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Prominent South Indian dishes that are widely famous and widely eaten are Dosa, Idli, etc. The dessert items of South India are really underrated and merely heard in other parts of India. The South Indian dishes are unique to any other flavours due to the maximum use of coconut in most of the dessert dishes and curry leaves, tamarind and mustard seeds in the savoury items.
Also read, 6 Lesser-Known Beverages from South India
Every part of South India has its own variety of dishes which goes back to their roots and culture. The only desserts that are famous as South Indian delicacies are Mysore Pak and Payasam. However, there is so much more mouth melting, divine dishes people are yet to try.
Video Credit: Youtube/Rajshri Food
Here are some of the popular yet not so popular sweet dishes of South India that one must try.
1. Rava Kesari
Rava Kesari is an amazing south Indian desert, made up of delicious flavoured semolina. It is cooked using semolina roasted in ghee while mixed with sugar, water, and spices such as Cardamom and Saffron. This produces a golden yellow scented, somewhat coarse dessert that is soft sweet and melts in your mouth. Rava Kesari is always accompanied by cashew nuts and kishmish (raisins), thus it is one of the favourite foods for celebration in the South Indian region.
2. Mysore Pak
This delicious South-Indian sweet was developed in the city of Mysore. It is creamy, mostly with ghee, sugar, and gram flour or besan which makes it tasty and also has that melting feeling as it goes down your throat. Cardamom is common in this classic dessert, usually topped with crushed nuts. In celebratory occasions such as festivals, weddings and others, the Mysore Pak, which is a very sweet and tasty food, is appreciated as it represents the unique flavours of south Indian cuisine.
3. Ela Ada
Ela Ada is a traditional South Indian meal whose ingredients include rice flour, jaggery, coconut, and banana leaves. To be specific, Ela Ada is the name of the popular Kerala festive dish made by placing a sweetened coconut-jaggery mix between the sheets of a fine rice flour dough, putting it all together in banana leaves, and steam cooking. This yields a tasty, somewhat sweet, and fragrant treat exhibiting different flavours and mouth feels. In Kerala India, a sweet pudding called ela ada is usually consumed on special celebrations and holidays.
4. Payasam
It is an authentic Indian dessert known as payasam. It is a sweet, smooth, and delicious paste of sweetened rice or vermicelli with milk and assorted flavours. Usually flavoured with cardamoms, saffron, and nuts, payasam is an integral part of a festive occasion or simply any celebration. The dish varies among regions and cultures; for instance, Pal payasam, Semiya payasam, and Ada pradhaman are the types of the dish. The favorite dessert is enjoyed for its luxurious sweets and sweetness and historical value.
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5. Ada Pradhaman
It is one of many exquisite South Indian delicacies that originated in the state of Kerala known as Ada Pradhaman. Ada is a small and rice based flatbread cooked in thick gravy of jaggery and coconut milk. It is often served with roasted coconut pieces, cashew nuts fried in ghee (clarified butter), and raisins. Ada Pradhaman is a much-preferred delicacy, particularly while celebrating festivals such as Onam, and depicts the distinct food culture of Kerala.
6. Paal Poli
The sweet-tongued South Indian dessert, Pala Poli is very delightful. Puris are fried, then dipped in cardamom scented cream and served as a tasty dessert that has come to be associated with Indian weddings. Crisp puri and thick sweet milk come together as a heavenly blend of taste and texture. This dessert is especially prepared on special occasions and festivals, and thus it symbolizes the South Indian authentic diet.
7. Unniyappam
This sweet item belongs to Kerala and is called Unniyappam among South Indians. It is basically made out of a simple batter of ripened bananas mixed with rice flour, jaggery and some spicy addition, which is later on deep fried to become golden brownish. Round, mini-sweet with just a hint of savoury dumplings is something divine. During festivals, especially while celebrating Onam, unniyappam is loved for its distinct flavour, crunchy texture and soft, spongy insides.
8. Kozhukattai
One of the most common South Indian cuisines, Kozhukattai often acts as a snack or after-meal dessert choice. These are made from rice flour or semolina, it is then formed into different kinds of tiny, steamed dumplings that have various sweet fillings such as jaggery and coconut. The dumplings commonly offered in religious festivals and celebrations contain a soft and chewy texture that leaves a pleasant taste in the mouth of all South Indian food lovers.
