What to Eat in Thanjavur Today?

Famous Food to Eat in Thanjavur

Food in Thanjavur is simple, filling and made for a hot climate. These are the dishes to try.

Tamil Meals

A banana-leaf lunch of rice with sambar, rasam, kootu, poriyal, appalam, curd and payasam. Servers keep refilling your leaf, so it is the best way to taste many dishes at once.

Ven Pongal

Soft rice and lentils cooked with ghee, black pepper, cumin and cashews. It is a classic Tamil breakfast, usually served with sambar and coconut chutney.

Degree Filter Coffee

Strong South Indian coffee made with milk and poured between a tumbler and a small bowl called a davara until it froths. Most people in Thanjavur have it at breakfast and again in the afternoon.

Adhirasam

A deep-fried sweet made from rice flour and jaggery, flavoured with cardamom. It is a traditional festival sweet and a good snack to take home.

Thayir Sadam (Curd Rice)

Rice mixed with curd and tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves. It is the cooling last course of a Tamil meal and very welcome on a hot day.

Coffee and Snacks in Thanjavur

Small vegetarian eateries around the town centre serve filter coffee, idli, dosa and vada from early morning. In the afternoon, many of them serve a second round of coffee and snacks. It is an easy way to take a break between the temple and the palace.

Food Tips for Travellers in Thanjavur

• Go for breakfast early, as pongal and fresh idlis often run out by mid-morning.
• Eat your main meal at lunch, when the full banana-leaf meals are served.
• Most of the food is vegetarian, so vegetarians will find plenty to eat.
• Drink bottled or filtered water and plenty of it in the heat.
• Eating with your right hand is normal, but you can always ask for a spoon.
• Carry some cash for small eateries and coffee stalls.