​7 irresistible side dishes to elevate dosa and idli​

Dosa and idli may be the stars of South Indian breakfasts, but their brilliance depends on what sits beside them. The sides, chutneys, podis, sambars – are what make each bite different, what keep you reaching back to the plate. Without them, dosa is just crisp batter, and idlis are just soft fluff. With the right accompaniments, though, they turn into a full experience. Here are seven side dishes that never fail to lift them higher.

This is the one you never get tired of. To make it, grind one cup of grated coconut with two green chillies, a tablespoon of roasted chana dal, a small piece of ginger, and salt, adding just enough water for a smooth paste. Temper it with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and a dry red chilli sizzled in a spoon of oil. The taste is cool, fresh, and lightly spicy – exactly what a hot dosa or pillowy idli needs to balance richness.

Where coconut chutney soothes, tomato chutney gives a little kick. Heat two spoons of oil, sauté two chopped onions until soft, then add four ripe tomatoes, two garlic cloves, and three dried red chillies. Cook it down until the tomatoes collapse, then you can blend it smooth with salt. A quick tempering of curry leaves makes it complete. The chutney comes out tangy, spicy, and slightly sweet – a lively partner to crisp dosa or steamed idlis.

Peanuts bring depth and richness. Roast half a cup of peanuts until golden, then grind them with two green chillies, a small clove of garlic, and tamarind. Add water to reach a smooth, creamy texture. Temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves for fragrance. The chutney is nutty, sharp, and faintly smoky, clinging to idli in a way coconut chutney never does. On a morning when you want something filling, this is the one to make.

This one leans bold. Slice two large onions and fry them in two spoons of oil with three dried red chillies until the onions turn brown and caramelised. Then grind them with tamarind and salt into a thick paste. No tempering is needed – the chutney’s weight comes from the slow-cooked onions themselves. Spread on dosa, it adds an edge of sweetness and heat; eaten with idli, it turns soft into sharp.

Sambar is not technically a side dish, but dosa and idli feel incomplete without it. To make a simple one, pressure cook half a cup of toor dal until soft. In another pan, cook drumsticks or pumpkin with tamarind water, turmeric, and salt. Then you can add the dal and stir in a spoon of sambar powder. Let it simmer until the flavours merge, finishing with a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dried chillies. The result is tangy, warming, and hearty — the kind of side that soaks dosa, surrounds idli, and makes breakfast feel like a full meal.

Every South Indian home has its own version of podi. Roast half a cup of urad dal, half a cup of chana dal, eight dried red chillies, and a handful of curry leaves until fragrant. Then grind them with salt and a little asafoetida into a coarse powder. To serve, mix the podi with sesame oil or ghee until it turns into a paste. Dip idlis into it, or smear it onto dosa. It’s fiery, nutty, and deeply addictive – the kind of side that makes you eat faster than you planned.

Curry leaves, usually used sparingly, take centre stage here. Heat a spoon of oil, fry a handful of fresh curry leaves until crisp, then grind them with coconut, roasted chana dal, two green chillies, and tamarind into a smooth chutney. Temper with mustard seeds and a dry chilli if you like. The result is earthy, slightly citrusy, and deeply familiar to anyone who’s tasted coastal cooking. With idli, it wakes up every bite and with dosa, its green freshness cuts clean through the crunch.