South Indian cuisine

South Indian cuisine includes the cuisines of the five southern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

The similarities among the five states' cuisines include the presence of rice as a staple food, the use of lentils and spices, dried red chilies and fresh green chilies, coconut, and native fruits and vegetables including tamarind, plantain, snake gourd, garlic, and ginger. The four cuisines have much in common and differ primarily in the spiciness of the food.

Kerala, Tamil Nadu, south and coastal Karnataka and most parts of Andhra Pradesh use more rice. People also consume Ragi in large quantities in southern Karnataka. North Karnataka, on the other hand, consumes more bajra and sorghum, while the Telangana state uses more jowar and pearl millet. Consumption of rice is more common among certain Brahmin communities.

The cuisines of Andhra are the spiciest in all of India. Generous use of Chili and Tamarind make the dishes tangy and hot. The majority of a diverse variety of dishes are vegetable- or lentil-based.

...
Wikipedia