Tamil cuisine facts for kids

Tamil cuisine is a special way of cooking that comes from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and other parts of South Asia, like Sri Lanka. Both vegetarian (food without meat) and non-vegetarian (food with meat) dishes have been popular among Tamil people for a very long time.

People in Tamil Nadu love to eat rice, legumes (like beans and peas), and lentils. Meats are also very popular. Dairy foods and tamarind are often used to give dishes a sour taste.

For special events, traditional Tamil meals are served on fresh banana leaves instead of plates. This is a cool tradition because the leaves add a unique flavor to the food. After the meal, these banana leaves are even used as food for cattle!

A typical breakfast often includes idli (steamed rice cakes) or dosa (thin pancakes) with chutney (a flavorful sauce). For lunch, people usually eat rice with sambar (a lentil and vegetable stew), curd (yogurt), kuzhambu (a type of curry), and rasam (a spicy soup).

What's a Typical Tamil Meal Like?

A regular Tamil meal, called Saappadu, is often served on a banana leaf (vaazhai illai). This leaf isn't just a plate; it actually adds a nice flavor to the food! Sweet puddings like payasam are sometimes eaten first. For drinks, Coffee and tea are the most common.

When guests are invited for special events like festivals or weddings, it's called a "Virundhu." This is a big feast with many delicious Tamil dishes. You'll find rice, tomato rice, Paruppu (lentils), sambar, rasam, kuzhambu, poriyal (stir-fried vegetables), and koottu (a lentil and vegetable dish). These are often served with buttermilk or curd to make pachadi (a side dish).

Fresh or dried fruits and vegetables are also used to make traditional dishes. People serve salt, pickles, vada (savory fritters), payasam, appalam (crispy flatbreads), and aviyal (a mixed vegetable curry). After the meal, a banana and a betel leaf with areca nuts and limestone paste are offered. These are believed to help with digestion. Before eating, people usually clean the banana leaf with a little water. It acts like a big dining mat for everyone to share food.

Different Tastes from Different Regions

Tamil Nadu is a big state, and different areas have their own special versions of common dishes. The four main historical regions of ancient Tamilakam each have unique Tamil cuisines.

Chola Nadu: Rice and Coffee Delights

The Chola Nadu region is known for dishes like Sevai (rice noodles) and different sauces called chutney. The city of Chidambaram has many common dishes. Kumbakonam is famous for its strong filter coffee.

The Thanjavur area is a big producer of rice. So, many dishes here are rice-based, like Puliyodharai (tamarind rice), Sambhar sadam (sambar rice), vegetable rice, and Podi sadam (rice mixed with spice powder). Dishes made from millets, like Kutharai valli dosai, are also popular. The freshwater fish from around Trichy are known for their special taste.

Pandiya Nadu: Spicy and Unique Flavors

The Chettinad region, including areas like Karaikudi, is famous for its very spicy food, known as chettinad cuisine. Dishes like idiyappam (string hoppers), uthappam (thick pancakes), paniyaram (dumplings), and various meat dishes are common here.

The Madurai region has its own special foods, such as Muttaiparotta, Paruthipal, Karidosai, Jasmine Idly, Irameen Kuzhambu, and the sweet milk dessert called Jigarthanda. Non-vegetarian dishes from Chettinad and Madurai are some of the most well-known in South India. The Virudhunagar region is famous for its Coin Parotta, which is usually deep-fried and served with mutton gravy.

Kongu Nadu: Coconut and Rural Goodness

Kongu Nadu cuisine started in the countryside. Some main dishes include Oputtu (a sweet flatbread), Sandahai, and Kola urundai (meatballs). Many dishes in Kongu Nadu use Coconut and Onions because these ingredients are plentiful there.

Other dishes include Thengai paal jaggery (coconut milk and jaggery sweet), Ulundu Kali, Kachayam, Arisimparupu sadam (rice and lentil dish), Kelvaragu Puttumavu (finger millet flour dish), Arisi Puttumavu (rice flour dish), Paniyaram, Kelvaragu Pakoda (finger millet fritters), Thengai barbi (coconut sweet), Kadalai urundai (peanut balls), Ellu urundai (sesame balls), and Pori urundai (puffed rice balls). Since the area is landlocked (no coast), people eat Mutton, Chicken, freshwater fish, and quail. Arisimparupu sadam is a very unique dish here. The most common cooking oils are sesame oil and groundnut oil. Coconut oil is used for main cooking and for seasoning in some Kongu Nadu dishes.

Tondaimandalam: Similar to Neighboring Flavors

The food in the Tondaimandalam region is a bit like Telugu cuisine because it's geographically close to the Telugu-speaking areas. Both spicy vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes are made here. Idli, dosai, bhajji (fritters), koottu, murukku, vada curry, and chicken 65 are common dishes in this region.

Tamil Words You Might Know

• The word "Curry" comes from the Tamil word kari.
• The Tamil phrase milagu thanneer means "pepper soup," or literally "pepper water." This is where the English word mulligatawny comes from.
• "Congee" (a type of rice porridge) comes from the Tamil word kanji.

Popular Tamil Dishes

Idly and Medu Vada (Ulundhu Vadai) with tomato chutney, Sambhar and coconut chutney served on banana leaf

Ven Pongal

Dosai made at home

Idiyappam

Kuzhi Paniyaram

Rice is the main food for most Tamil people. It's usually eaten for lunch and sometimes dinner. Soru (cooked rice) is served with other foods like sambar, poriyal, rasam, kootu, Keerai (greens), and curd.

Breakfast Foods

Main Breakfast Dishes

• Idli is a soft, steamed rice cake made from a fermented batter of rice and black gram. It's often served with different kinds of chutney, sambhar, or vadacurry.
• Dosai is a thin pancake made from a fermented batter of rice and black gram. It's usually eaten with a small amount of sambar or chutney. There are many types, like saada dosai, kal dosai, muttai dosai, and rava dosai.
• Vadai are savory fritters made with different ingredients and served with idlis.
• Pongal is a traditional dish where rice is cooked in a clay pot (matki) with water and milk. The word pongal means "to boil over," referring to how the rice boils over the pot.
• Paniyaram are dumpling-shaped dishes made from dosa batter.
• Appam is a pancake made from a fermented batter of rice and black gram. It usually has thin, crispy edges and a soft center.
• Uthappam is a thicker, fluffier, and softer pancake made from idli/dosai batter.
• Puttu is a steamed, layered, cylindrical cake made from flour or rice.
• Kozhakkattai is a steamed dumpling made with rice flour.
• Sevai or idiyappam are rice noodles, often served as steamed rice cakes.
• Adai is a pancake made from a mix of different lentils. It's rich in fiber and calcium.

Breakfast Side Dishes

• Sambar is a vegetable stew made with lentils, tamarind, and fresh spices.
• Chutney comes in many varieties, including coconut chutney, onion chutney, tomato chutney, coriander chutney, kara chutney, garlic chutney, and puli chutney.
• Vada curry is a popular dish, especially in Chennai.
• Thovaiyal is a wet, ground paste made with various ingredients.

Breakfast Drinks

• Kaapi is the most popular drink. It's made with special coffee beans. Making filter coffee is a tradition! Sometimes chicory is added for a stronger smell. Hot milk with sugar and a little coffee liquid is served in a traditional coffee cup called a tumbler set.
• Koozh, also known as Conjee or rice conjee, is a type of porridge.
• Sharbat is a sweet drink made from fruits or flower petals.
• Paanakam is a drink made from lemon juice or tamarind water, jaggery, dried ginger, and cardamom.

Lunch and Dinner Foods

Main Lunch and Dinner Dishes

• Plain rice is a staple.

Rice Varieties

• Thakkali Soru - Tomato rice or tomato coconut milk rice.
• Sambar Soru - Rice cooked with lentils, vegetables, and tamarind juice.
• Thengai Soru - Coconut rice.
• Milagu Soru - Pepper rice.
• Paruppu Soru - Lentil rice.
• Karuvepillai Soru - Curry leaves rice.
• Thayir Soru - Curd rice (yogurt rice).
• Nei Soru - Ghee rice (clarified butter rice).
• Elumichai soru (lemon rice) - Rice seasoned with onions, tomatoes, curry leaves, red chili, salt, and lemon juice.
• Puli pongal - Tamarind pongal.
• Puliyodarai is a popular Tamil dish made by mixing fried tamarind paste with cooked rice. The paste includes sesame oil, asafoetida, fenugreek powder, chili, groundnuts, chickpeas, black gram, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, turmeric powder, jaggery, and salt.
• Biryani - Different types like mutton, chicken, and vegetable biryani.

Sambar Varieties

Sambar is a flavorful lentil and vegetable stew.

• Ladiesfinger sambar
• Potato, tomato, and carrot sambar
• Mixed Vegetable Sambar
• Drumstick Sambar

Rasam Varieties

Rasam is a spicy, tangy soup.

• Lemon rasam
• Paruppu rasam (tomato rasam)
• Garlic rasam
• Pepper rasam
• Tomato rasam
• Mutton bone rasam

Kuzhambu (Curry) Varieties

Kuzhambu is a type of curry, often thick and tangy.

• Cow pea Brinjal curry
• Mushroom curry
• Oily eggplant spicy curry
• Ladies finger spicy curry
• Garlic tamarind curry
• Pumpkin lentil curry
• Turkey berry, black night shade curry
• Sweet potato curry
• Bitter gourd tamarind curry
• Pepper corns curry

Poriyal/Stir-fry Varieties

Poriyal are stir-fried vegetable dishes.

• Pumpkin fry curry with sesame seeds
• Potato pepper fry
• Drumstick leaves fry
• Stuffed small eggplant oily masala
• Yard long beans fry
• Carrot beans in coconut masala fry
• Chettinad spicy potato fry
• Broad beans coconut fry
• Mushroom pepper fry
• Ladiesfinger fry
• Beetroot coconut fry
• Raw banana fry
• Ridgegourd fry
• Tapioca stir fry
• Snake gourd fry
• Raw papaya fry
• Capsicum pepper fry
• Cauliflower pepper fry

Kootu/Stew Varieties

Kootu is a lentil and vegetable stew, often milder than sambar.

• Plantain flower stew
• Ladiesfinger stew
• Drumstick leaves lentil stew
• Mixed vegetable stew (Kootaviyal)
• Bottle gourd stew
• Plantain stem curd stew
• Spinach lentil garlic stew
• Yellow pumpkin lentil stew
• Chayote squash stew
• Cabbage lentil stew
• Moong bean stew
• Ash gourd curd stew
• Elephant yam stew
• Mixed vegetable stew (Kadamba kootu)
• Drumstick lentil stew
• Brinjal stew
• Pumpkin stew in coconut milk
• Raw pappaya stew
• Raw Jackfruit stew

Chicken Dishes

• Chicken in spicy thick coconut gravy
• Chicken pepper fry
• Chicken 65 (a popular spicy fried chicken appetizer)
• Chicken pakora (chicken fritters)
• Country chicken curry
• Chicken soup
• Chicken dumplings curry
• Madras chicken curry
• Chicken Chettinad (spicy Chettinad style chicken)
• Chicken biryani cooked with Seeraga samba rice
• Ambur chicken biryani
• Thalapakkatti chicken biryani

Mutton Dishes

• Mutton trotters stew (Aatukkal paaya)
• Mutton rib bones soup
• Mutton curry
• Mutton korma in thick coconut gravy
• Mutton bone soup
• Goat Bone marrow masala
• Goat blood fry (Ratha poriyal)
• Mutton pepper fry
• Mutton dumplings curry
• Kongunaad White mutton biryani
• Mutton biryani cooked with Seeraga samba rice
• Ambur Mutton biryani

Seafood Dishes

• Fish in thick coconut tamarind gravy
• Fish in spicy coconut milk gravy
• Fishpittu (Sura puttu)
• Prawn spicy masala
• Spicy prawn pepper fry
• Coconut fish fry
• White bait/anchovies curry
• Spicy deep fried anchovies
• Prawn ghee roast
• Fish biryani
• Prawn biryani
• Fish mango curry
• Spicy Chettinad prawn masala
• Fish curry in ginger and coconut milk
• Spicy salmon fry
• Chettinad fish curry
• Crab curry
• Crab omelette
• Crab soup

Egg Dishes

• Egg masala
• Egg aviyal
• Egg pepper fry
• Chettinad spicy egg curry
• Egg Paniyaram
• Egg poached curry
• Egg Kalakki
• Egg korma
• Egg in thick coconut milk gravy
• Egg in spicy coconut and tamarind gravy

Sweet Dishes

• Rice coconut pudding (Arisi thengai payasam)
• Moong dhal pudding
• Channa dhal pudding
• Puffed rice pudding
• Milk pudding
• Coconut pudding
• Jackfruit pudding
• Mango pudding
• Tapioca sago pudding
• Vermicelli pudding
• Foxtail millet pudding
• Carrot pudding
• Brown rice kheer
• Sweet potato kheer
• Apple kheer
• Coconut bholi (a sweet flatbread)
• Honey comb sweet
• Ginger fudge
• Puffed rice jaggery balls
• Peanut jaggery balls
• Roasted channa dhal sweet balls
• Moong dhal sweet balls
• Rava sweet balls
• Black sesame seeds sweet balls
• Coconut sweet balls
• Sweet somas
• Adhirasam (a traditional sweet donut-like pastry)
• Sweet pongal
• Sugar candy pongal
• Rava Kesari (a sweet semolina dish)
• Pineapple kesari
• Halwa varieties like Thirunelveli halwa, ashoka halwa, wheat halwa.

Traditional Snacks

• Murukku (a crispy, spiral-shaped snack)
• Seedai (small, crispy rice flour balls)
• Bajji (fritters made with vegetables dipped in batter)
• Different types of Mixture (a mix of savory fried snacks)
• Kara Sev (crispy noodle-like snack)
• Pakoda (fritters)
• Bonda (deep-fried savory balls)
• Types of vadai (like ulundhu, Kara, aamai)
• Thattu vadai/nippetu (crispy flat discs)
• Boondhi (small fried gram flour balls)
• Kara pori (spicy puffed rice)

Pickles

Pickles are a common side dish, often tangy and spicy.

• Lemon pickle
• Garlic pickle
• Ginger pickle
• Tomato pickle
• Mango pickle
• Gooseberry pickle
• Green Chili pickle
• Sun dried tomato pickle
• Maavadu (baby mango pickle)
• Mor Milgai (sun-dried big chilies)
• Puli ingi (ginger tamarind pickle)

Podi Varieties/Chutney Powder

These are dry spice powders that are mixed with cooked plain rice and ghee (clarified butter).

• Lentil chutney powder
• Garlic chutney powder
• Idly chutney powder (as a side dish for idli and dosas)
• Curry leaves chutney powder
• Pepper chutney powder
• Sesame seeds chutney powder
• Horse gram chutney powder
• Groundnut chutney powder
• Coriander chutney powder
• Mint chutney powder

Images for kids

• 

  A vegetarian meal in Tamil Nadu