Tamil Nadu food

Food tips you can trust

Why
Tamil Nadu food
is special

Tamil Nadu cooks produce some of the world's tastiest vegetarian dishes - and, for meat eaters, there's the highly touted Chettinad cuisine.

The 3 most famous
Tamil Nadu food specialties

Masala Dosa

Creating one

A Masala Dosa is a thin crepe-like bread made of a batter of ground fermented rice and lentils that - after being cooked on a griddle - is topped with a filling, then folded vaguely burrito style.

Huge size

Masala Dosas are typically about 40 centimeters (12 inches) wide, though giant versions are more than double that size.

Accompaniments

Masala Dosas are traditionally served with a fresh coconut chutney condiment and a spicy, soupy sambar made with yellow split peas.

Idli

Description

This is a steamed bread of fermented ground legumes and rice.

When it's eaten

An idli is eaten primarily for breakfast. Because it has a light, spongy texture, it's ideal for sauce dipping.

Chettinad Fried Chicken

Provenance

Chettinad Fried Chicken is the best known dish of the distinct local Tamil Nadu cuisine of Chettinad city.

Chettinad area cuisine

This cuisine veers sharply from the vegetarianism that is well entrenched nearly everywhere in the state of Tamil Nadu. In Chettinad cuisine, meat plays a major role and the seasoning is spicier and more garlicky. Indian gourmets give the Chettinad cuisine high marks.