7 South-Indian dishes to try at least once

Most of us love South-Indian food especially when it comes to dosa, idli, sambhar vada, uttapam and of course upma! I especially swear by banana chips…

But there are a lot of South Indian specialties that are not as well known in other parts as the ones stated above. Here are 7 such delicious but fairly unknown dishes from the south that will make your mouth water! Ready? Let’s go –

PAZHAM PORI

Simply called the Ripe Banana Fritters, this dish from Kerala is found on every street, every stall and every college canteen. It’s just that popular! Also known as Ethakka Appam, it is prepared by dipping sliced ripe bananas into a batter made of maida, rice flour, sugar, salt, cumin and turmeric, then deep frying them one by one.

BISIBELEBHATH

A traditional dish from Karnataka which is a household name- Bisibelebhath is made from rice, lentils and lots of vegetables. It also makes use of especially prepared Bisibelebhath powder to spice the dish up. You can find this in any restaurant in the area and you must absolutely try it at least once.

ADIRASAM

This sweet from Tamil Nadu is prepared by rice flour and gud (jaggery) or sugar- which is used for making a sweet syrup by boiling in water. Cardamom is added while making dough of rice flour and syrup for added flavor. The dough, once ready, is left undisturbed for around 24 hours. Once the time is up, it is flattened and deep fried. Adirasam is traditionally made during festivals.

PANIYARAM

Also known as Paddu, these are ball shaped dumplings made with fermented rice batter and black lentils. This popular Tamil dish also goes by names- Appe, Guliappa and Guilltu. A special mould is used to steam the batter giving it its shape and it possesses a unique taste thanks to all tha spices and vegetables in addition to the cooking method.

APPAMS

A type of pancake made with fermented rice batter and coconut, Appam comes from Kerala. It is a simple yet delectable dish which can be eaten with either Ishtu (stew made of coconut milk, vegetables, spices and meat) or vegetable Kurma.

PULIYOGARE

The famous Tamarind Rice of Andhra Pradesh which is quite easy to make and delicious to eat. Puliyogare is popular across the southern region and in other parts of the country too, the reason it is listed here is because the author is biased and wants everyone to suffer with her by seeing the picture of the mouth-watering dish.
Okay, back to the topic- Puliyogare is made from rice, tamarind paste and a special Puliyogare powder. It is usually cooked on special occasions.

PUTTU

Popular in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, Puttu or steamed rice cake is prepared with rice flour and coconut. It has a cylindrical shape and can be eaten with either curry or fruits and even with sweet black coffee.