Cultural collection
South Indian Foods
Idli, dosa, sambar, ragi and coconut-based dishes.
Educational guidance only — not a personal diet prescription. Content is medically reviewed and based on recognised clinical guidelines — see references. If you have feedback or a suggestion to improve this website, .
Green — Choose more often
Generally a good everyday choice in sensible portions.
Amber — Watch your portion
Fine to eat — keep the portion small and pair with protein or vegetables.
Red — Limit / avoid routinely
Best kept for occasional small amounts, not every day.
These colours are educational guidance, not strict rules. Your own plan depends on your medicines, weight, kidney health and goals — discuss it with your doctor.
Appam
hoppers, palappam
Rice-and-coconut pancake — pair with a vegetable stew.
Portion: 2 pieces (about 100 g)
Avial
aviyal
Mixed vegetables in coconut and curd.
Portion: 1 cup (about 150 g)
Banana
kela, mauz, saging
Choose a small, less ripe banana and eat it with a meal.
Portion: 1 small (about 100 g)
Banana chips
kaya varuthathu
Fried in coconut oil — high in fat.
Portion: small handful (about 30 g)
Bisi bele bath
sambar rice
Rice-lentil dish — ask for more dal and vegetables.
Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)
Bitter gourd (karela)
ampalaya, bitter melon, pavakkai
A healthy vegetable — but not a replacement for diabetes medicine.
Portion: 1 cup cooked (about 125 g)
Brown rice
red rice, unpolished rice
Keeps its bran layer — more fibre than white rice.
Portion: ½ cup cooked (about 100 g)
Cabbage thoran
palya, poriyal
Stir-fried vegetables with a little coconut.
Portion: 1 cup (about 150 g)
Chicken chettinad
chettinad kozhi
Spicy chicken curry — watch the oil.
Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)
Coconut chutney
thengai chutney
Coconut is rich in saturated fat — take a small spoon.
Portion: 2 tablespoons (about 30 g)
Coconut water
buko juice, nariyal pani
Natural sugars — better than soft drinks, but not unlimited.
Portion: 1 glass (250 ml) (about 240 g)
Curd rice
mosaranna, thayir sadam
Yogurt helps, but it is still mainly rice.
Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)
Egg (boiled)
anda, bayd, itlog
Almost no carbohydrate; high-quality protein.
Portion: 1 large egg (about 50 g)
Egg curry
anda curry, mutta curry
Eggs are a good protein; the oily gravy adds energy.
Portion: 2 eggs with gravy (about 200 g)
Filter coffee with sugar
kaapi
Reduce the sugar step by step.
Portion: 1 cup (150 ml) (about 150 g)
Fresh coconut meat (buko)
coconut flesh, thengai
Low in sugar but high in saturated fat.
Portion: 2 tablespoons (about 40 g)
Grilled white fish
hammour, machli, samak
Lean protein — grill, bake or steam.
Portion: palm-size piece (about 120 g)
Idiyappam
nool puttu, string hoppers
Rice noodles — pair with egg or vegetable curry.
Portion: 2 pieces (about 80 g)
Idli
iddli
Steamed and low in fat — but mostly rice; keep to two with sambar.
Portion: 2 idli (about 80 g)
Jackfruit
chakka, kathal, langka
Sweet fruit — a small portion only.
Portion: ½ cup (about 80 g)
Kerala fish curry
meen curry, meen kuzhambu
Fish is excellent; use less coconut milk.
Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)
Lemon rice
chitranna, elumichai sadam
Tempered rice — portion matters.
Portion: 1 small cup (about 150 g)
Mango
aam, manga, mangga
Delicious and nutritious, but sweet — enjoy a small portion with a meal.
Portion: ½ cup cubes (about 80 g)
Masala dosa
masale dose
Large dosa with potato filling and oil — a heavy meal.
Portion: 1 large (about 200 g)
Medu vada
uddina vade, ulundu vadai
Deep-fried lentil doughnut.
Portion: 2 pieces (about 80 g)
Moong dal
green gram dal, mung dal
Light, protein-rich lentil — a great partner for rice or roti.
Portion: 1 cup cooked (about 200 g)
Moong sprouts
bean sprouts, togue
Crunchy and very low in calories — add to salads and chaat.
Portion: 1 cup (about 100 g)
Papaya
papaya, papita
Gentle on glucose in a one-cup portion.
Portion: 1 cup cubes (about 145 g)
Payasam
kheer (South Indian), paysam
Sweet milk pudding — festive only.
Portion: ½ cup (about 120 g)
Plain dosa
dosai, sada dosa
Thin crisp dosa — pair with sambar rather than extra chutney.
Portion: 1 medium (about 80 g)
Plain yogurt (dahi)
curd, yoghurt, zabadi
Plain, unsweetened yogurt gives protein and probiotics.
Portion: ¾ cup (about 150 g)
Poha
aval, flattened rice
Add peanuts, peas and vegetables and keep the portion to one cup.
Portion: 1 cup (about 150 g)
Puttu
pittu
Steamed rice flour — choose wheat or ragi puttu and add kadala curry.
Portion: 1 cup (about 120 g)
Ragi mudde
ragi ball, ragi kali
Whole millet, but soft and quickly eaten — keep the ball small.
Portion: 1 small ball (about 100 g)
Ragi roti
nachni bhakri, ragi rotti
Fibre- and calcium-rich millet bread.
Portion: 1 small (about 60 g)
Rasam
chaaru, saaru
Light tamarind-tomato soup — low in carbohydrate.
Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)
Sambar
sambhar
Lentils plus vegetables — have plenty.
Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)
Spiced buttermilk (moru)
majjige, neer mor
Light, low-sugar drink for hot days.
Portion: 1 glass (250 ml) (about 250 g)
Sundal
chana sundal
Steamed legume salad — an excellent snack.
Portion: ½ cup (about 100 g)
Table sugar
asukal, cheeni, sukkar
Added sugar — keep to a minimum.
Portion: 1 teaspoon (about 4 g)
Upma
rava upma, uppittu
Semolina breakfast — add plenty of vegetables.
Portion: 1 cup (about 180 g)
Uttapam
oothappam
Add onion, tomato and vegetables on top.
Portion: 1 medium (about 120 g)
Water
maa, pani, tubig
The best drink — zero sugar, zero calories.
Portion: 6–8 glasses a day (about 250 g)
White rice (boiled)
basmati, bhaat, chawal, kanin, ruz
A staple carbohydrate — keep it to one quarter of the plate.
Portion: ½ cup cooked (1 fist) (about 100 g)