South Indian and Tamil groceries
Dosa for breakfast, sambar and rasam at lunch, kothu roti in the evening: the cooking of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra and Sri Lanka needs its own set of ingredients. To make idli and dosa… 17 Products
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South Indian and Tamil groceries
Dosa for breakfast, sambar and rasam at lunch, kothu roti in the evening: the cooking of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra and Sri Lanka needs its own set of ingredients. To make idli and dosa batter from scratch you'll want idly rice and urad dal; for a shortcut, reach for Gits dosai mix, rava idli mix or rice idli mix. Sona Masoori, for example from Anjappar, is the everyday rice of choice in many South Indian homes.
The flavour comes from fresh and dried curry leaves, mustard seeds, dried red chillies, tamarind, coconut milk and Sujitha shredded coconut. Gits rasam mix is handy on busy days.
For snacking there are A2B favourites such as seedai, thattai, ribbon pakoda, Andhra murukku and Madras mixture, along with Sujitha karasev, rice murukku and cassava chips. The freezer holds Sujitha Malabar parathas, masala dosa, channa battura and kothu roti mix; see our frozen paratha page.
Making dosa batter at home
- Soak: soak 3 cups of idly rice and 1 cup of urad dal separately for 5–6 hours, adding ½ tsp fenugreek seeds to the dal.
- Grind: blend the dal with a little water until light and fluffy, the rice slightly coarser. Combine and add salt.
- Ferment: leave somewhere warm for 8–12 hours. In a chilly German flat, an oven with only the light switched on does the trick.
- Cook: spread a ladle of batter thinly on a hot pan and crisp it with a little oil.
Serve with coconut chutney, sambar and a crisp papad. Short of time? The ready mixes only need water and a short rest. Curry leaves from our spices and masala aisle freeze well, too: drop them straight from the freezer into hot oil.
Frequently asked questions
Which rice should I use for idli and dosa?
Use idly rice, a parboiled short-grain rice that grinds and ferments into a light, airy batter. Basmati doesn't work well here. For everyday rice with sambar, Sona Masoori is a popular choice.
Do you have fresh curry leaves?
Yes, fresh curry leaves are part of our range, as are dried TRS curry leaves. Fresh leaves keep for about a week in a tub in the fridge, and they freeze very well for longer storage.
What is seedai?
Seedai are small, crunchy balls made from rice flour, urad dal flour and coconut, a classic Tamil snack often prepared for Krishna Jayanthi. We stock seedai from the Chennai brand A2B, great with tea.
How do I cook frozen Malabar parathas?
Put them straight from the freezer into a hot, dry pan and cook for about 1–2 minutes per side until golden. Then scrunch each one briefly between your hands so the flaky layers open up.