South Indian food
Indian Cuisine Abu Dhabi
We are Abu Dhabi’s trusted haven for Indian food—authenticity, hospitality, and an honest taste of South Indian cuisine. We wear our South Indian heritage like a badge of honor, and every plate has the essence of home, using the freshest of seasonal baked ingredients, and the love for community.
Ingredients and Our Cooking Philosophy
At Chutney Stories, we don't just cook food; we treat it as something to be cared for, and layered, and finished with lots of love. What makes us proud as a destination for authentic Indian cuisine in Abu Dhabi is that we never compromise with quality and authenticity in the ingredients and preparation. This is why dining with us feels different—because we don’t just serve food, we serve South India’s culinary philosophy on every plate.
Regional Specialties & Dish Highlights
At Chutney Stories, our menu is a love letter to South India—every dish celebrating a tradition, a street corner, or a family kitchen. Here’s a taste of our specialties:
Crave-Worthy Dosas
Madras Ghee Roast & Garlic Roast – Crispy, golden, and drenched in ghee—with or without roasted garlic—they’re classics for a reason. Mysore Masala Dosa – Iconic with spicy red chutney and a hearty potato masala filling. Erra Karam Dosa – Andhra’s fiery pride, with red chili paste and ghee for a bold kick. Rava Dosa Trio – From plain to onion to masala, the thin, crisp dosa variations offer something for everyone. Signature Club Dosa – Our modern twist—like a dosa meets a pan pizza, a true Chutney Stories original.
Trendy Tiffins
Poori with Ishtew Style Salna – Puffy golden pooris paired with a spicy, vegetable-rich stew. Cashew Upma – Comforting rava upma, elevated with roasted cashews and ghee. Nei Ven Pongal – The ultimate comfort dish—ghee-laced rice and lentils, crunchy with cashews. Mysore Masala Dosa – Iconic with spicy red chutney and a hearty potato masala filling. Erra Karam Dosa – Andhra’s fiery pride, with red chili paste and ghee for a bold kick. Rava Dosa Trio – From plain to onion to masala, the thin, crisp dosa variations offer something for everyone. Signature Club Dosa – Our modern twist—like a dosa meets a pan pizza, a true Chutney Stories original.
Sweet Rush
Ada Payasam – A chilled, house-special twist to Kerala’s palada payasam. Karupatti Halwa – Earthy and rich with palm jaggery. Zaffrani Kesari – Fragrant, saffron-laced semolina dessert with a royal touch.
Magical Softy & Energizers
•Filter Coffee Softy – Our playful ode to the filter coffee culture—soft-serve style! •CS Signature Filter Kapi – The bold, frothy brew that defines South Indian mornings. •Jigarthanda – Madurai’s cult-favorite chilled drink, creamy and soul-cooling.
Bangalore Dosas & Uthappams
•Golden Ghee & Benne Dosa – Straight from Karnataka’s streets, buttery and crisp. •Ghee Podi Masala & Garlic Masala Dosas – Crispy, spiced, and stuffed with potato masala. •Uthappams – Thick, fluffy, and generously topped with onions, tomatoes, and buttered veggies.
Steamy Soft Idlis
Classic Thatte Idly – The plate-sized, cloud-soft idly—gluten free, no soda, no maida—served with sambhar and chutney for that timeless comfort. Ghee Thatte Idly & Ghee Podi Thatte Idly – Golden ghee and spiced lentil podi elevate the humble idly into an indulgent bite. Madurai Elai Idly & Butter Elai Idly – Steamed in banana leaves, these idlis carry the earthy aroma of tradition, with butter for extra richness. Sambhar-Dip & Chutney-Dip Idlis – A Madurai street-style favorite—idlis dunked in hot sambhar or coconut chutney, perfect for the adventurous palate. Ghee Podi Button Idlis – Mini idlis tossed in podi and ghee, little bombs of South Indian spice.
Flaky Barottas
Nool Barotta & Thattu Barotta – From Malabar’s layered lace-like parotta to the soft, flaky Thattu style, both are best savored with veg salna and pachadi.
Meal Hour Delights
Signature Royal Biryani – A vegetarian biryani, rich in cottage cheese and secret spices. Podhichoru – Our hero platter: rice, avial, vazhakkai roast, thoran, chammanthi, pickles, curd chilly, sambhar, and papad—South India on one plate. Ghee Podi Rice & Mango Ginger Rice – Flavored rice dishes that strike the perfect balance of spice and tang. Creamy Curd Rice – A South Indian staple—cool, comforting, and temper-finished.
Meal Hour Delights
Signature Royal Biryani – A vegetarian biryani, rich in cottage cheese and secret spices. Podhichoru – Our hero platter: rice, avial, vazhakkai roast, thoran, chammanthi, pickles, curd chilly, sambhar, and papad—South India on one plate. Ghee Podi Rice & Mango Ginger Rice – Flavored rice dishes that strike the perfect balance of spice and tang. Creamy Curd Rice – A South Indian staple—cool, comforting, and temper-finished.
Classic Vadas & Tea Snacks
•Medhu Vada & Parippu Vada – Crispy, golden, and perfect with sambhar or coconut chutney. •Tea-Time Bites – From Ulli Vada and Vazhakka Bajji to Mysore Bonda and Batata Vada—our crunchy snacks are perfect with a hot cup of masala chai. •Quick chefs’ write-ups, the joy of filter coffee culture, banana-leaf meals, festive specialties.
The Joy of Filter Coffee Culture
No South Indian tale would be complete without the most recognizable prop filter coffee. At Chutney Stories, we continue the legacy by serving the CS Signature Filter Kapi exactly how it should be—strong, poured from height for that amazing froth, and served hot in a dabara set.
Filter Coffee isn't just a drink. It's a ritual. It wakes you up in the morning, fills you up in the afternoon, and it sends you into comfort mode after your meal. It is a time where the conversation flows, laughter lingers, and the smell of roasted chicory coffee fills the air. If you are looking for a taste of real Indian food in Abu Dhabi, our Filter Coffee will be as close as you can get to sipping it on the street corner of Chennai or at a slow-paced coffee house in Coimbatore. And if you want to play with its form? Try our Filter Coffee Softy—a chilled, creamy, reimagined avatar of this nostalgic drink.
Banana-Leaf Meals & Festive Specialties
There aren't many experiences that capture the essence of South Indian dining like a banana-leaf meal. At Chutney Stories, we replicate this experience with a thoughtful range of spreads that express the abundance of our regional traditions.
The Podhichoru platter is a star: a balanced thali comprised of rice, Avial, Vazakkai roast, Thoran, Chammanthi, mango pickles, curd chilly, sambhar and crispy papadam. This is not simply about feeding people, it's about a tradition – meant to be eaten with your hands, enjoyed slowly, and shared with love.
When it comes to festivals, we explore even further: Think Onam Sadya-style meals filled with a few spicy curries, sour pachadis, sweet payasam, crispy snacks, etc. all served in harmony, on a green banana leaf, like a symphony of flavours. Much like a painting or an orchestra, each dish has its place on the banana leaf, much like each bite has its own beginning, in separating one function from the next: and somehow there is joy in how these varieties are served together, as a reflection of South India celebration, straight to Abu Dhabi.
For our family of communities, this is about more than just eating: it's a value of tradition and nostalgia and being together. By bringing banana-leaf dining, along with seasonal specialities centred around family values into people's homes, we create a rare and authentic experience for our guests in Abu Dhabi and connect hearts, even from afar.