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Tamil cuisine

Culinary traditions of the Tamil people

  • 18 min read
  • 4 chapters

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Through South India, Sri Lanka and Deccan Plateau

Meats, along with rice, legumes, and lentils, are popular. Dairy products and tamarind are used to provide sour flavors. On special occasions, traditional Tamil dishes are served in a traditional manner, using banana leaves in place of utensils. After eating, the banana leaves are then used as a secondary food for cattle. A typical breakfast meal consists of idli or dosa with chutney, while lunch includes rice, sambar, curd, kuzhambu, and rasam.

Typical meals

Virundhu (Tamil: விருந்து) refers to the core elements of Tamil cuisine offered to the guests on special occasions, such as festivals and marriage ceremonies. Rice, paruppu, sambar, rasam, kuzhambu, poriyal and koottu are mixed with buttermilk or curd to prepare pachadi. Dry and fresh fruits or vegetables are also used to prepare traditional cuisine. Meals are typically served with salt, pickles, vada, payasam and appalam. After the meal, a banana and a betel leaf (paan) with areca nuts and limestone paste are served to promote digestion. Before eating traditional cuisine, people clean a banana leaf which is used as a large sheet for serving food. Rice, poriyal, appalam and other items are typically served on the leaf.

Coffee and tea are the staple drinks. Payasam, a common dessert, is usually eaten at the end of the meal.

Some examples of main dishes that are typically mixed with rice include:

1. Kuzhambu (Tamil: குழம்பு) is any stew that is thick, pourable, or slurry-like in consistency. Sambar comes under the kuzhambu category. Other kuzhambu types are puli, mor kuzhambu (or Karnataka's thambuli(தண்புளி), meaning 'cool or cold sour dish', poondu kuzhambu, milagu kuzhambu, Thakkali Kuzhambu, Kongunadu Selavu Kuzhambu (Selavu-செலவு means spices like cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon, and black pepper), Chettinad Mandi (Mandi-மண்டி means 'to sediment'. It uses rice sediment water for thickening in the dish), Kerala Kadalai curry, etc. North Indian gravies like paneer butter Masala, aloo gobhi masala, and peas masala are in this category. It can have meat dishes too.

2. Kadaiyal (Tamil: கடையல்) is any green leaf vegetables like spinach served with lentils that are cooked, churned and made into a semi-puree-like consistency. Kadai-கடை means to churn using kadaikkol (கடைக்கோல்) or Maththu (மத்து) or using electric hand blender. These also have a thick and pourable consistency. Keerai kadaiyal, Pachaipayir kadaiyal, Thattaipayir kadaiyal are some examples. Meat dishes are not in this category.

3. Othukkam (Tamil: ஒதுக்கம்) is a dish made from moringa leaf stock. ஒதுக்கு-Odhukku literally means to discard, set-aside, reserve, etc i.e a broth or stock. Its consistency is slightly slurry in between the Kuzhambu and Rasam.

4. Thuvaiyal (Tamil: துவையல்) is a pounded and mashed paste like chutney made with vegetables, lentils, etc that is of thick or mushy consistency which is then seasoned or tempered. Thuvai-துவை means to mash and then temper or season. Only vegetables and lentils are used; it contains no meat. It is also called Thogaiyal (தொகையல்) in which "Thogai (தொகை)" literally means "collection, flock, combine, etc" this giving a rebussed meaning to make a paste. Coconut chutney, Tomato chutney, Pudina chutney, Paruppu Thuvaiyal, Pirandai Thuvaiyal, etc. also come under this category. This is eaten with rice or other dishes like idli, dosai, appam, Idiyappam, Uthaappam, adai, paniyaram, etc. In Hindi they call it Chutney and in Malayalam they call it Chammanthi.

5. Saaru (Tamil: சாறு) is a spiced soup that is runny or watery in consistency. It translates to juice. Madras Mulligatawny, which itself as mispronunciation of மிளகுதண்ணீர் ரசம் (MiLaguthanneer rasam) meaning Blackpepper soup, comes under this category. Meat dishes can be included here.

6. Thayir (Tamil: தயிர்) is just simple milk curd and Mor (Tamil: மோர்Mor-மோர் is the buttermilk which is made by mixing water and curd with chopped ginger, green chillies, curry leaves and salt.

Types of side dishes that are usually eaten with cooked rice or Idli, dosa, Vadai, Chapathi, Idiyappam, etc):

1. Koottu (Tamil: கூட்டு) is any vegetable or green leafy vegetable with Paruppu, like lentils made into a stew with a slightly thick consistency. Koottu-கூட்டு literally means to combine or add.

2. Poriyal (Tamil: பொரியல்) is usually a dry stir-fried vegetable(s) with spices and grated coconut. The word 'Pori-பொரி' means “to fry with oil or any fat”. Because of the sputtering sound that can be heard while frying something, the word "pori" also started to mean "to sputter". Thus, the “Puffed rice” is called “Pori-பொரி” and “Popcorn” is called “ChoLappori-சோளப்பொரி”.

3. Varuval (Tamil: வறுவல்) usually means dry or oil roasted vegetables or any meat or fish with spices. Varu-வறு means to roast. Also, Vattral-வற்றல் means dried or dehydrated. Usually, for chips like plantain chips, tapioca chips, etc. it is called Varuthathu-வறுத்தது because the end product is dry without any moisture.

4. Masiyal (Tamil: மசியல்) is boiled and mashed tubers or root vegetables like potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, tapioca, cassava, etc. that are seasoned with spices. Masi-மசி means to mash. Maharashtra's pavbhaji gravy is a Masiyal.

5. Pirattal (Tamil: பிரட்டல்) is separately cooked vegetable(s) that are tossed with spices on a pan or wok. Pirattu-பிரட்டு means 'to toss, to coat or to turn a thing over'.

6. Avial (Tamil: அவியல்) are mixed vegetables and spices that are lightly stir fried and then steamed. Avi-அவி means to steam.

7.Sundal (Tamil: சுண்டல்) is usually dry sautéd boiled legumes or pulses with spices and grated coconut. Sundu (சுண்டு) means to dry up, to boil, etc.

8. Thuvattal (Tamil: துவட்டல்) usually means dry pan-fried vegetables. They are fried until they shrink. ThuvaL-துவள் means to be flexible, to bend or to shrink.

9. Vathakkal (Tamil: வதக்கல்) is usually a dish in which vegetable(s) is sautéd with spices on a pan or wok until they become soft. However, they still retains moisture and have a thick and wet consistency. Vathakku-வதக்கு means dispirited or fatigued.

10. Vanakkal (Tamil: வணக்கல்) is a dish with sautéd vegetable(s) mixed with spices on a pan or wok. It can be either dry like Thuvattal (துவட்டல்) or wet like Vathakkal (வதக்கல்). As a result, it is used as a umbrella term for both the aforementioned dishes. Vanakku (வணக்கு) means to bend.

11. Vaattal (Tamil: வாட்டல்) vegetables or meat scorched in fire. Vaattu-வாட்டு means to scorch.

Other condiments that are eaten with rice or Dosai or Chapathi:

1. Pachchadi (Tamil: பச்சடி) usually means a Curd based dish made with freshly grated veggies like carrot, cucumber, chillies, onions, etc. mixed with curd. In Tamil cuisine, it is like the North Indian Raita. Pachadi-பச்சடி means to pound. However, Pachchadi-பச்சடி can also mean a chili based dish that is slightly cooked (like Mangai pachadi). It has less oil and is eaten only as a side dish. Its shelf life is only one day.

2. Thokku (Tamil: தொக்கு) is a robustly-spiced condiment that normally has one ingredient, such as tomatoes or raw mango, as the foundation, which is grated and then undergoes a slow-cooking process until it changes form and deepens in colour. Thokku can be eaten with rice or as a side dish. Thokku-தொக்கு means to pound or grind. For example, Mangai Thokku, Maainji Thokku and Thakkali Thokku fall into this category. It tends to more oil and its shelf life is from three days to seven days.

3. Oorukaai (Tamil: ஊறுகாய்) includes more oil for preservation purposes. It is known as a pickle in English and “Achaar” in Hindi. Its shelf life usually stretches from around six months to twelve months.

Fritters & fried items:

1. Vattral (Tamil: வற்றல்) is dehydrated or usually sun dried vegetable(s) like Brinjal, cluster beans, chillies, onion, tomatoes, etc. In Vattral-வற்றல் there shouldn't be any moisture at all. This is consumed after it is deep fried in oil.

2. Vadagam (Tamil: வடகம்) is more or less equivalent to the Marathi “Vadi” dish. It falls under the Vattral-வற்றல் category.

3. Appalam (Tamil: அப்பளம்) = it is a sundried thin circular shaped food made of lentils like Urad dal or grains like rice. It comes under the Vattral-வற்றல் category. This is also consumed after deep frying in oil.

4. Vadai (Tamil: வடை)

5. Bajji (Tamil: பஜ்ஜி)

6. Bonda (Tamil: போண்டா)

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