This exclusive drink is only available in a few cities of the state of Tamil Nadu and Madurai is one of them. Prepared from cotton seeds, raw rice flour, jaggery and coconut, paruthipal is a traditional beverage of South India. It is also used as a curative drink for home remedies.

Kothuparotta meaning minced parotta (flatbread) is a delightful food that is popular across South India. A famous street-side dish, it is also known as muttaiparotta and is made from mustard, cumin seeds, ginger-garlic, curry leaves and eggs, along with choice of vegetables and spices. This delicacy originated in Virudhunagar and is one of the favourites of Tamilians. Some of its variants include muttai kothu parotta, chilli parotta and egg kothu parotta. These crispy parottas are best served with salna gravy, which is a slightly watery gravy made with chicken/vegetables and egg.

This thick and almost pizza-like creation is favoured by visitors and locals alike and packs quite a punch. The base is a layer of egg, the centre a thick and hearty dosa and all that goodness is topped off with a hefty serving of finely minced mutton, which is spiced and seasoned to perfection. The recipe is credited to the Konar community, of whom the majority are cow and goat herds.

As the name suggests, jigarthanda is a cold beverage that originated in Madurai. The term means cool liver in English. Prepared from milk, almond gum, sarsaparilla root syrup, sugar and ice cream, jigarthanda is Madurai's most famous dessert. It resembles the pan-India famous falooda in taste and appearance. Head to East Marrat street in Madurai to taste this refreshment. While some locals believe that jigarthanda came to Madurai during the Madurai sultanate, others believe that it was brought to the city by the Arcot nawabs. One can find this amazing drink being served at roadside stalls in Madurai, especially as a refreshing drink during the summer season.

Appams can be aptly called Indian pancakes. They are prepared with fermented rice batter and coconut milk. Appams originated in the Indian subcontinent and are a common food in Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. They make for a great breakfast option but are also included as dinner in some parts of South India. While Sri Lankans call appams by their anglicised name, Hoppers, people in Indonesia call them as Kue apem. Appams get their shape from the appachattin (pan) in which they are cooked. Appams are best eaten with spicy condiments or curry.