Idli, dosa and curd rice in Delhi, Varanasi and Haridwar – how Tamil travellers can eat home-style food on a North India tour, and why our group tours bring their own Tamil cook.
Ask any Tamil family about their North India trip and food comes up first. Roti and dal every day, no rasam, no curd rice – it gets tiring, especially for elders.
Delhi
Delhi has many South Indian restaurants – popular chains like Saravana Bhavan and Sagar Ratna have branches in central Delhi and Karol Bagh. Karol Bagh and areas near Lodhi Road also have small South Indian messes.
Varanasi (Kasi)
The Kedar Ghat area of Varanasi has a strong South Indian presence, with temples, mutts and choultries (satrams) that have served Tamil pilgrims for generations. Simple South Indian meals are available here.
Haridwar & Rishikesh
Pure-vegetarian food is everywhere, and a few places serve dosa and idli. Full South Indian meals are harder to find.
Agra, Jaipur, Kashmir & the mountains
Outside big cities, proper South Indian food is rare. Hotel kitchens may make plain dosa or curd rice on request, but the taste is often different.
The easy solution: travel with a Tamil cook
On every Shady Holidays group tour, our own Tamil cook travels with the group:
- Breakfast: idli / pongal / upma, sambar, chutney, filter coffee
- Lunch: rice, sambar, rasam, poriyal, kootu, appalam, curd rice
- Evening: tea or coffee with sundal / bajji
- Dinner: chapati or dosa, kurma, rasam rice, curd rice
Soft food (kanji, idli, curd rice) is available for seniors.
On private tours
On our Tamil-driver tours, breakfast is at the hotel and your Tamil-speaking driver takes you to South Indian restaurants on the route.
Read more: North India tour with Tamil food.
