There are many popular temples in India that are known for their delicious and distinctive temple food. Here is a list of 15 popular temples in India and some of the dishes that are offered as prasadam (food offerings to the deity) or served in the langar (community kitchen):
1. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) in Andhra Pradesh: Laddus, vada, pulihora (tamarind rice), appam, dosa.
2. Amritsar’s Golden Temple: Langar serves a variety of vegetarian dishes including roti (flatbread), rice, dal (lentil soup), vegetables, and sweet dishes.
3. Sabarimala Temple in Kerala: Appam, aravana, payasam (a type of sweet), sadya (a traditional Kerala meal served on a banana leaf).
4. Shirdi Sai Baba Temple in Maharashtra: Laddus, sheera, puran poli (a type of sweet flatbread), vada pav (a popular street food)
5. Vaishno Devi Temple in Jammu and Kashmir: Poori (a type of fried bread), chole (spicy chickpeas), aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower), kachaudi (a type of fried bread with a spiced lentil filling)
6. Jagannath Temple in Odisha: Khichdi (a type of rice and lentil dish), dalma (a type of lentil and vegetable curry), pitha (a type of sweet made with rice flour)
7. Rameswaram Temple in Tamil Nadu: Idli (a type of steamed rice cake), dosa, vada, pongal (a type of rice and lentil dish).
8. Kamakhya Temple in Assam: Ladoo (a type of sweet), jalpan (a type of sweet), luchi (a type of fried bread).
9. Mahalakshmi Temple in Maharashtra: Modak (a type of sweet dumpling), puran poli, karanji (a type of sweet pastry).
10. Meenakshi Temple in Tamil Nadu: Idli, dosa, vada, pongal, payasam
11. Baidyanath Temple in Jharkhand: Peda (a type of sweet), ladoo, khaja (a type of sweet), malpua (a type of sweet fried bread)
12. Somnath Temple in Gujarat: Puri, bhaji (a type of vegetable curry), shrikhand (a type of sweet yogurt), kachaudi.
13. Siddhivinayak Temple in Maharashtra: Modak, laddus, karanji, puran poli
14. The Parathasarathy Temple– Sakkarai (sweet) pongal is a traditional sweet dish made with rice, lentils, and jaggery (unrefined cane sugar) that is commonly offered as prasadam (food offerings to the deity) at the Parathasarathy Temple in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is often served during festivals and special occasions.
15. Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala: Payasam, appam, aravana, sadya.
16. Nanganallur Anjaneya Temple : Pongal is a traditional South Indian dish made with rice and lentils that are commonly offered as prasadam (food offerings to the deity) at the Nanganallur Anjaneya Temple in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Pongal is typically made with rice and split yellow moong dal (lentils) that are cooked together with water, ghee (clarified butter), and spices until the mixture becomes soft and creamy.
17. Jagannatha Perumal Temple, Thirumizhsai: Curd rice, also known as thayir sadam or dahi chawal, is a popular South Indian dish made with rice and curd (yogurt). It is often offered as prasadam (food offerings to the deity) at the Jagannatha Perumal Temple in Thirumizhsai, Tamil Nadu.
18. The Brihadeeshwara Temple, Thanjavur : Tamarind rice, also called pulihora, is a common South Indian dish made with rice and tamarind paste. It is frequently offered as prasadam at the Brihadeeshwara Temple in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The dish is made by mixing cooked rice with tamarind paste, ground peanuts, and various spices and herbs.
These are just a few examples of the many temples in India that are known for their delicious and distinctive temple food.
Read more: famous food of Rajasthan
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