A classic South Indian breakfast is built around a few dishes made from fermented rice-and-lentil batter: soft steamed idli, crispy medhu vada, thin golden dosa and thick, topped uttapam. They're served with sambar (a tangy lentil stew) and fresh chutneys, and usually washed down with something hot and milky.
At Ananda Kitchen in Langley Park, we serve all of these from the moment we open at 11am until close. Breakfast food at lunch or dinner is completely normal in South India, and it's one of the easiest ways to try the cuisine for the first time.
What is a typical South Indian breakfast?
Most South Indian breakfasts share one idea: light, savory food that's filling without being heavy. The core dishes are:
- Idli: small, fluffy steamed cakes made from fermented rice and urad dal batter. Mild and soft, perfect for soaking up sambar.
- Medhu vada: a savory, doughnut-shaped fritter made from urad dal. Crisp outside, soft inside.
- Dosa: a thin, crispy crepe made from the same family of fermented batter, cooked on a hot griddle and often filled with spiced potato.
- Uttapam: a thicker, softer pancake with toppings like onion and chili cooked right into it.
Each one comes with sambar and chutney. The sambar adds warmth and tang, the coconut chutney cools things down, and the tomato chutney brings a little sweetness and heat.
What should I order first?
If it's your first time, here's an easy way to build a plate:
- Start with idli and vada. Ordering a plate of each lets you taste both textures: soft and steamed next to crispy and fried. Dunk both in sambar.
- Add a dosa to share. The masala dosa is the classic. It's big enough to split between two people alongside idli and vada.
- Try an uttapam next time. If you like your food soft and savory rather than crispy, uttapam with onion and chili is a great pick.
Tip: if you like a little heat, try the ghee podi idli. It's tossed in ghee and podi, a roasted lentil-and-chili powder, and it's a good snack on its own.
Idli, vada, dosa or uttapam: what's the difference?
They're all close cousins. Idli and dosa come from the same kind of rice-and-lentil batter, but idli is steamed and dosa is griddled thin and crisp. Uttapam is griddled too, just thicker, more like a savory pancake. Vada is the odd one out: it's made from a thicker urad dal batter and fried.
For a deeper comparison, read idli vs. dosa: which should you order?
What do you drink with a South Indian breakfast?
In many South Indian homes, breakfast comes with a small cup of strong, milky filter coffee. At our counter, the closest companions are masala chai (spiced milk tea) and masala coffee. If you'd rather have something cold, a mango lassi or chaas (spiced buttermilk) goes well with spicy food.
Can I get South Indian breakfast in the afternoon or evening?
Yes. We open at 11am every day, so we're more of a late-breakfast-to-dinner spot, and idli, vada, dosa and uttapam are on the menu the whole time. Many guests come in for a dosa at dinner. Guests often tell us these dishes taste like home cooking, which is exactly what we're going for.
Is South Indian breakfast vegetarian?
Everything at Ananda Kitchen is vegetarian, cooked in a separate, dedicated vegetarian kitchen. Many of these dishes can also be made vegan; just tell the counter you're ordering vegan and we'll guide you. See our vegan Indian food guide for more.
You can browse everything on our idli and vada page and our dosa page.
Where to get South Indian breakfast in Langley Park
Ananda Kitchen is inside BITES Food Court + Bar at 8046 New Hampshire Ave, Hyattsville, MD 20783, in the Langley Park Shopping Center near New Hampshire Ave and University Blvd. Parking is free.
We're open daily 11am to 9pm, and until 10pm on Friday and Saturday. Walk up to the counter, call (410) 381-0011, or order online for pickup. Most orders are ready in about 30 minutes.
