Local Dishes

1. இட்லி

   iṭli

   Idli (steamed rice cake)

   Usage

   Steamed cake of fermented rice-and-lentil batter; the standard breakfast, served with sambar and chutney. Common in both Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka

2. தோசை

   tōcai

   Dosai (thin rice crepe)

   Usage

   The same batter as idli, spread thin on a griddle. Usually spelled "dosa" on English menus

3. மசாலா தோசை

   macālā tōcai

   Masala dosai (potato-filled dosa)

   Usage

   Dosa wrapped around spiced potato. The signature item of vegetarian eateries

4. மெது வடை

   metu vaṭai

   Medu vadai (savoury lentil doughnut)

   Usage

   Ring-shaped fritter of urad lentil batter, also called uḷuntu vaṭai. A breakfast and snack staple in both South India and Tamil areas of Sri Lanka

5. சாம்பார்

   cāmpār

   Sambar (lentil and vegetable stew)

   Usage

   Tamarind-soured lentil stew served alongside idli, dosa or rice

6. ரசம்

   racam

   Rasam (peppery tamarind soup)

   Usage

   Thin tamarind-and-pepper soup, poured over rice. Also written iracam, but Tamil Nadu writes it racam

7. பொங்கல்

   poṅkal

   Pongal (rice and lentil porridge)

   Usage

   Breakfast of rice cooked with mung dal; savoury with pepper and cumin, or sweet as carkkaraip poṅkal. Note the same word is also the name of the January harvest festival

8. உப்புமா

   uppumā

   Uppuma (savoury semolina)

   Usage

   Semolina cooked with vegetables and spices, a breakfast dish. Written "upma" on English menus

9. இடியப்பம்

   iṭiyappam

   Idiyappam (string hoppers)

   Usage

   Rice flour pressed into threads and steamed. One of the key staples for Sri Lankan Tamils; "string hoppers" in English. Also spelled iṭiyāppam

10. அப்பம்

    appam

    Appam (bowl-shaped rice hopper)

    Usage

    Fermented rice batter cooked in a bowl-shaped pan. Also spelled āppam; called "hoppers" in Sri Lanka, with the egg version known as egg hopper. Served with coconut milk or egg curry

11. பிட்டு

    piṭṭu

    Pittu (steamed rice flour and coconut)

    Usage

    Rice flour and grated coconut steamed in a cylinder. Also spelled puṭṭu. A Sri Lankan breakfast staple; Jaffna has a palmyra-flour version, oṭiyal piṭṭu

12. கொத்து ரொட்டி

    kottu roṭṭi

    Kottu roti (chopped flatbread stir-fry)

    Usage

    Flatbread chopped on a hot griddle and stir-fried with onion, egg and curry gravy. Famous as Sri Lankan night street food; called kottup parōṭṭā in Tamil Nadu. Listen for the rhythmic chopping

13. பரோட்டா

    parōṭṭā

    Parotta (layered flatbread)

    Usage

    Wheat flatbread folded into many layers. Eaten with curry or the thin gravy called salna

14. பிரியாணி

    piriyāṇi

    Biryani (spiced layered rice)

    Usage

    Rice and meat layered with spices and cooked together. In Tamil Nadu the Ambur and Dindigul styles are the best known

15. மீன் குழம்பு

    mīṉ kuḻampu

    Fish curry (tamarind gravy)

    Usage

    Fish simmered in tamarind and chilli, eaten with rice; a staple all along the coast. Kuḻampu is the word for a thin, souring curry gravy

16. சொதி

    coti

    Sothi (mild coconut milk gravy)

    Usage

    Mild gravy of coconut milk with onion, tomato and curry leaf; also called pāṟcoti. A Sri Lankan Tamil dish, served with idiyappam or pittu

17. பொரியல்

    poriyal

    Poriyal (dry vegetable stir-fry)

    Usage

    Chopped vegetables stir-fried dry and finished with grated coconut. Always present on a meals plate

18. சம்பல்

    campal

    Sambol (coconut and chilli relish)

    Usage

    Relish of grated coconut, chilli, onion and tamarind, ground together. Served in Sri Lanka with idli, appam, pittu or rice. Can be very hot

19. சட்னி

    caṭṉi

    Chutney (ground condiment)

    Usage

    Ground accompaniment made from coconut, tomato, coriander and the like. Tēṅkāy caṭṉi (coconut chutney) is the most common

20. அப்பளம்

    appaḷam

    Appalam (crisp lentil wafer)

    Usage

    Thin lentil wafer, fried or roasted, served with a meal. The same thing as North Indian papad

21. தயிர் சாதம்

    tayir cātam

    Curd rice (yoghurt rice)

    Usage

    Rice mixed with yoghurt, eaten at the end of a meal. Good for settling the mouth after spicy food

22. சுண்டல்

    cuṇṭal

    Sundal (warm spiced chickpeas)

    Usage

    Boiled pulses tossed with coconut and mustard seed. Sold along Marina Beach in Chennai and on the Pondicherry seafront

23. வட்டிலப்பம்

    vaṭṭilappam

    Watalappam (jaggery and coconut custard)

    Usage

    Steamed custard of palm jaggery, coconut milk, egg and cardamom. A signature Sri Lankan dessert; also spelled vaṭṭalāppam

24. அல்வா

    alvā

    Halwa (dense wheat sweet)

    Usage

    Translucent sweet of wheat, sugar and ghee reduced together. In Tamil Nadu the Tirunelveli version is famous and often bought as a gift

25. ஒடியல் கூழ்

    oṭiyal kūḻ

    Odiyal kool (palmyra flour broth)

    Usage

    Thick seafood broth made with oṭiyal, flour milled from dried palmyra tubers. A speciality of Jaffna and northern Sri Lanka

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