Vada is a savoury, fried snack popular across South India. To many, it may look like a fried version of doughnuts. Vadas are of several types made of legumes (pigeon pea, chickpea, black gram, green gram), potatoes, even made with curd (dahi vada). Vadas are made of compact batter mixed with cumin seeds, curry leaves, onions, etc., whose mixture is then shaped and deep-fried. Complement it with coconut chutney or a spicy curry, and a hot serving of sambar.

Idlis are round cakes made from a batter of steamed rice and fermented black lentils. Sometimes, fenugreek is added to the batter to give it more flavour. Idlis are a popular, sort-of staple food in South Indian states. Idlis are soft and chewy, but a bit bland on their own; complement them with coconut chutney or a spicy curry, and hot sambar. There are variations of idli across the country, like rava, sanna, enduri pitha, etc.

The Indian version of a very sleek pancake, dosas have a huge size. Dosas are made of fermented batter and fenugreek, on a pan greased with oil or ghee (clarified butter), and their texture and appearance are crepe-like, so they have to be eaten delicately. Dosas are mainly made with rice and black gram and served with chutney and sambar. There are several types of dosas like rawa, rawa masala, onion rawa, etc.

Being a port town, foodies flock to Mamallapuram for its excellent variety of seafood, ranging from prawns to lobsters grilled fish and shrimps. Make your way to any of the popular cafes and restaurants to try these sumptuous dishes. Lobsters, crabs, prawns can all be cooked in several ways, you can choose char grilled, soup, or classic French grilled with cream and baked cheese, or even eat them as toppings on pizza.