South Indian
Below the Deccan
South Indian refers to the people, cultures, languages, and cuisine of southern India—typically the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
The region is linguistically distinct, with Dravidian languages like Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam predominating rather than the Indo-Aryan languages of the north.
In culinary contexts, South Indian usually means the distinctive breakfast and snack foods: We grabbed dosas at the South Indian place, South Indian filter coffee.
The term also describes classical dance forms like Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi, and the Carnatic music tradition.
Fermented flatbread, subcontinental
- idliSteamed lentil-rice cake
- sambarSouth Indian vegetable broth
- lemon riceGrain dish with citrus
- filter coffeeGravity-brewed caffeinated beverage
Coastal Indian state
- Tamil NaduSouth Indian state
- KarnatakaSouth Indian state
- MalabarSouthwest Indian coastline
- backwatersIsolated, undeveloped areas
peninsula · Chennai · Bengaluru · Hyderabad · Pondicherry
South Indian language
- TeluguDravidian language of southeastern India
- KannadaSouth Indian Dravidian language
- MalayalamDravidian language of Kerala
- DravidianSouth Asian language family
script · literature · Thirukkural · agglutinative · multilingual · classical language · inscriptions · etymology
Of hot, humid regions
- monsoonSeasonal tropical wind pattern
- humidityMoisture in atmosphere
- cycloneRotating low-pressure storm system
- paddy fieldsIrrigated land for grain
coconut palms · rubber plantations · spice gardens · rainforest · mangroves · tea plantations
Indian melodic framework
Ritual hand gesture
- temple danceCeremonial worship through movement
- costumeClothing for portrayal
dosa
Fermented flatbread, subcontinental
- idliSteamed lentil-rice cake
- sambarSouth Indian vegetable broth
- lemon riceGrain dish with citrus
filter coffee · banana leaf · coconut chutney · thali · gunpowder
Kerala
Coastal Indian state
- Tamil NaduSouth Indian state
- KarnatakaSouth Indian state
- MalabarSouthwest Indian coastline
backwaters · peninsula · Chennai · Bengaluru · Hyderabad · Pondicherry
Tamil
South Indian language
- TeluguDravidian language of southeastern India
- KannadaSouth Indian Dravidian language
- MalayalamDravidian language of Kerala
Dravidian · script · literature · Thirukkural · agglutinative · multilingual · classical language · inscriptions · etymology · dialect
tropical
Of hot, humid regions
- monsoonSeasonal tropical wind pattern
- humidityMoisture in atmosphere
- cycloneRotating low-pressure storm system
paddy fields · coconut palms · rubber plantations · spice gardens · rainforest · mangroves · tea plantations
raga
Indian melodic framework
mudra
Ritual hand gesture
- temple danceCeremonial worship through movement
- costumeClothing for portrayal
South IndianNorth Indian
From upper subcontinent
North · Indo-Aryan · Punjabi · Hindustani · Kashmiri
South IndianPunjabi food
Cuisine from Punjab region
Mughlai · tandoori · butter chicken · paratha
south, southern, southwest, India, Indian, southward, southbound, southeastern, southwestern