South Indian Vegetarian – Temple Cuisine from Karnataka

South Indian vegetarian food is a deeply nourishing and spiritual experience, rooted in centuries-old culinary traditions. Far beyond the naan and paneer seen in restaurants, the cuisine of Karnataka—especially temple-style and saatvik preparations—offers a treasure trove of flavors, textures, and healing ingredients.

In this course, we’ll dive into authentic South Indian vegetarian dishes inspired by temple kitchens and saatvik philosophy, using seasonal produce and freshly ground spice blends. This style of cooking avoids onion, garlic, mushrooms, and eggs, focusing instead on purity, balance, and digestion-friendly ingredients. All dishes can be adapted to follow vegan principles.

What You’ll Learn:

• Traditional Karnataka-style sambar, rasam, and hulli
• Simple and nourishing rice- and vegetable-based dishes like lemon rice, vangibath, and dill palya
• Temple-style prasadam dishes like kosambari and sweet pongal
• Fresh coconut-based chutneys and gojju (sweet-sour condiments)
• Spice powders and thambuli (yogurt-based herb sauce)
• Street food like pani poori and rava idli

You’ll also get time-saving tips for preparing nourishing meals quickly, without compromising the spiritual and sensory richness of traditional South Indian home-cooked food. 

What to bring:

Drinks, tea towels, dishcloths, a chopping knife, a paring knife, and containers with lids for any dishes you'd like to take home.

Good to know:

Ingredients are included in the price. For planning and purchasing purposes, registration for cooking courses closes about 7 days before the course starts, so make sure to sign up in good time to secure your spot.