TOP 10 SOUTHERN INDIAN DISHES - Food must try

10. Payasam - Payasam is a milky, sugary rice pudding that is served at festivals and major events throughout South India. Depending on the type of payasam, rice or vermicelli is added to boiled, sweetened milk and sometimes flavored with cashews, almonds, and cardamom. Coconut milk and jaggery are used in place of milk and sugar on occasion. Be warned: this one is jaw-gnashingly sweet.

09. Biryani is similar to pilaf - The ubiquitous biryani is found in various forms throughout India, with flavor and preparation style varying according to regional influences.

Biryani is a rice dish cooked with meat, vegetables, and spices such as turmeric, cardamom, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper; it is sometimes garnished with cashews, raisins, and caramelized onions. It can be vegetarian or contain meats like chicken, mutton, or beef.

While there is no single South Indian-style biryani, there are several varieties, including Hyderabadi dum biryani, Malabar or Thalassery biryani from Kerala, Bhatkali biryani from coastal Karnataka, Dindgul biryani from Tamil Nadu, and so on.

08. Kaapi is a type of filter coffee - Nothing beats a steaming tumbler of South Indian filter coffee to get your day started. Coffee connoisseurs will agree that the south does kaapi better than anywhere else in India.

Roasted, ground, and sometimes blended with chicory beans from southern Indian coffee-growing regions such as the Nilgiris, Malabar, and the hills of Karnataka.

The coffee is then brewed in a steel filter, mixed with hot milk, and poured vigorously from a great height between two tumblers to create a frothy strong brew that is served in a stainless steel glass.

07. Appams and ishtu are Indian pancakes and stew - Appams are thin crepes made from fermented rice flour and coconut milk batter. They pair well with ishtu, a fresh coconut milk-infused stew of vegetables, shallots, mild spices, and your choice of meat. The most common stews are mutton, chicken, and vegetable.

6. Malabar parotta with Kerala-style beef: flat bread stuffed with spicy beef - Tired of vegetarian food? Consume some fiery Keralan meats. Parottas are flaky, layered flatbreads made of flour. Serve with erachi varattiyathu (Kerala-style dry beef fry), an incredibly spicy and delicious dish of beef chunks cooked with ground spices, black pepper, coconut, and chillies.

05. Crisps with a banana twist - It's common to see roadside stalls frying up and selling packs of bright yellow crispy banana slices. In South India, banana chips are a popular snack. Thin circular banana slivers are deep-fried, usually in coconut oil. They are sometimes coated in jaggery. These salty crisps with a mild coconut flavor make an excellent teatime snack.

04. Uttapams are pizza-pancake hybrids - Is it a waffle? Is that pizza? It's not an uttapam. A griddle is loaded with a batter of fermented rice and lentils. After that, chopped tomato, onion, chilies, carrot, coconut, and other toppings are sprinkled on top. The result is a fluffy, porous, delicious uttapam that is softer than a dosa and goes well with or without chutney.

03. Vada's are savoury doughnuts - What exactly is that doughnut-like thing on your South Indian breakfast thali (platter)? A Vada will not cure your sugar cravings, but it will satisfy your craving for something deep fried, hot, and crispy.

This crunchy fritter is best when slathered with coconut chutney and made from a batter of black lentils gently spiced with peppercorns, curry leaves, cumin, chilli, and onion.

02. Idlis are steamed rice cakes - Idlis are soft, fluffy, and ivory-colored crepes that are eaten for breakfast by many South Indian families. The resulting spherical rice cakes are served with sambar and chutneys after a fermented lentil-and-rice batter is steamed in small circular molds.

Idlis are light and mild in flavor, making them an ideal snack for when your stomach needs a break from spicy flavours.

1. Dosas are crepes that are as thin as paper - A dosa is a traditional breakfast food made of fermented rice and lentil batter that resembles a crispy thin crepe. It's served with sambar (hot lentil soup) and coconut chutney.

Masala dosas are stuffed with a spicy potato and onion mash; plain dosas are hollow; rava dosas are made from semolina; and some new-age variants get creative with their fillings.