Navratri Feast: South Indian Style

Sundal

Sundal is a popular South Indian dish made with legumes like chickpeas or green gram, seasoned with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and coconut

Pongal

There are two types of Pongal—Ven Pongal, a savory dish made with rice and lentils, and Sakkarai Pongal, a sweet version with rice, jaggery, and ghee.

Payasam

A sweet pudding made from rice, vermicelli, or lentils, cooked with milk, jaggery, and flavored with cardamom and dry fruits is called payasam in South India.

Vada

Deep-fried savory fritters made from urad dal (black gram), often offered to deities, are called vadas in South India.

Curd Rice

Known as Daddojanam, this simple yet flavorful dish consists of cooked rice and yogurt, tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Kesari

A sweet dish made from semolina, sugar, ghee, flavored with saffron and cardamom, is called sooji halwa or rava kesari in South India.

Poornam Boorelu

Sweet dumplings made from chana dal and jaggery, coated in rice flour batter and deep-fried, are called purnalu in South India, a popular festive treat.