Tamil cuisine facts for kids

Tamil cuisine is a culinary style originating in the southern Indian state Tamil Nadu and other parts of South Asia like Sri Lanka. Both vegetarian cuisine and non-vegetarian cuisine are popular among the Tamil people and have been since ancient times. Meats, along with rice, legumes, and lentils, are also 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.

Typical meals

Saappadu (a typical meal), along with other Tamil dishes are served on a banana leaf (vaazhai illai), which adds flavor. Puddings such as payasam are eaten first. Coffee and tea are the staple drinks.

A vegetarian meal in Tamil Nadu

"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, appalam and aviyal. 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.

Regional cuisine

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.

Chola Nadu

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 and Kumbakonam is famous for its filter coffee. The Thanjavur region is one of the prominent producers of rice-based dishes like Puliyodharai, Sambhar sadam, Vegetable rice and Podi sadam. Millet dishes like Kutharai valli dosai are also prepared. The freshwater fishes from surroundings of Trichy are famous for their unique taste.

Pandiya Nadu

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 Idly, Irameen Kuzhambu and it is the place of origin of the milk dessert Jigarthanda. Non vegetarian dishes from Chettinad and Madurai 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

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 based on Coconut and Onions as there is 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. They consume Mutton, Chicken, Freshwater fishes and Quail due to the area being landlocked. Arisimparupu sadam is a unique dish. Most common oils are sesame and ground nut oil. Coconut oil is used for main cooking and as well as seasoning in certain Kongu Nadu dishes.

Tondaimandalam

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.

Tamil culinary terms in English

• "Curry" comes from the Tamil word kari.
• The Tamil phrase milagu thanneer refers to "pepper soup", literally pepper water or mulligatawny
• "Congee" is derived from the Tamil word kanji.

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 staple food of most Tamil people. It is generally eaten during lunch and sometimes dinner. Soru is served along with other food items such as sambar, poriyal, rasam, kootu, Keerai and curd.

Breakfast dishes

Main dishes

• Idli is a steamed rice-cake prepared with fermented batter or rice and black gram. It is usually served with different kinds of traditional dishes such as chutney, sambhar or vadacurry.
• Dosai is prepared from a fermented batter and black gram with a small quantity of sambar or chutney. Several varieties like saada dosai, kal dosai, muttai dosai, neer dosai, rava dosai and paasi paruppu dosai are prominently available in Tamil Nadu.
• Vadai is based on the ingredients used and served along with idlis.
• Pongal is a traditional cuisine where rice is cooked in a matki with water and milk. The word (pongal) directly translates to the action of boiling over the container due to the starch.
• Paniyaram is a dumpling shaped dish made using dosa batter.
• Appam is prepared with a fermented batter of rice and black gram mixture. Appam generally has thin corners with a soft center.
• Uthappam is a dosa-based dish that is slightly thick, fluffy, and soft. It can be made from regular 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 usually in steamed rice cakes.
• Adai is prepared with a mixtures of lentils. It contains fiber and calcium. It is used as a recipe by the Tamil people.

Side dishes

• Sambar is a lentil-based vegetable stew or chowder made with tamarind, broth and freshly grounded spices.
• Chutney varieties consumed by the people are coconut chutney, onion chutney, tomato chutney, coriander chutney, kara chutney, garlic chutney and puli chutney.
• Vada curry is a classic dish that is also famous among Chennai people.
• Thovaiyal is a wet ground paste that contains several ingredients.

Drinks

• Kaapi is the most popular beverage. Its preparation is generally done with gourmet coffee beans. The preparation of filter coffee is a ritual. Sometimes chicory is added to enhance the aroma. Hot milk with sugar and a small quantity of decoction is then served in a tumbler set, a traditional coffee cup.
• Koozh is also known as Conjee or (rice conjee).
• Sharbat is a drink made from fruits or petal flowers.
• Paanakam is a drink made from lemon juice or tamarind water, jaggery, dried ginger and cardamom.

Lunch and dinner dishes

Main dishes

• Plain rice

Rice varieties

Sambar varieties

Rasam Varieties

Kuzhambu (Curry) varieties

Poriyal/stir-fry varieties

Kootu/stew varieties

Chicken varieties

Mutton varieties

Seafood varieties

Egg varieties

Sweet dishes

Traditional snacks

• Murukku
• Seedai
• Bajji
• varieties of Mixture
• Kara Sev
• Pakoda
• bonda
• types of vadai (ulundhu, Kara, aamai)
• Thattu vadai/nippetu'
• Boondhi
• .Kara pori
• aval pori

Pickles

• Elumichai oorkaai/Lemon pickle
• Poondu oorkaai/Garlic pickle
• Ingi oorkaai/Ginger pickle
• Thakkali oorkaai/Tomato pickle
• Vengaaya oorkaai/Onion pickle
• Mangaai oorkaai/Mango pickle
• Nellikaai oorkaai/Gooseberry pickle
• Naarthangaai oorkaai/Citron pickle
• Carrot oorkaai
• Milagai oorkaai - Green Chilly pickle
• Red Chilli pickle
• Sun dried tomato pickle
• Maavadu
• Mor Milgai/Sun dried big chillies
• Puli ingi/ Ginger tamarind pickle

Podi varieties/chutney powder

These are the dry chutney powder varieties to be mixed with cooked plain rice and ghee.