Village food to taste in Tamilnadu

With upcoming festivals, food cooked in villages all over Tamilnadu is yummy, tasty and perfectly cooked. Generally with a week long holiday, I would travel to villages around Tirunelveli to feel the festival, see culture and taste best vegetarian food. Many times I learn them and try cooking at home (believe me I never had the satisfaction like tasting the food in villages). On a table spreading banana leaf, piping hot food would be served. Forgetting the heat and sultriness around the aroma of food is so mind boggling that as I write so I am unable to contain my thoughts on mouth watering food.

Ulundhu + Kali combo is this dish. Made out of black urad dhal and jaggery is stuffed with Kalimaavu. The whole ingredient is whisked well. Using Thuduppu Kali the dish is cooked. While urad dhal is the variety of this Kali. Jaggery, cardamom powder and if required adding dry fruits this Kali provides an enhanced taste. Also to compensate smell of gingerly oil, jaggery is used. The history of this dish is unknown but it is seen in yercaud and salem. They serve Karupatti ulundhukali than jaggery.

2) KAMBU KOOZH-

Kambu means pearl millet while meaning of Koozh is gruel. A breakfast dish made with one of the ancient herb- Kambu. It is had cold in summer, while all had theough winter it is heated and served with small onions. Chillies dried and added to this gruel is the main highlight of this dish. Butter milk is also added to this beverage making the stomach cool all through summer. Being a bland drink it goes well with spicy pickle or spicy curry. This dish is of two types fermented and unfermented. This beverage is sold and popular all Nagercoil and Yercaud.

3) PALLIPALAYAM CHICKEN

Pallipalayam is a small town of Erode city. Chicken here is boned, cooked on spices. Lot of shallots are added along with coconut. While for garnishing either coriander or curry leaves are used. Normal country chicken is used to cook this dish. Pallipalayam chicken fry is a variety of this dish. It is usually served hot for rice. Against chapati it is a dry dish, cooked chicken dish of Tamilnadu.

4) MAVIZHAKKU-

It is a type of lamp-Diya made out of rice flour and jaggery. One cup of rice flour is blended with 2 cups of jaggery. Either using water or ghee or oil the lump is made. Then a hole is put inbetween where lamp id lit. It is offered to God as a prayer in many places after a spiritual journey this lamp is offered to Lord as a thank you. In many parts of Tamilnadu villages this lamp is seen. Suppose you add ghee, you could light it for an hour or so, chip the lit portion and taste the dish. They are popular in many parts of Nellai.

5) VAZHAI POO VADAI-

Vazhaipoo in English means banana flower. The “kalan ” or “Thirudan” is a stem found inside each flower is removed. Along with urad dhal this flower is soaked and grinded. Then chopped onions, garlic, green chillies are added and made as vadai by frying in oil. They are served with variety chutneys. One of the most healthiest dish which is served piping hot in many parts of Karaikudi town.

6) VETRILAI POONDU SORU

“Soru” in Tamil means food. Betel leaf offers digestion, that too when it is combined with garlic not much worry needs to be done about stomach. There are varieties of betel leaf sold in Tamilnadu. Be any variety chopping and frying to minimum doesn’t bring bitterness. Along with it lot of masalas and herbs are added while the final dish comes with garnished coriander. Being a dry rice dish, it goes well with a gravy dish. Coming under Kongunadu division of food this delicacy is seen more in Tirupur and Coimbatore cities.

7) KANDATHIPPILI RASAM-

Thippili is a variety of pepper which appears long and black or brown in color. They are popularly used to cure stomach aches. When it is added to rasam, it turns into a soup material. They are mostly powdered, boiled added to tamarind water, boiled added to tamarind water, boiled then added to little watery Tuvar dhal and cooked on a rainy day they act as warmers. Seen in more parts of Salem and Kumbakonam it is one of the most popular beverage of Tamilnadu not to be missed sipping.

8) CHIPPI APPAM-

It is a combo of Tamilnadu Kerala dish seen common in the border. Though lot of Kerala spices are used garnishing is done in Tamilnaduu style. Mussel is made into a dumpling and using leaves it is boiled. Then it is roasted, added to jaggery which melts making the dish thick. Then on it is rolled in banana leaf, steamed, cut to pieces and served. This dish is fond more in Nagercoil and Eranial parts of Tamilnadu.

9) PAAL KOZHUKATTAI-

Another sweet dumpling dish made out of coconut milk, that the base is sugary. By adding brown sugar or jaggery this dish is made healthy. A dessert type of dish made out of milk which is soaked and served hot. It was first introduced in Tamilnadu as prasad for Vinayaka Chathurthi which is garnished in different places using different ingredients.

10) NARTHANGAI OORUGAI-

It is a citron fruit with source of vitamin C, out of which salted pickle is made. This citron fruit has a thick skin that, soaking is much needed before usage of the pickle. Many a times berries are added making the pickle all the most bland and salty. Another name of this pickle is vathal. Meaning the citron is dried and used as a pickle. A very salty pickle added to oil where neither it needs to be boiled or roasted by soaked. It is a summer delicacy mostly had with curd rice. This pickle first originated from Kallarakurichi town of Tirunelveli.

Tamilnadu food is a blend of modernity that originates from cities blending with food from villages. Their history starts from Chozha regime which runs until Maratha rule, where lot of dishes were traditionally cooked. Spices like chillies, cinnamon and peppercorn play a major part, while on non veg food lot of pepper, garlic are used. The simplicity used in cooking is used in serving, that too unlimited. So travellers while travelling to villages of Tamilnadu don’t miss out on these fine delicacies of Tamilnadu filled with lot of suvai(taste).