SECOND CUISINE- TAMILNADU

                                                                             

TAMIL NADU

INTRODUCTION: Tamil Nadu provides its visitors with a variety of delicacies, both vegetarian as well as non-veg, though most food in Tamil nadu consists of grain, rice, lentils and vegetables.

                      Situated on the southernmost part of India is referred as the cradle of Dravidian culture, the ancient Indian culture distinguished for its unique languages, customs, architecture. Huge temples with towering Gopurams, intricate rock carvings, classical music, dance and of course, the cuisine give proof of it.

CULINARY ASPECTS

                Rice has been the staple diet of the Tamilian and Thanjavur is regarded as the ‘granary of the south’ usually parboiled rice is consumed due to its nutritive value. Rice predominates in all dishes of the Tamilian and preparations of rice for all meal of the day. Lentils too are consumed extensively as accompaniment to the rice preparation. Being on the seacoast – seafood and coconut is also available in plenty.

                While tamarind is used for adding tang, peppercorn, and chili, both red and green are used to make the food hot. To neutralize the effect of the chili and soothe the stomach, curd is used in a variety of dishes. Other spices like mustard, cumin, garlic, etc. are used for tempering and seasoning.

                 The Tamils believes that the ideal food should cater to the six variety of tastes- Bitterness, acridity, sweetness, saltiness, sourness and astringent taste. Annapurna the goddess of food is worshipped in all houses.

                 Meals served on banana leaves, consisted of rice, with flavorings or plain topped ghee. Sambar, meat curries, vegetables are added separately for the rice. Side dishes include Poriyals, (seasoned vegetables) Varayil (fried crisp), Pachidi (salad form or raita) along with Appalsm and Vathals- followed by Payasam or kheer. The second course is rice and rasam (dal water). The third course is curd rice with pickles. Curd is supposed to be cooling for the body system. Rasam is religiously made in ‘Iyya Chombu’ or lead vessel to right flavors.

Breakfast and afternoon snacks called ‘Tiffin’ include Idli, Dosai, Vada, Pongal, Upma, etc. dosai is made in different kinds with variations and is accompanied by coconut chutney, sambar and Muluga podi.

               Tamil nadu is renowned for its filter coffee made in a special way with coffee decoction.

CHETTINAD CUISINE

              Known for its spicy, hot fare, Chettinad cuisine hails from the deep southern region of Tamil nadu. This cuisine is very spicy, oily, and most aromatic.

    

Although the Chettiars are well known for there delicious vegetarian preparation, there repertoire of food items is famous and includes all kinds of seafood, fowl and meats as well as delicate noodle like Idiappams.

            The “Aachis” or lady of the house commands the kitchen. Chettias traditionally bankers and financers used to travel to countries like Malaysia, Burma, Singapore, Thailand, China, Tibet, etc. And when they used to come back, they also brought the food culture of the foreign lands.

            A lot of items in the Chettinad cuisine are a native replica of the foreign cuisine. Idiappam originates from rice noodles in China. Kavunarisi (black rice) and Panigaram from Malaysia. Spices from these places were incorporated into Chettinad cuisine.

            The Chettiar ladies carefully preserved sun dried legumes and berries and later made them into curries. Apart from liberal use of oil and spices, most dishes have generous amounts of peppercorn, cinnamon, bayleaves, cardamom, nutmeg, green and red chillies, pepper, chicken, poryal, Aappams, etc. The Muslim influence is seen in the form of ‘Payas’ (trotters) and ‘Khuska’ (Biryani).

Culinary Aspects:  Chettinad Cuisine is basically spicy, aromatic, oily and rich. They have a varied selection of Seafood dishes, Vegetables preparations, Tiffins, Snacks and desserts. There is minimum wastage of food and every part of lamb or chicken is used to create a local delicacy with different flavorings. Special cleaning procedure are used to clean the meat and then incorporated to dishes. Chalk and lime are used for cleaning the intestines of lamb, curd used for cleaning small silver fish, ash and salt for cleaning the slimness of fish, turmeric powder, ginger and lemon used for cleaning and tenderizing meat. Pickling, Salting and Preservation of Lamb, Fish and Vegetables is done during the sunny days. During the rainy season, the rain water is harvested and used later. The water available in the region has a very special taste and has a lot of effect on taste of the final product.

SPECIAL INGREDIENTS:  Chettinad food coked in the region owes its special taste to the locally available water, spices and vegetables. Items like Sambar onions, star anise, Fennel, Kalpasi or pathar ka phool, Maratti mugga, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, Black Malaysian rice or ‘Kavunarisi’, Castor oil, Coconut oil, Gingerly oil, Fenugreek, Dried and preserved Vegetables, etc. are incorporated to create food with variations.

SEQUENCE OF MEAL AND SERVICE:  A typical Chettinad meal is served in Banana leaves with the tapering end of the leaves facing the left of the person having the meal. On the top left, the fried items like Appalam, Pickle, salt, banana are placed. This is followed by vegetables or dried meat preparations which are served on the top half. In some houses, meat dishes are served in small cups or ‘Kinnams’. All the dishes prepared for the day are displayed in vessel or ‘Pathram’ in front of the diners so that they can request for more helpings. During any occasion a soups made with left over bones, meat trimmings, vegetable trimmings and boiled stock or lentil water is served. Next the rice is served along with

Some home made ghee or ‘Ney’. After this the Kozhambu is served on top of the rice. Kozhambu can be made with vegetables, fish, and lamb. The Kozhambu is blended with the rice and is eaten with small helpings of dry vegetables or meat. Sambar made with drumstick and lentils is served next followed with Rasam. The fried Vathals and Appalam are broken and mixed with the blended rice while dining. Moru or seasoned buttermilk is served at the end of the meal. On festive occasions- payasam or sweet is served after rasam. During the summer months a local coolant made with jaggery, tamarind and ginger is served when a guest has just arrived from outside. Bananas are eaten last. The household and guests have Betal leaves with nuts after the meals and discuss local affairs and welfare.

TAMIL BRAHMIN CUISINE

            Tamil Brahmins are strict vegetarians and highly revered by all. The Brahmins used to take care of temples but today they have taken to other fields also. Brahmin cooks are very much in demand during special occasions for cooking traditional meals. Today even non-Brahmins invite a Brahmin to cook for the occasion because of the diversity of invitees. The Tamil Brahmins owe it to Swami Sankaracharya who bought religion, people and customs together. He gave a sense of direction and laid a set of do’s and don’ts.

CULINARY DETAILS:

            Onion and garlic is not used in many of the preparations. Rice is prepared for all meals in different variations. This cuisine is less spicy and soothing for the body system. Kootu, Milagootal, Sambar, Rasam, Poduthool, Puli Pachadi, Pulinji, Avial, More kolambu, etc. are some of the food items made for lunch and dinner. Use of fresh Herbs, Vegetables and spices is very predominant and has strong ayurvedic root. The Ayurvedic system divides the body into three ‘Prakhriti’—Vatha, Pitha and Kapa. Special diet is designed for each body system whenever required. The traditional cooking depends on measures of ‘ollocks’, ‘padi’, and ‘kaipidi’. There are also variations during seasonal changes to help the body to adapt.

            The ‘tiffin’ is usually had in the evenings and included Idili, Dosai, Vada, Adai, Pongal, Kozhakatai, upma etc. Murukkus, Cheedai, Thattai, masala vada, Parruppu vada, etc. are some of the popular savouries. They also specialize in Payasams. Palpayasam, Semia Payasam, Neipayasam, Idichu Pizhunja Payasam are all favourites.

SPECIAL INGREDIENTS: Rice, lentils, Grams, and coconut and tamarind are basic ingredients of this cuisine. For some dishes parboiled, rice is used and some raw rice is used. The measures are always in quantitative measurements and not in KGS. Curd is used to make ‘Morekozhambu’ or buttermilk stew, Aviyal and Sambharam. Black tamarind is used for some dishes like Sambhar, pitlay, Pulinji etc. and new tamarind is used in some dishes like chutneys and rasams. Use of fenugreek, cumin, peppercorns, Coriander and curry leaves, turmeric powder etc. is done in balanced proportion in different dishes. There is lot of emphasis on use of different types of lentils, pulses, vegetables and herbs. The South Indian ‘filter coffee’ is a must early morning in every household and for every guest visiting the house.

SEQUENCE OF MEAL AND SERVICE:

             Traditionally a Brahmin meal is served in banana leaves and had on the floor. The guests sits on a ‘palagai’ or wooden seat and does a ‘Neividyam’, before the food is consumed. On the top left of the leaf, pickle, chips and appalam is served. This is followed by vegetable served on the top half of the leaf. Once all the vegetable preparations are served, Rice is served with home made ghee or’neh’. Some homely preparations include Kootu, Porial, Thuvayal, morekozhambu, pitlay, vathakozhambu etc. Sambar is served on top of the rice and blended by the diner. After sambar, rasam is served. One has to be careful not to allow the rasam flow out of the leaf. The appalam and vadagam is crushed and mixed with the blended rice and eaten. The payasam or the dessert immediately follows the rasam during festive season. The meal ends with the service of rice with buttermilk which is consumed with pickles.

RELIGIOUS CUSTOMS AND EFFECTS ON FOOD:

During most festivals, only vegetarian fare is cooked. Pongal in January is an important Harvest festival and newly harvested rice and dal are cooked together in a mud pot and worshipped. During Diwali festival, the woman of the house prepares several sweets and other gastronomical delights.

During the Aadi festival, there is total absistence from meats. Other festivals celeberated are Ganesh festival. Rama Navami, Krishna janmashtami, Navarathri (Dushera). The elders fast during Amavasya and Ekadasi.

Every auspicious event takes place after checking the panchangam or Tamil Calendar. The lunar cycle and their movement of the stars are followed closely in their daily life routines.

Tamil New-Year day is celeberated on April 14. 

FAMOUS PRODUCTS FROM TAMILNADU:

• MEEN POONDU KOZHAMBU: It is spicy red colored fish gravy full of garlic flavor.        It should be cooked in a mud pot over a charcoal fire.

• NAADAN PAAL PAYASAM: Payasam is made of Bengal gram, moong dal, sago and broken rice. Sweetened with jaggery and cooked in coconut milk.

• MASURU ANNA: Also known as yoghurt rice or curd rice.

• DOSAS: Pancakes made with rice and lentil, may be eaten with chutney or stuffed with   spicy potatoes.

• IDLY: This is a steamed rice pancake enjoyed all over south India and eaten with chutney.

• IDIAPPAM: These are called string hoppers and are made rice flour and steamed.

• KAZHANI KOOTU: Vegetables with raw mango cooked in tamarind water till cooked and finished with coconut milk.

• SAMBAR SADAM: Boiled rice tempered with crushed jeera, peppercorn, slit green chillies, cashewnut and curry leaves.

• RASAM: Tempered dal water, can be flavored with other ingredients.

• MORKHOLOMBU: Buttermilk and vegetable curry.

• AVIAL: Mixed vegetables in coconut gravy.