Cuisine of South India

South Indian cuisine includes the cuisines of the five southern states of India - Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana—and the union territories of Lakshadweep, Pondicherry, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. There are typically vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes for all five states.

Coconut is a native fruit to Southern India. Besides that the presence of rice as a staple food, the use of lentils and spices, dried red chilies and fresh green chilies, are common in south India.

• Hyderabadi food is full of nuts, dried fruits and exotic, expensive spices like saffron.
• Kerala, Tamil Nadu, south and coastal Karnataka and most parts of Andhra Pradesh use more rice.
• People also consume ragi, or finger millet, in large quantities in southern Karnataka.
• North Karnataka, on the other hand, consumes more bajra (pearl millet) and sorghum .
• While the Telangana state uses more jowar and pearl millet.
• The cuisines of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are the spiciest in all of India. Generous use of chili and tamarind make the dishes tangy and hot. The majority of dishes are vegetable- or lentil- based. The hot and spicy dishes are a speciality of the region. Mainly vegetarian dishes are served as part of the cuisine of the region.
• The uniqueness of Telugu cuisine is that it is a blend of both Hindu as well as Muslim styles of cooking.