Food is an integral part of every South Indian wedding. It’s more than just feeding guests – it’s about celebrating community, culture, and tradition. In many South Indian homes, vegetarian food is not just taken for granted, but sacred.

Some South Indian weddings are also pujas and revered for religious significance. Vegetarian food is a necessity for auspicious occasions like weddings.  

When building your wedding menu, it should create more than just full plates. Your menu should reflect hospitality, warmth, and heritage.

Here is a list of 31 vegetarian dishes consumed at all different parts of South India that, besides being tasty, will elevate the taste of your wedding celebration.

Starters to Begin the Feast

Start anchored with warm, crunchy, and flavorful snacks. These dishes set the theme for what’s to come.

Medu Vada – Crispy lentil fritters. A classic in every wedding.

Mini Idlis with Podi – Soft idlis tossed with spicy gunpowder and ghee.

Banana Bajji – Thin slices of raw banana dipped in seasoned batter and deep-fried.

Mysore Bonda – Light fritters made with urad dal and spices.

Paneer 65 – Spicy fried paneer cubes with a South Indian seasoning.

Vegetable Cutlets – Golden brown patties filled with mashed veggies and herbs.

 

Main Course Highlights

The main course is where South Indian cuisine truly shines. It’s hearty, flavorful, and rooted in tradition.

Steamed Rice – A must-have base for most South Indian gravies.

Sambar – Lentil-based vegetable stew, rich in flavor and warmth.

Rasam – A tangy, peppery soup often served after sambar.

Kootu – A thick curry made with lentils, vegetables, and coconut.

Avial – A creamy dish made from mixed vegetables, coconut, and yogurt.

Poriyal – Stir-fried vegetables with coconut and mustard seeds.

Vazhakkai Varuval – Spiced raw banana fry with crispy edges.

Cabbage Thoran – Finely chopped cabbage sautéed with coconut.

Puliyodarai (Tamarind Rice) – Tangy rice cooked with tamarind and spices.

Lemon Rice – Bright and zesty rice tempered with mustard and curry leaves.

Coconut Rice – A fragrant rice preparation with freshly grated coconut.

Vegetable Biryani – A mildly spiced rice dish with layers of vegetables.

Accompaniments and Sides

While these dishes are served in small quantities, they can bring balance, taste, and texture to the wedding meal.

Paruppu – Simple dal with a bit of ghee, which is usually the first course with rice.

More Kuzhambu – Buttermilk-based curry, light and tangy.

Thayir Pachadi – A yogurt-based side dish made with beetroot or cucumber.

Appalam – These crispy, thin papads add a crunch to the plate.

Vadam – These sun-dried and fried crisps are made from rice or tapioca.

Coconut Chutney – A cooling condiment perfect for vadas or idlis.

 

Sweet Finishes

Transfer the meal to a positive conclusion with dishes that are rich, joyous, and full of significance.

Payasam – Payasam means milk. Payasam can also be rice or milk slow slow-cooked to a soft consistency.

Semiya Payasam – Pudding made of vermicelli with milk, cardamom, nuts, etc.

Paruppu Payasam – Payasam made of lentil, and sweetener made of jaggery and coconut milk.

Kesari Bath – A sweet dish made of semolina, saffron and ghee.

Boondi Ladoo – Soft round sweets made of fried rounds of gram flour.

Mysore Pak – A sweet made of gram flour delicacy made with a lot of ghee, with peaks of fried gram flour, and it is a common sweet in weddings.

Sweet Pongal – A festive rice dish is sweetened with jaggery, ghee, and a mixture of nuts etc.

A Wedding Feast to Remember

A wedding feast to remember. A South Indian vegetarian wedding menu is not simply a collection of items, but a combination of history, community, and practice. When aspiring to create a menu, a balanced arrangement of flavors, textures, and practices will provide an experience that is both tradition-bound and celebratory. 

Whether planning a traditional sit-down meal or a modern-day buffet, these 30 dishes strike a uniquely balanced note of comfort and festivity. Use this list for planning your wedding food, and create a feast for your guests to remember, long past the celebration.