Rice from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra and Telangana

South Indian Rice Recipes

Rice is the everyday grain of South India, and the region has a long list of ways to dress it up. Many of these dishes start with plain cooked rice that is folded into a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves and lentils, then flavored with lemon, tamarind, tomato or yogurt. They come together quickly and are a great use for leftover rice.

Others cook rice together with lentils and spices in one pot, like Karnataka's bisi bele bath and Tamil Nadu's pongal. For a special occasion, there is Hyderabadi biryani from Telangana. Pick a dish below, or start with lemon rice if you are new to South Indian cooking.

11 recipes

Photo: Saktheeswaran Govindarajan on Unsplash

Everyday tempered rice

Cooked rice tossed with a tadka of mustard seeds, lentils and curry leaves.

Bowl of bright yellow rice with peanuts, curry leaves, a dried red chili and lime slices

VeganSouth Indian

South Indian Lemon Rice

20 min Easy Serves 3

Plate piled with yellow tempered rice with peanuts, curry leaves and a dried chili

VeganSouth Indian

Tamarind Rice (Puliyodarai)

1 hr 25 min Medium Serves 3

Steel tray filled with orange-red spiced long-grain rice

VeganSouth Indian

South Indian Tomato Rice

1 hr 25 min Easy Serves 3

Black pot of curd rice topped with pomegranate seeds, curry leaves and a red chili, with papads and pickle on a dark table

VegetarianSouth Indian

Curd Rice (Thayir Sadam)

55 min Easy Serves 4

Rice and lentils, cooked together

White bowl of soft yellow rice and lentil porridge with cumin and a cilantro sprig, beside dry lentils and rice

VegetarianSouth Indian

Ven Pongal (Savory Pongal)

50 min Easy Serves 4

Steel pot of spiced rice-and-lentil dish topped with a dried chili, with ghee being poured from a spoon, papads, boondi and a bowl of yogurt

VegetarianSouth Indian

Bisi Bele Bath

1 hr 55 min Medium Serves 4

From Hyderabad

Plate of chicken biryani with long-grain rice, mint and lime slices, with small bowls of raita and gravy

Non-vegIndian

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

6 hr Hard Serves 5

Fresh green and red chillies on a white table

VeganIndian

Mirchi ka Salan

55 min Medium Serves 6

Serve with

White bowl of lentil stew with greens and a drumstick, beside dried red chilies, split lentils and garlic

VeganSouth Indian

Vegetable Sambar

1 hr 20 min Medium Serves 6

Red bowl of tomato lentil soup with a tempering of dried chilies, garlic and curry leaves beside split lentils

VeganSouth Indian

Tomato Pepper Rasam

40 min Easy Serves 4

VeganSouth Indian

Coconut Chutney

13 min Easy Serves 6

Frequently asked questions

What are the most popular South Indian rice dishes?

Lemon rice, tamarind rice, tomato rice, curd rice, bisi bele bath and pongal are everyday favorites. Hyderabadi biryani is the best-known celebration rice dish.

Can I use leftover rice for South Indian rice dishes?

Yes. Lemon rice, tamarind rice and curd rice are often made with cooked rice, and day-old rice that has been refrigerated promptly works well because the grains stay separate. Bisi bele bath and pongal cook raw rice with lentils instead.

Which rice is best for South Indian rice dishes?

A medium- or long-grain white rice that cooks up fluffy works for most mixed rice dishes. Basmati is fine too, and it is the traditional choice for Hyderabadi biryani.

Are South Indian rice dishes vegetarian?

Most are. Lemon, tamarind, tomato and curd rice, bisi bele bath and pongal are vegetarian. Hyderabadi biryani is usually made with meat.