Tired of all those heavy Diwali meals and sweets? If you need to relax your gut for a while, these easy South Indian recipes are just what you need. From comforting rasam rice to Vangi Bath, these dishes are light on the stomach and bring authentic South Indian flavours to your table. They’re perfect for those days when you want something simple yet satisfying.

1. Rasam rice recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup rice

½ tbsp tamarind paste

1 tomato, chopped

½ tsp rasam powder

5-6 curry leaves

½ tsp mustard seeds

2 cups water

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

Asafoetida (hing), a pinch

2 medium-sized dry red chillies

Method:

Rinse the rice and boil.

Heat oil in a pan and then add mustard seeds.

After a few seconds, add hing, dry red chillies and curry leaves, and wait for a few seconds.

Add the chopped tomato and sauté until the pieces soften.

Add rasam powder, tamarind paste, salt and water.

Let the mix come to a gentle simmer on low heat. Do not boil, but let it slowly come to a point of gentle boil and then switch off the heat.

Serve hot with your boiled rice.

2. Tomato rice recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup rice

2-3 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

4-5 fenugreek seeds (methi)

½ tsp mustard seeds

Small cinnamon stick

¼ tsp turmeric powder

2 green cardamom pods

3-4 whole cloves

A small green chilli chopped

5-6 curry leaves

½ tsp chilli powder

½ tsp coriander powder

1 and ½ tsp ginger-garlic paste

1 cup water

Chopped coriander leaves

1 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Method:

Rinse the rice and soak for 10-15 minutes.

In a pressure cooker, heat oil. Add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds and let them splutter.

Add chopped onion, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and cloves. Sauté until onions turn golden.

Now add ginger-garlic paste, curry leaves and green chilli. Sauté for a few seconds.

Add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Stir regularly. Cook until tomatoes soften.

Finally, add the rice and stir to combine.

After a minute, add water and put the lid on. Cook until one whistle on low heat.

Serve warm.

3. Bread upma recipe

Ingredients:

Bread slices (based on your appetite), chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 green chilli, slit

2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped

5-6 curry leaves

½ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp ginger, chopped

¼ tsp turmeric powder

½ red chilli powder

1 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Coriander, chopped

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, and let them splutter.

Add cumin seeds and sauté until the seeds are cooked.

Now add onion and green chilli, and sauté until onions are golden.

Add ginger and curry leaves, sauté for 15-20 seconds.

Put chopped tomato, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Cook until the tomatoes soften.

Add the bread cubes, toss well to coat, and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Garnish with coriander and serve warm.

4. Vegetable kurma recipe

Ingredients:

Carrots, beans, potatoes – half cup of each, chopped

Peas, half cup

2 medium-sized onions, chopped

2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped

1 cup cauliflower florets

¼ grated coconut or ¼ coconut milk

1 tsp fennel seeds (optional)

12-15 cashew nuts

1 tbsp roasted chana daal

1 bay leaf

2 green cardamom pods

½ tsp cumin seeds

3 cloves

Small cinnamon piece

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 star anise (chakr phool), optional

½ tsp ginger-garlic paste

¼ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp garam masala

2 tbsp oil

1 and ½ cups water

Salt to taste

Method:

Let’s make the kurma paste first:

Add coconut, fennel seeds, cashews, chana daal and 6-7 tablespoons of water to a mixer jar, and grind into a smooth paste. Set aside.

Let’s make kurma gravy now:

Heat oil in a pan and add bay leaf, cardamom, cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon piece, and chakr phool.

Add onions and sauté for a minute. Then add ginger-garlic paste and sauté.

Add tomatoes and salt, and cook until tomatoes soften.

Add red chilli powder, sauté for a minute, and add the kurma paste.

Fry for 2-3 minutes and add vegetables. Now sauté for 2-3 minutes.

Add water and cook on slow flame until veggies are cooked.

Serve with rice or roti.

5. Vangi bath (brinjal rice) recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup rice

2 brinjals, chopped

1 onion, sliced

1 tbsp vangi bath powder(you can use store-bought or make it at home)

½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp urad daal

5-6 curry leaves

1 tsp chana daal

1 dried red chilli

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp tamarind paste or 1-2 tbsp of lemon juice

2 tbsp oil

1 cup water

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander for garnish (optional)

Method:

Rinse the rice and set it aside.

Heat oil in a pan, and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad daal and chana daal. Sauté on medium flame.

Add curry leaves and dried red chilli, and sauté for 1-2 minutes.

Add onions and brinjal and sauté. Now, add turmeric, tamarind paste and salt.

Cover the lid and let it boil for 5 minutes.

Add the vangi bath powder and stir well, coating the brinjal with the spices.

Add the rinsed rice and 1 cup of water, mixing everything together. Bring it to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes until the rice is cooked and has absorbed all the flavours.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves, if desired, and serve warm.

How to make vangi bath powder at home

Ingredients:

5 inch cinnamon stick

1 tsp clove

5 cardamom pods

1 mace (javitri)

2 tsp poppy seeds (khuskhus)

2 tsp oil

1 tbsp coriander seeds

15-20 dried chillis

1 tbsp urad daal

1 tbsp chana daal

½ tbsp cumin seeds

½ cup dried coconut

Method:

In a pan, dry roast cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and mace. Roast until you can smell the spices.

Keep this mixture aside, and in the same pan, dry roast poppy seeds and set aside.

Now, add oil in the pan, and add coriander seeds, urad daal, chana daal, cumin seeds. Roast until lentils become golden.

Add coconut and roast for a minute. Keep it aside.

Add 1 tsp oil again and roast dried red chilli.

Cool everything and put all the roasted spices in a blender. Blend till it becomes a coarse powder.

Your vangi bath masala is ready.

Note: These recipes typically serve two people. Scale the ingredients up or down according to the servings.

Try these easy South Indian recipes to unwind from the season’s festivities and enjoy simple, comforting meals.

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