A Palette of Food

The warm, vibrant colours of Tamil Nadu are reflected in its food. But the food has to be served on a banana leaf and eaten by hand- that’s the best way to savour each morsel and each mouthful. Licking each finger at the end of a meal is a must- it’s like giving closure to the repast.

We were on a trip through Tamil Nadu- following the trail of the Chola kings, to visit places where their empire had flourished, to gaze in awe at the temples they had constructed, the artifacts they had brought back as souvenirs of battles won; and to be served a slice of their history in the form of temple inscriptions detailing their lives and their rule.

During this very enriching trip, we were also served varieties of regional dishes, all of which were bursting with complex flavours and were a feast to the senses. Some meals were a visual treat- the only sounds being the ‘Mmmms’ and ‘Yummms’ to the accompaniment of crunching ‘papads’

Not being familiar with Tamil, I am unable to remember the names of most of the dishes that I devoured with much relish. Apart from the usual idli/wada/dosa/sambaar/rasam/rice. I did take a picture of one menu-also in Tamil- but it was more as a souvenir than any practical purpose.

The best meal that we had was in a heritage resort near the village of Chidambaram.

This doesn’t look like much but there are 8 items on the leaf- each one having its own distinct colour, taste and texture. The taste-buds are kept busy- there’s something for all of them: sour, tangy, spicy, sweet, soft, crunchy, cool…all complementing each other. To leave anything uneaten would be an injustice to the food!

A walk through the paddy fields of another village was just as pleasing to the senses- the vivid colours, the cooling breeze and the rustling sounds it made as it ruffled the paddy stalks, making them bend and sway in waves of golden yellow. There was a group of village women sitting next to field, taking a break and beaming at us as we took their pictures.

After three days of vegetarian food we were ready to sink our teeth into some juicy proteins! No, South Indian cuisine isn’t just vegetarian/vegan fare. I sampled some of the most lip-smacking Chettinad Chicken, Kheema Dosa and chicken/mutton biryanis ever! Some of these were served to us at small, simple looking eateries- on a banana leaf, of course. The aroma, the depth of taste, the feel of each grain of rice as it soaked up the gravy and very obligingly joined up with others to form a compact, delicious mouthful… it was a gustatory delight.

To conclude:

1. Good food tastes even better in good company
2. Both are essentials for any trip.
3. Tamil Nadu has the BEST sambaar (and may the wrath of the other south Indian states not fall upon me)
4. The biryani here was better than Hyderabadi biryani… or maybe just as good…or maybe both are equally good in their own unique ways….Hmm. Food for thought!