Tamil cuisine

Tamil cuisine is a generic term used to describe culinary practices among Tamil-speaking populations, originating from Southern India and neighboring Sri Lanka. It encompasses several distinct styles of cuisine or cooking repertoires, which can be divided at a basic level into "regular" Tamil cuisine of Southeastern India and Sri Lankan Tamil cuisine. The former is a fundamental part of what is now known as South Indian cuisine, with deep connections to other cooking styles of the southern Deccan. The second is distinct to the Tamil-speaking populations natives to Ceylon, co-formed with other cooking styles unique to Sri Lanka (Sri Lankan cuisine), sharing significant culinary links with Southwestern India and Southeast Asia.
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. Lunch includes rice, sambar, curd, kuzhambu, and rasam.
Saappadu (typical meal), along with other Tamil dishes are served on a banana leaf vaazhai illai, which adds flavor and living with natural products. Coffee and tea are the staple drinks. Payasam, a popular dessert, is usually eaten at the end of the meal.
"Virundhu" refers to the core elements of Tamil cuisine offered to the guests on special occasions such as festivals and marriage ceremony. Rice staples, tomato rice, Paruppu, sambar, rasam, kuzhambu, poriyal and koottu are added with buttermilk or curd to prepare pachadi. Dry and fresh fruits or vegetables are also used to prepare traditional cuisine. They serve 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 the banana leaf with water. It is used as a large dining table sheet to serve food for guests and family members on which the food items are placed. Rice is served on one part of the banana leaf (towards the eater), whereas poriyal, appalam and other items are served on the other part of the leaf.
Types of main dish gravies & curries that is mixed with cooked rice or eaten with Idli, dosa, Vadai, Chapathi, Idiyappam, etc:
1. Kuzhambu (குழம்பு) = any stew that is thick & pourable or slurry in consistency. "Sambar" pronounced as "Saambaar" comes under the Kuzhambu category. Other Kuzhambu types are PuLi kuzhambu, Mor kuzhambu (or Karnataka's ThambuLi-தண்புளி meaning cool/cold sour dish), Poondu kuzhambu, Milagu kuzhambu, Thakkali Kuzhambu, Kongunadu Selavu Kuzhambu (Selavu-செலவு means spices like cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon, blackpepper,etc), 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, peas masala, etc will come under this Kuzhambu category. It can have meat dishes too.
2. Kadaiyal (கடையல்) = any green leaf veggies like spinach, etc with/or lentils 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. This is also thick and pourable consistency. If we need to categorise, this will come under the Kuzhmbu category. Keerai kadaiyal, Pachaipayir kadaiyal, Thattaipayir kadaiyal, etc are some examples. Only green leaf veggies and/or lentils. No meat.
3. Othukkam (ஒதுக்கம்) = dish made from the “Moringa leaves 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 (துவையல்) = a pounded and mashed paste like chutney made with vegetables, lentiles, etc that is of thick or mushy consistency which is then seasoned or tempered. Thuvai-துவை means to pound & mashed and then temper or season. Only vegetables & lentils; it contains no meat. It is also called as 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 will come under this category. This is eaten with rice and also with 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 (சாறு) = சாறு-SaaRu in Tamil language or ரசம்-rasam in Sanskrit language is any spiced soup that is of watery or running consistency. சாறு-SaaRu literally means juice. Madras Mulligatawny, which itself as mispronunciation of மிளகுதண்ணீர் ரசம் (MiLaguthanneer rasam) meaning Blackpepper soup, comes under this Saaru or Rasam category. It can have meat dishes.
6. Thayir (தயிர்) and Mor (மோர்) = Thayir-தயிர் is just simple milk curd and Mor-மோர் is the buttermilk which is made by mixing water & curd with chopped ginger, green chillies, curry leaves & salt.
Types of side dishes that is usually eaten with cooked rice (can also be or eaten with Idli, dosa, Vadai, Chapathi, Idiyappam, etc):
1. Koottu (கூட்டு) = any vegetable(s) or green leafy veggies with Paruppu i.e. lentils made into a stew having slightly thick consistency with spices. Koottu-கூட்டு literally means to combine or add.
2. Poriyal (பொரியல்) = usually it means a dry stir-fried vegetable(s) with spices & grated coconut. The word 'Pori-பொரி' means “to fry (deep or shallow or stir or pan) with oil or any fat”. Because of the sputtering sound that we can hear while frying something, the word "pori" also got a rebused meaning "to sputter". Thus, the “Puffed rice” is called as “Pori-பொரி” & “Popcorn” is called as “ChoLappori-சோளப்பொரி”.
3. Varuval (வறுவல்)= usually it 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 and without any moisture content.
4. Masiyal (மசியல்) = boiled & mashed tubers or root vegetables like potato, yam, sweetpotato,Tapioca or cassava, etc or any vegetables and seasoned or tempered with spices. Masi-மசி means to mash. Maharashtra’s pavbhaji gravy is a Masiyal.
5. Pirattal (பிரட்டல்) = separately cooked vegetable(s) that is tossed with spices on pan or wok. Pirattu-பிரட்டு means 'to toss or to coat or to turn a thing over.
6. Aviyal (அவியல்) = slightly stir fried & then steamed mixed vegetables with spices. Avi-அவி means to steam.
7.Sundal (சுண்டல்) = usually a dry sautéd boiled legumes or pulses with spices & grated coconut. Sundu (சுண்டு) means to dry up, to boil, etc.
8. Thuvattal (துவட்டல்) = usually it means dry pan-fried vegetables until the veggies shrink. ThuvaL-துவள் means to be flexible or pliable, bend or Shrink.
9. Vathakkal (வதக்கல்) = usually a dish in which vegetable(s) is sautéd with spices on pan or wok becomes soft but still retains moisture; has a thick & wet consistency. Vathakku-வதக்கு means dispirited or fatigued.
10. Vanakkal (வணக்கல்) = a sautéd vegetable(s) dish with spices on pan or wok. It can be either dry like Thuvattal (துவட்டல்) or wet like Vathakkal (வதக்கல்). So, it is used as a blanket or umbrella term for both the aforesaid dishes. Vanakku (வணக்கு) means to bend.
11. Vaattal (வாட்டல்) = scorched vegetables or meat in fire. Vaattu-வாட்டு means to scorch.
Other condiments that are eaten with rice or Dosai or Chapathi:
1. Pachchadi (பச்சடி) = in Tamil cuisine, it 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. But, Pachchadi-பச்சடி can also mean a chilli based dish that is slightly cooked (like Mangai pachadi). It has lesser oil.. It is eaten only as a side dish. Its shelf life is one day.
2. Thokku (தொக்கு) = it is a robustly-spiced condiment that normally has one ingredient as the foundation (read: tomatoes, raw mango), which is grated and undergoes a slow-cooking process, until it changes form and deepens in colour. This can be eaten with rice. Thokku-தொக்கு means to pound or grind. It is eaten either as a side dish or eaten mixed with rice. Ex: Mangai Thokku, Maainji Thokku, Thakkali Thokku, etc. It has more oil. Its shelf life is from three days to seven days.
3. Oorukaai (ஊறுகாய்) = It has more oil for preservation. It is called “Pickle” in English & “Achaar” in Hindi. Its shelf life is more than a month; usually six months to twelve months.
Fritters & fried items:
1. Vattral (வற்றல்) = dehydrated or usually sun dried vegetable(s) like Brinjal, cluster beans, Chillies, onion, Tomatoes, etc. In Vattral-வற்றல் there shouldn't be any moisture content. Consumed after deep frying in oil.
2. Vadagam (வடகம்) = it is more or less equivalent to the Marathi “Vadi” dish. It comes under the Vattral-வற்றல் category.
3. Appalam (அப்பளம்) = it is a (sun)dried thin circular shaped item made of lentils like Urad dal or grains like rice. It comes under the Vattral-வற்றல் category. Consumed after deep frying in oil.
4. Vadai (வடை)
5. Bajji (பஜ்ஜி)
6. Bonda (போண்டா)
Each area where Tamils have lived has developed its own distinct variant of the common dishes. The four divisions of ancient Tamilakam prepare their unique Tamil cuisine.
The cuisine of the Chola Nadu region specializes in several dishes such as sevai and other varieties associated with different sauces like chutney. The most common dishes are from Chidambaram. Kumbakonam is famous for its filter coffee. The Thanjavur region is one of the prominent producers of rice-based dishes like puliyodharai, sambar sadham, vegetable rice and podi sadham. Millet dishes like kutharai vali dosai are also prepared. Freshwater fish from the area of Thiruchirapalli are famous for their unique taste.
The Chettinad region and its adjoining areas such as Karaikudi are famous for its typical spicy cuisine also known as chettinad cuisine. Dishes like idiyappam, uthappam, paniyaram as well as meat dishes are common in this region. The Madurai region has its own unique dishes such as Muttaiparotta, Paruthipal, Karidosai, Jasmine Idli, Irameen Kuzhambu and it is the place of origin of the milk dessert Jigarthanda. Non vegetarian dishes from Thirunelveli,Madurai and its adjoining areas are one of the most renowned among the South Indians. The Virudhunagar region is famous for the Coin Parotta. Unlike the traditional way of preparation, Coin Parotta is generally deep fried in oil and served with mutton gravy.
Kongu Nadu cuisine was originally prepared in rural areas. Oputtu, Sandahai and Kola urundai are few among the main dishes. Many dishes in Kongu Nadu are coconut- and onion-based, as the region has an abundant supply of coconut, onions and groundnuts. Thengai paal jaggery, Ulundu Kali, Kachayam, Arisimparupu sadam, Kelvaragu Puttumavu, Arisi Puttumavu, Paniyaram, Kelvaragu Pakoda, Thengai barbi, Kadalai urundai, Ellu urundai and Pori urundai are among other dishes prepared by Tamil people. Most people living in the region usually consume mutton, chicken, freshwater fishes and quail as the region is landlocked. Arisimparupu sadam is a unique dish. Most common oils are sesame and groundnut oil. Coconut oil is used for main cooking and as well as seasoning in certain Kongu Nadu dishes.
The cuisine of this regions shares similarities with Telugu cuisine due to geographic proximity. Hot and spicy vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes are prepared. Idli, dosai, bhajji, koottu, murukku, vada curry and chicken 65 are common dishes in this region.
Curry is from the Tamil word கறி-kaRi which in Sangam literature means to refer to the "Black pepper". But the word கறி (kaRi) seems to be derived from the Tamil verb கற-kaRa meaning "to extort, to milk cows, (fig.) to appropriate another's property". Thus, we can see the Tamil usages of கறி-kaRi in the words "KaayKaRi (vegetables), AattukkaRi (goat meat), KozhikkaRi (chicken meat), etc". In Tamilnadu, they have a special spice blend, that varies from region to region, called "kaRi Masala ThooL (Curry masala powder)" mainly used for non-veg gravies.
Even the Hindi word "Tarkaari" has "kaRi" in it.
Britishers started using this word "Curry" to refer to all "gravy" like dishes using any kind of Spice blend.
Rice is the staple food of most Tamil people. It is generally eaten during lunch and sometimes dinner. Soru (Tamil word for 'rice') is served along with other food items such as sambar, poriyal, rasam, kootu, Keerai and curd.
These are the dry chutney powder varieties to be mixed with cooked plain rice and ghee.