The Tamil coastal food I sampled around Karaikal

I arrived in Karaikal ready to eat my way through the familiar comforts of a Tamil coastal town. I began with breakfast, enquired about the day’s lunch and left room for something different at dinner. It was an enjoyable way to explore a place where the coast is close, and the surrounding Cauvery delta is known for rice.

Rice soon became the thread running through my meals. It appeared as dosa, delicate idiyappam and the centre of a generous lunch. Each preparation tasted and felt different, which made choosing the next meal surprisingly easy.

A Karaikal dosa breakfast with plenty on the side

My day began with dosa, a southern Indian pancake. I took a piece off before it was cold and dipped it in coconut chutney before trying some sambar to complement. The different accompaniments made my breakfast enjoyable. The chutney complemented the hot dosa well, while the sambar made every bite a different flavour experience during my stay. 

Idiyappam made me slow down at dinner in Karaikal

To follow, I wanted to order idiyappam with vegetable kurma. Idiyappam is a dish made from fine rice flour, formed in small piles. When the kurma is poured onto it, it makes for a filling meal, without being too heavy. This dish is quite popular in Karaikal, and I can understand why.

I liked the contrast between the tastes and textures of both dishes. While the dosa of my breakfast had a crunchy bite, idiyappam was soft and luscious. I had a good time mixing kurma with the idiyappam one piece at a time to appreciate the taste of both.

My Karaikal lunch was a tour of Tamil flavours

For lunch, I chose a traditional rice meal with several small servings alongside it. Sambar, rasam, vegetable poriyal and kootu each had a place on the plate. Karaikal restaurant menus show versions of this kind of meal, though the exact dishes can change from one kitchen to another.

I began with a little sambar over the rice, then tried the vegetables and kootu before finishing with rasam. It was fun to discover which combination I liked best. The poriyal added a different texture, and the rasam made me reach for another helping of rice. I left lunch feeling that I had sampled several dishes in one sitting, while still enjoying them as a complete meal.

A simple coconut rice suited the Karaikal coast

One afternoon after enjoying a day out at the beach, I felt like having something simple. Coconut rice was just what I needed. Not only was it tasty, but it was also very easy on my appetite. I like the cooked coconut in coconut rice as it did not overshadow the dish.

Once I was finished with my walk and meal, I associated the two together in my mind. I had the chance to breathe in the sea air and look for a place to eat without worrying about the time.

The Karaikal meals I would return for

If I went back to Karaikal, I would order idiyappam with vegetable kurma first. I would also ask the staff at one of the hotels in Karaikal where I could find a good local rice lunch, then see which vegetable dishes had been prepared that day. These conversations helped me choose well throughout the trip.

What I enjoyed most was the variety within a few simple ingredients. Rice became a crisp breakfast, a soft dinner and the base of a satisfying lunch. Around Karaikal, I found plenty of good reasons to sit down, try the next dish and stay a little longer.