South Indian Food in Canada: Where to Find It?

south indian food in canada

The basic needs are the same wherever you are.  

Even when you are far from your motherland, your craving for the heartland recipes can never stop.  

Maybe that’s why your heart skips a beat whenever find an Indian diner in Canada while you are rushing through the busy morning hours.  

Indian food needs no special ask. Perhaps, South Indian recipes need to be asked out loud so that it is heard enough.  

If you are a hard-core South Indian, and every place you go, you are often asked for an extra Roti and Paratha, it is a juxtaposition and a clear mismatch.  

You need to be rerouted in the right direction.  

Here is your go-to list of hotspots in Canada to experience a South Indian relish.  

The authentic lists of South Indian restaurants and diners

When your stomach hits that craving button for a crispy ghee dosa or simple curd rice, you need to catch it before the cranky mode sets in. 

 Accordingly, given below is a list of South Indian restaurants which can take you down memory lane of just being back on the streets of Hyderabad, and Chennai.  

1.     Saravana Bhavan 

Straight from home, direct to your heart. 

Locations: Scarborough, Delta, Brampton, and Mississauga 

Best tried for: Idly & Sambhar, Filter Coffee, Ghee & Masala Dosa 

What’s so special? 

As a result of having established a culinary empire in India, Saravana Bhavan has adopted its custom of ruling the world by catering to Indians all over the world without sacrificing the distinctiveness and genuineness of the flavours. The thin & paper-crispy dosa just feels like the one from your mother’s kitchen.

2.     Udupi Dosa

The slice of heaven from India.  

Location: Multiple locations inclusive of Ontario, Brampton & Mississauga 

Best tried for: Pongal & coconut chutney, Rava Dosa, and Medu Vada 

What’s so special? 

It is a vegetarian powerhouse that’s been brought to Canada with similar temple-flavored recipes. With their lengthy dosa list and rice recipes, they are perfectly curated for both breakfast and lunch. Their budget-friendly pricing makes it more popular among the student community.  

3.     South Spicy 

India’s devil kitchen with a splurging taste of spice and salt.  

Location: Mississauga, Ontario 

Best tried for: Pepper chicken, Butter chicken, Mini Tiffen, and Idli with gunpowder 

What’s so special? 

 If you are a spice lover from India and visiting Canada for a few weeks, you are spot on with SouthnSpicy. Having earned fame and credibility for their Andhra and Tamil Nadu-style recipes, you are about to recheck & challenge your spice tolerance with some of the fiery recipes from South India.  

4.     Anjappar Chettinad Restaurent 

Local is the new global. 

Location: Mississauga, Scarborough and Brampton 

Best tried for: South-style Parotta, Chettinad-flavoured chicken curry, chicken biryani and mutton sukkah 

What’s so special? 

Crafting a legacy for region-based cuisine ‘Chettinad’ and moving such a marginally prevailing cooking style to the global stage, Anjappar has come a long way. Given that their recipes are rooted in the flavorful & earthy southern spices, all the gravies and curries are continuously the best sellers.  

5.     Madras Masala 

Canada is the new heart of Chennai. 

Location: Toronto, Ontario 

Best tried for: A big South Indian Thali, Kara dosa, Idly varieties, Rasam rice, and Sambar Vada 

What’s so special? 

It is one of the most easily accessible Indian diners located in a bustling city like Toronto. A warm & cozy dining experience enriched with all your South Indian favourites starting from a plain dosa to the Hyderabad chicken curry. It’s a perfect spot for a Sunday hangout with friends or takeout for your late-night study sessions. 

The aforementioned A-listed South Indian hotels get the right food that pierces straight into your heart giving you a soulfilling dining experience.

Ever tried home-styled South Indian recipes 

Are you one of those health-conscious South Indians who are apprehensive about the behind-the-scenes or even doubting the quality of every recipe that walks in through that restaurant door? You need to check in with the Indian Tiffen centres in Canada, which provide customised and nutritious meals at affordable prices. If you are clueless about where to begin, here are your top three leading homemade delivery services who has got your back.  

  1. Meal Maven- Located in Scarborough, with their guiding principle of ‘Food for all’, their menu is extensively categorised to serve diversified Indian palettes. As Meal Maven leaves no stone unturned, their home-style prepared South Indian recipes are already winning over students and many working professionals. Given their budget-friendly options and allowing more room for customisation, Meal Maven’s distribution is growing steadfastly in Canada.  Meal Maven- Located in Scarborough, with their guiding principle of ‘Food for all’, their menu is extensively categorised to serve diversified Indian palettes. As Meal Maven leaves no stone unturned, their home-style prepared South Indian recipes are already winning over students and many working professionals. Given their budget-friendly options and allowing more room for customisation, Meal Maven’s distribution is growing steadfastly in Canada.  
  2. For more details- https://mealmaven.org/ 
  3. India’s Flavour The Tiffen Stash is your go-to destination for authentic Indian dishes prepared in the style of a home and delivered anywhere in Canada. Their priority customers are mostly students who are missing their home food and working professionals navigating hectic schedules. Hence, by accessing such authentic home-cooked meals, these customers are relieved from battling time on an everyday basis.  
  4. India’s Flavour- India’s Flavour is a trusted Indian tiffin service in Toronto that offers clean, home-cooked meals for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Bringing warmth and taste to your daily routine, we combine traditional recipes with well-balanced nutrition to provide all you need. 

The growing number of Indian Tiffen centres in Canada are also greatly infusing the authentic, regional and hard-to-get recipes on board.  

So, if you think that homemade South Indian foods are not easily accessible, think again. Many tiffin suppliers now provide such menus that taste like home without the burden of cooking. These menus include comfortable Kootu and soft Idlis, among other options. 

Wrap Up 

South Indian cuisine is no longer left behind.  

At least not anymore inside the culinary scene of Canada.  

When Indian foods like Naan and Butter Chicken have reached global admiration, South Indian foods are finally beginning to catch up with the outpouring of demand.  

Especially with all the well-renowned South Indian hotels like Saravana Bhavan on one side of the spectrum, and the new entrants like Madras Masala on the other side, all the authentic recipes are brought here already. Most importantly, with the rise of the Indian Tiffen centres, in Toronto all your homemade Sambhar and Chutneys are exclusively provided at budget-friendly prices too.   

When your South Indian craving calls for you, you know where to look for.  

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