Authentic Lunch Box Recipes South Indian Style to Try Today

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South Indian food has many tasty and healthy dishes that are great for lunch boxes, including delicious coconut chutney. You can enjoy zesty lemon rice or spicy Chettinad biryani. These meals highlight the special mix of spices, grains, and veggies that make South Indian food enjoyable.

Whether you eat meat or prefer different types of vegetables, there are many choices to please your cravings. Today, we bring you the most delicious lunch box recipes from South India. Let’s begin!

1. Lemon rice

 

Lemon Rice is one of the best ideas for a quick lunch box. It is simple to make as you can also use leftover rice to make this dish. You start with cooked rice varieties. Then, you add flavour with a mix of mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chillies, and turmeric.

A light and tasty lemon rice recipe is great for a summer lunch box. It also provides good nutrition with carbohydrates, proteins, and Vitamin C. This is just one of many easy lunch box recipes South Indians can prepare. You can use different types of rice, like basmati, jasmine, masala rice, or Arisi Paruppu Sadam. For added flavour and texture, serve it with a side of cool raita and sprinkle some fresh coriander powder or leaves on top.

Instructions for Lemon Rice

• Heat some oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add dried red chillies and curry leaves.
• Saute them for a few seconds until the curry leaves are crispy. Then add asafoetida (hing) and turmeric powder.
• Mix everything well and then add the cooked rice. Stir gently to coat the rice with the spices without breaking the grains and turn it into lemon spiced rice.
• Turn off the heat and squeeze lemon juice over the rice. Mix it in, taste, and add more salt or lemon juice if you want.
• Let it sit for a few minutes before putting it in the lunch box.

 

2. Chettinad vegetable biryani (ghee-based)

 

Chettinad Vegetable Biryani is a tasty mix of fragrant rice and fresh vegetables. It includes a mix of traditional spices. All these ingredients cook together to make a biryani that excites your senses. Eating it will feel like a trip to the land of the Chettiyars.

In contrast to the perception that Biryani is a heavy, time-consuming meal, this recipe is light and bursting with vegetables, making it a great but simple lunch box meal. Add all the ingredients in a pressure cooker, including rice and water, and pressure cook on low flame until one whistle. That’s it. The rice is ready to be relished.

 

Instructions for Chettinad Biryani

• Soak the basmati rice for 30 minutes. Drain it and cook with cloves, bay leaf, and enough water until it is fluffy. Then, set it aside.
• Heat ghee in a pan. Sauté the onions until they are golden brown. Add the mixed vegetables and sauté them until they soften.
• Next, add the chopped tomatoes. Cook until they are mushy and the oil separates from the mix.
• Add Chettinad Biryani Masala, salt, and curd. Mix everything well.
• Now, add the cooked rice to this mixture. Gently mix so the flavours combine well.
• Cover and let it simmer on low flame for 5 minutes.

The tasty Chettinad Vegetable Biryani is ready to pack for lunch.

This Chettinad Vegetable Biryani highlights the lively tastes of Chettinad cooking. It mixes fresh vegetables with basmati rice and special Chettinad spices. These spices are fragrant, spicy, and bold, giving the dish a one-of-a-kind and energising flavour.

Do you know that curd rice is also a popular dish in South India? Here’s how Sanjeev Kapoor makes curd rice.

3. Beetroot poriyal with coconut

 

One of the best kid’s lunch box recipes that South Indians enjoy is beetroot poriyal. People love it for its bright reddish-pink colour and its special sweet, earthy flavour. Beetroot brings a nice touch to any meal.

Beetroot Poriyal is an easy recipe that packs a lot of flavour and health benefits, which means it’s a great addition to your kids’ diet. In this dish, grated beetroot is fried with special spices and curry leaves. A little desiccated coconut is added to create a delightful taste. You can also add coconut milk to give it the same taste, and you’ll know why mostly South Indian people usually love it.

Instructions for Beetroot poriyal with coconut

• Heat some oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them pop. Then, add urad dal, dried red chilli powder or pieces, and curry leaves. Cook until the dal turns golden.
• Next, add the grated beetroot and mix it well. Sprinkle in some salt and garam masala to taste and stir it all together.
• Cover the pan and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes. This helps the beetroot cook and soak up all the moisture.
• Finally, add the desiccated coconut and mix it well.
• Now, Beetroot Poriyal is ready. It’s perfect for packing in the kid’s lunch box, making their meal colourful and fun!

This is a simple and tasty South Indian stir fry. It is made with grated beetroot and spices. Fresh coconut adds a nice touch on top. The natural sweetness of the beetroot blends well with the variety of spices. Together, they create a great balance of flavours that is very delicious.

4. Keerai masiyal (spinach and lentil curry)

 

The next lunch box recipe South Indians love is Keerai Masiyal or Spinach Lentil Curry. This dish is a filling meal made with spinach and lentils. It is tasty and packed with spices.

This recipe is comforting and packed with nutrients. That’s why many South Indians enjoy it in their lunch boxes. The mix of lentils and spinach, cooked with spices, goes really well with rice or roti.

Instructions for keerai masiyal

• Rinse the toor dal well and drain it. Add it to a pressure cooker with garlic cloves, turmeric, green chillies, and enough water. Cook for about 3-4 whistles until the dal is soft.
• While that cooks, clean and chop the spinach finely.
• In a pan, heat some oil and add the chopped spinach. Stir fry it until it wilts.
• Next, mash the cooked lentils and mix them with the wilted spinach. Adjust the salt to your taste.
• Let it simmer for a few minutes so the spinach and lentils blend well.
• Keerai Masiyal is ready. This is an easy recipe that is very good for your health!

Also called Spinach and Lentil Curry, this dish is easy to make and very satisfying. You will enjoy the creamy texture. It comes from the smooth spinach mixed with lentils. A touch of garlic and green chillies adds a nice flavour.

5. Avial with Red Rice Recipe

 

Avial and Red Rice make a great and filling lunch. They offer a variety of tastes and important nutrients. This dish is a favourite among people from South India. It combines many colourful Southern flavours. It is a healthy meal that is easy to digest but will still fill you up. This is one of the best lunch box recipes.

The Avial is a combination of veggies cooked in a coconut sauce. The red rice makes the lunchbox feel filling and healthy.

Instructions for Avial

• Boil the vegetables in enough water and salt until they are soft.
• Blend coconut, green chillies, and cumin seeds until you get a smooth paste.
• Mix this paste into the cooked vegetables. Stir well and cook for a few more minutes until the gravy gets thicker.
• Finally, add curd, mix well, and take it off the heat. Drizzle with coconut oil and add curry leaves.

Instructions for Red Rice

• Put the washed red rice and water in a pressure cooker. Cook on high heat for 3 whistles. Then, lower the heat and cook for another 15-20 minutes.
• Let the pressure drop by itself, then fluff the rice using a fork.
• Serve Avial with hot red rice for a filling lunch box.

This perfect combo is not only tasty but also packed with a lot of good vegetables. It has the health benefits of red and beetroot rice. This makes it a great lunch box option. Anyone can enjoy the delicious flavours of Kerala when paired with a tasty side dish like avial or veg pulao.

 

6. Vegetable sambar dal with rice

Sambar is a key dish in South Indian food also ideal for your kids lunch box. It is an essential item for lunch box rice recipes. The tangy and tasty flavour of sambar comes from tamarind and different vegetables. When it’s served with soft steamed rice, it makes every bite enjoyable. This is one reason why sambar dal is a popular lunch box recipe that South Indians make often.

Balanced with spices, this sambar, when served with rice, makes a healthy and protein-rich meal. Vegetable Sambar and Rice are great choices. They provide the warmth of a homemade meal right in your lunchbox.

Instructions for Sambar

• Cook toor dal in water until it’s soft. In another pot, cook the vegetables until they’re tender.
• In a pan, combine the boiled dal, vegetables, sambar powder, tamarind extract, and salt.
• Heat it until it boils, then let it simmer until everything is mixed well.
• Serve this tasty sambar hot with some freshly steamed rice.

The mix highlights the best parts of both dishes. It gives you comfort and satisfaction, helping you feel energised for the rest of your day. This easy and rich balance of flavours makes Vegetable Sambar a popular lunch box recipe that South Indians love.

Check out some delicious South Indian sambar recipes.

Ready to make easy lunch box recipes?

South Indian food offers many great choices for lunch boxes. It blends tasty flavours with healthy ingredients so you can count them for kids diet in school lunches. The magic is in turning simple items into delicious meals. These dishes not only please your taste buds but also support good nutrition. For example, you can enjoy tangy Lemon rice or fill Vegetable Sambar with Rice. These South Indian lunch box recipes mix health and flavour, making mealtime enjoyable.

These real South Indian lunch box recipes make sure that every bite feels comforting and healthy. You can also try varieties of flavourful biryani with paneer, capsicum, andcoriander leaves. They show that lunch is more than just food; it is a meal that deserves attention and care.

The Avial with Red Rice and Beetroot Poriyal is perfect for anyone looking to try something different. It gives a fresh twist to classic dishes. This combination is a great choice to include in your South Indian lunch box recipes.

These are great options for your lunch box. South Indian families enjoy these recipes because they are tasty and healthy. These lunch box recipes are not only good for your taste, but they also make cooking easier and more fun. So, feel free to try these recipes and add some South Indian spice to your lunch boxes!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main ingredients in most South Indian dishes?

Rice, lentils (dal), and different vegetables are the main ingredients in many lunch box recipes South Indians love to prepare and eat. They use spices like mustard seeds, curry leaves, tamarind, coconut, and asafoetida to add special flavours and scents to their dishes. That is why you can find these ingredients in all the popular lunch box recipes that South Indian people enjoy.

What is a typical South Indian lunch?

Typical lunch box meals for South Indian people often have rice with sambar or rasam. They also include a vegetable curry or poriyal and a side of yoghurt or curd. Sometimes, lunch boxes can have special dishes, too. These might be Avial, Lemon Rice, Chettinad Vegetable Biryani, or Beetroot Poriyal.

What is a normal lunch in India?

The lunch menu changes by region in India. In the North, people often eat roti (a flatbread) with curries or simple dal. In Southern India, rice is more popular, served with sambar or rasam along with vegetables. Indian lunches are well-balanced. They include proteins, carbohydrates, and a lot of vegetables. This makes them wholesome and nutritious.