belt of India.
- Paniyaram: Steamed savoury dumplings made of fermented rice and lentil batter called by various names – paddu/appe in Kannada, gunta ponganalu in Telugu, Paniyaram in Tamil. It is quite popular in Chettinad cuisine, usually served as breakfast or light dinner with chutney.
- Atho Man: Originally a Burmese dish is this orange colour noodles served with raw vegetables. It is quite popular on Chennai streets.