January 26, 2009

Chettinadu Cuisine: Kara Kozhambu, Pirattal, Adai, Semia Payasam, Coriander chutney

My heartfelt thanks to all of you who wished and blessed Trisha last week. I did convey all of them to her, which kept her smiling the whole week. With those sackful of blessings, I am sure she can achieve anything she wants in life! In fact, she is so excited that she wants to bypass half year of high school and go straight to Chapel Hill right now and she is already listing the dishes she wants me to bring to her when she is in college!! ;D

Now, on to the serious business of "Regional Cuisine of India" event! RCI is conceived by LakshmiK of "Veggie cuisine", where we get to cook and appreciate the the regional cuisine and culture of India. This month Srimathi of "Few minute wonders" blog is guest hosting "RCI" with "Chettinadu vegetarian cuisine". Thanks for taking time to host, Srimathi, enjoy!

About Chettinadu:
(Info is from WIKIPEDIA)
"Chettinad cuisine is the cuisine of the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu state in South India. Chettinad is one of the driest regions of south India. The Chettiar community, who are a majority in this region are a very successful trading community. Chettinad cuisine is one of the spiciest and the most aromatic in India. Chettinad cuisine is famous for its use of a variety of spices used in preparing mainly non-vegetarian food. The dishes are hot and pungent with fresh ground masalas, and topped with a boiled egg that is usually considered essential part of a meal. They also use a variety of sun dried meats and salted vegetables, reflecting the dry environment of the region. The meat is restricted to fish, prawn, lobster, crab, chicken and mutton. Chettiars do not eat beef and pork.
Most of the dishes are eaten with rice and rice based accompaniments such as dosais, appams, idiyappams, adais and idlis. The Chettinad people through their mercantile contacts with Burma, learnt to prepare a type of rice pudding made with sticky red rice. Chettinad cuisine offers a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.
In Chettinad food, the most important spices are marathi mokku (dried flower pods), anasipoo (star aniseed) and kalpasi (known as Dagad Phool). In addition, tamarind, whole red chillies and saunf (Fennel seeds) are also used along with cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, peppercorn, cumin seeds and fenugreek".

My Chettinadu Thali;
Murungakkai Kara Kozhambu, Palakkai/Varukkai Pirattal, Mixed dal Adai, Semia Payasam, Turmeric rice, Coriander leaves chutney, Mango Pickle and appalam:


Murungakkai/Murungai Kara Kozhambu:
Drumsticks or Nuggekayi as we call it, is one of my favorite vegetables. I only get frozen ones here, I used those along with some Pearl onions . Loved the Kara Kozhambu, a simple but tasty Sambhar. Here is how I made it.

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil+ghee in a pressure cooker, add 1 cup peeled Pearl onions, fry until reddish and take them out onto a plate.
2. To the same oil, add pinch of hing, 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds, 1 dry red chilli, few curry leaves, 1 tbsp Peanuts, 1 tbsp chana dal, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 small onion, chopped finely. Fry until they soften, add 3 garlic, chopped, stir fry for few seconds.
3. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp red chilli pd, 1/2 tsp tamarind paste, 1/2 cup Tomato sauce, cook for a minute.
4. Add 1 tbsp coriander seeds pd, 1 tsp Sambhar pd (optional), 1/2 tsp Peppercorns crushed( or as much as you want) , 2 cups water, 2 cups of 3" pieces cut Drumsticks, enough salt, mix well.
5. Close the lid and pressure cook on low heat for 20 mins. Open the lid after pressure releases, add Pearl onions, cilantro, adjust the spices to taste. Simmer for 5 mins and serve.

Palakkai/Varukkai Pirattal:
Raw Jackfruit!! YAY!! I made a spicy Pirattal/Perattal with another favorite vegetable of mine but I get only the canned ones. This is a stir fry with typical chettinad spices like Fennel seeds, cloves and peppercorns. It makes a delicious side dish to serve with rice or Adais.

1. Heat 2 tsp oil, add 1 tsp mustard seeds, few curry leaves, 1 red chilli, add 1 small onion, chopped, stir fry until reddish.
2. Add 1 or 2 cans of drained and chopped raw Jackfuit pieces, fry for 2 minutes. Canned raw Jackfruit is already soft, so you don't have to cook too much.
3. Add ground spices, pinch of turmeric, enough salt and stir fry for 2 minutes. Mix 1/4 tsp tamarind mixed with 4 tbsp water, add to Pirattal and stir until it's almost dry. You can add more water if you need it.
4. Serve along with Adai or rice or both.
Spices to grind: Don't have to roast these.
3 tbsp dry dessicated coconut, 1 tbsp yellow roasted Chana (Hurigadale, Daliya, Pottukadali, chutney dal) 1 tsp Fennel seeds, 1/2" Cinnamon sticks (Dalchini), 1 clove, 1/2 tsp peppercorns,1 tsp cumin seeds. Grind these powder to use in Pirattal.

Mixed dal Adai:
Adais are instant dosas without the hassle of fermenting etc. Adding mixed dal and brown rice makes it a healthy and quick meal. Here is my version.

1. Soak 1/4 cup each of Tuar dal, Chana dal, Moong dal, Urad dal, 1/2 cup Brown rice for 2 hrs and drain the water.
2. Grind all of these with enough water and 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 red dry chillies, salt to make a batter until smooth.
3. Heat a dosa Tava or electric griddle, pour a ladleful of batter and spread to a circle. Cook until the bottom is golden, flip and cook other side.
Serve this with Pirattal or Coriander leaves (Cilantro) chutney.

Cilantro chutney: Grind a bunch of cilantro with few green chillies, 1/4 cup fresh coconut, 2 tbsp Daliya/yellow roasted chana, 1/4 tsp tamarind paste, salt, 1/2" ginger, salt and with very little water to a smooth paste. Season with oil, mustard seeds, few curry leaves and mix with chutney.

Semia Payasam:

Of course, every Indian knows this sweet in one way or another. I used Chinese Rice Vermicelli or Rice Semia or akki Shavige in this dessert. Since rice Semia is delicate, you don't need to roast this in ghee before. here is how I made it.

1. In a non-stick pan, add 1 tbsp ghee or butter, add 1 tbsp each of Cashews, raisins, Almond slivers, fry until golden, take them out on to a plate.
2. To the same pan, add 3 cups of 2% milk, 1/2 cup brown sugar or jaggery (how much sugar to add is up to you, I always add less), bring it to boil, cook until it reduces a bit. Turn down the heat and add 1 cup Rice Vermicelli, mix and simmer.
3. Let it simmer gently, until Semia is well cooked and plump, then add 1/2 tsp of Cardamom powder to it and turn off the heat.
4. To serve, top Semia payasam with fried nuts and raisins. You can serve this cold or warm or at room temperature.

Mythreyee of "Paajaka" blog is hosting a "Sweet series: Rice/Wheat sweets/Diabetic friendly" event. My relatively low fat Semia Payasam goes to her event. Thanks for hosting, Myth. Enjoy the sweet! :)


That's the end of my Chettinadu thali, which we thoroughly enjoyed with some tasty Mango pickle and toasted Papad/Appalam! :)

Another look of Chettinad Thali:


***********************************************************************************************************************
Here is a small list of what I tried from others so far, click to make it large.
Madras Onion Sambhar, from Kalpana.
Spicy Chicken curry, from Srilekha.
Tomatillo Kootu, from Mahimaa.
Udupi Dhania Sambhar, from Paru.
Fluffy Idlis, from DK.
Beets- Chana dal stir fry, from Priya.
Thanks for posting all these, girls!
:)

Awards:
Last week, Sandhya gave me a "You have my heart" award, thank you so much, Sandhya.
Vibaas, Malar Gandhi, Lakshmi G, Pavithra, Meera and Ann gave me "Lemonade appreciation" as well. (I have posted the photos in my sidebar).
It always gladdens my heart to think that you all care so much about me even though I disappeared for almost 5 mnts from blogging! Now, I am passing both of these awards to all my blog friends who come here every week since I can't choose a few out of so many. Please go ahead, take them and enjoy. Hugs to all of you! :))

Movie:
I don't know how many of you have watched the movie called "300", about a war between 300 Greek Spartan warriors and Persians. If you have watched "300" , then you must watch the spoof of the same movie called "Meet the Spartans"!!
OMG!! I have never laughed so much in my life!! It's hilarious. All I am going to say is it involves fake Sanjaya, Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears too!! ;D


Book I read:
"The Reader" by the author Bernhard Schlink.
Kate Winslet recently won a Golden Globe award for the movie made based on this book and also nominated for Oscar as well. Interesting book; story about post World War II, long lasting relationship betn a couple with a tragic end. Book is sensual, full of suspense and very readable.

Have a wonderful Super Bowl Sunday, may the best team win! :)

135 comments:

Anonymous said...

wowww...i ate everything with my eyes! :) awesome thali! your family is really lucky to eat the delicious food you make! yum yummm!

Dershana said...

hi asha, that's a lovely spread! hey, i've something for the chettinad event too. i love the kaara kozhambu especially!

Meeta K. Wolff said...

what a spread! i am dying to see that film with kate winslet!

Chitra said...

Love ur chettinad cuisine:)Some of the dishes are new to me.Want to taste everything now:)Lovely posting!!

Namrata Kini said...

Another delicious spread from you. How do you manage to make such an elaborate meal. Its a feast for the eyes.

KonkaniBlogger said...

Lovely spread Asha!! Loved the jackfruit dish in particular. I am a big fan of adai these days, quick and nutritious, isn't it ? I used sprouted green moong instead of moong dal last time. I must watch Meet the Spartans, thanx for the feedback on it.

Pavani said...

That is a big plateful of Chettinad food. Everything looks yum. Especially the sambar.. will try that one. Quick question: Do I need to put the whistle or cook without it? Thanks Asha..

Purnima said...

Ooh the thaali looks delicious, n the thaali is shining bright! :D Hey loved ur drumstick easy kozhambu, wd make it soon, n now going for adai prep. rightaway..(did u try the fridge soak method for urad?) Asha, loved ur TFO (tried frm others) collage! What a lovely tempting godshey!My fave, semiya and sago..ummmmm..drooling!Rushing to soak, b4 my tiny brain 4gets the dals! Tks for all recipes! Wd post feedback soon!

Mishmash ! said...

I used to go to a chettnadu restaurant in chennai and order their spicy peppery fish fry and some plain rice whenever I had an overdose of mixed rice at the hostel....and they were always nice to bring me a small bowl of rasam too....and it was so comforting to have that simple meal.....i preferred that compared to the generally rich and spiced up chettinadu dishes....u just brought back lots of memories...nice thali meals :)

FewMinute Wonders said...

Thanks Asha for sending in your entry. What a spread. It inspires me to make something of this kind. Good job.

Meera said...

I kept thinking about Chettinadu veggie cuisine. Kept on flipping my notebook and all the recipes are non-veg. I didn't check wiki, which I should have!! I had this nagging doubt if chettiar cuisine same as chettinad as i had a friend with last name chettiyar.thanks to u, now I know what to cook. Thinking of making delicious eggplant dish that she used to bring, if only i can find the recipe...:-D

I just loved your delicious spread, Asha. Your posts are always full of information. Thanks so much.

Finla said...

Wow that is what i call a whole chettinad meal.
This cusine is new to me also.
Wish i had that whole variety of food to eat.
The curry with drumstick looks so deliicous. If i had drumstick i would have made them fast. Will have to wait till Hans go to London next time.
I am sure Trish is going to be famous in her dormitory with her moms dishes she takes :-)

Deepa Hari said...

Thats a nice spread Asha.

Kannada Cuisine said...

Ooooooooo... What a spread!! lucky must be the folks who got to eat it finally!!!

Divya Kudua said...

Lovely chettinad thali..I read an article on chettinad food which actually surprised me-Originally chettiars were pure vegetarians,the men of the house went outside the state for trading purposes and started eating non-veg food.After coming back they wanted to have non-veg but with their kind of preparation,thus the aachis(chettinad women folk)came up with the amazing non-veg chettinad cuisine.

While dining out at chettinad joints,I really have trouble having veg dishes-first of all they have a teeny weeny veg menu and even the veg curries taste straight out of a non-veg dish!!I once had idiyappam and sugar!!

Love all the dishes you have posted and am gonna try that karakozhambu..luckily the prices of drumstick have come down..they were 110rs a kilo!!

Sia said...

~drool~
that's the first thing i seem to do quite often these days whenever i visit food blogs. but i must say it's kind of hiked up when i saw that chettinad veg thali of urs. i loved that recipe which uses jackfruit seeds. and i have got one big bag of it tucked in freezer.

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha,
the thali looks colourful and delicious.

shalini

Cham said...

I am a person who love Chettinadu dish, Where ever I see Karaikudi Cuisine I am in :) For the fresh masala and spicy gravy I just die for...
Lovely Karai Kuzhambu,and the thali makes me to self invite to ur home! Yum, yum,

notyet100 said...

hve tried chettinad chicken,..still to try veg dishes,..everythin looks temptin,..:-)

FH said...

Pavani, since Drumsticks are little hard to cook, I do put the weight on the pressure cooker and cook on very gentle heat for 1 or 2 whistles. Too much cooking on high heat will make the drumsticks too mushy!:)

Purnima, I haven't made the Urad dal vades again. Next time I make them, I will remember to chill it for sure and chill the blender bowl too! :))

Pavani said...

Thanks for the quick reply Asha.. Have a great day.

Paru ... said...

The (CCC)Chettinad colorful combo Thali :)looks mouth watering..the color, the variety and the combination looks amazing..

Also, glad you tried the udupi sambhar, hope you liked it..

FH said...

Paru, even Arvind commented that your Udupi sambhar was so tasty. I had made some Idlis to serve with that. Thanks for posting! :))

Margie said...

Oh, it all looks so yummy, Asha!
You are such a good cook...lucky family!
I'm so glad you share all your amazing recipes here...thank you, Asha!

Margie

Anonymous said...

Need to change "Currently reading....." link. It is ideal to have teh archive of the books you are reading. because all of them are very good. This may help your kid too. as you are visioning this site is dedicated for your kid.

bee said...

you ate everything on that plate? i'm impressed. i'd be full with one adai!!!!

FH said...

LOL!! Bee, it's humanly impossible to eat all that in one go alone unless I am a vegetarian wrestler or something but thali looks good, doesn't it? HeHe!!

DK said...

*drool* *drool* *drool * ok..going back to drool some more!

DK said...

ok I am back now having successfully made myself hungry! Thank you!

As for your question Asha for the grinder - mine is not premier Asha - I just used the pic to show the wet grinder to ppl who are not aware of it. Mine is Sowbagya table top grinder. I bought it along with me when I came from India about 3 yrs ago - it has served me well.

Ashwini said...

Wow.. Delicious..Love thalis..Though can't finish it..With all the varieties to eat..it is mouthwatering..
Have to watch both movies. Thanks for the review..

FH said...

HeHe! DK, did you see your Idlis there in the collage, I made the batter with Poha, it was good.
Sowbhagya? I guess I will never get that brand here but they do have Premier brand grinders. There are so many of them, I can't decide. I do want one though, very soon! :)

Cham said...

Karaikudi is biggest city in Sivagangai district known as capital of Chettinad. Usually all restaurants in TN name Karaikudi(chettinad)cuisine - (kara means in Tamil Spicy but chettinadu people claim Karai (karaikudu kuzhambu :) I am gonna check ur dhal I will be posting soon my RCI...

Manju said...

wow!! that is one wonderful spread!! i am soo in the mood for some kara kozhambu right now!

Mallika said...

Loving the adai recipe. Trisha is one lucky girl. You'll have to make her tiffin dabbas that she can freeze! Enjoy Superbowl. Sounds like you have another feast planned for that too!

Sandhya said...

Now that is some Thali!

AnuSriram said...

Thats a lovely thali... Wish i could have all that.. Classy pictures... Congrats on your award!

Smita said...

Awesome Asha!!!I am a big fan of kara kozumba....Will definitely try out your recipe......When are you going to make something from my blog??:D:D Awaiting that day eagerly....:)

FH said...

Mallika, already bought Indian style steel Tiffin carrier for her, will be hauling that in August! HeHe!!

Smitha, I will! I will!! Let me get over the Super Bowl Sunday first and then I will go thru' your whole blog! :D

ChrisB said...

Some lovely looking dishes you have served up this week.

sunita said...

Dear Asha, yet again, you've cooked up quite a spread :-)

A_and_N said...

Gosh! I wish I could cook half as much as you cook in a week!

Delicious! I wanted to try Chettinad veg food after Nag's Chettinad mushrooms. This is a great start to the next week :D

deepsat said...

looks lovely and delicious as ever!!

have a good one asha!!

;-))

Varsha Vipins said...

My..my..what a delightful spread..U r awesome Asha..:)..I luv that raw jackfruit dish..actually I am so fond of jackfruit seeds..But I dont get it here..:(
I am longing to watch that Winslet movie..:)

Vibaas said...

Asha, awesome spread. palakkai pirattal is something that i've never heard of and it sounds very interesting. i've to look for palakkai now :)

amna said...

the thaali looks awesome :) i love chettinad food!

Anonymous said...

Dear Asha,

I am so impressed with your thali. It looks awesome. Just to let you in a secret, your pirattal looks like the authentic one. How do I know? I hail from the famous Chettinad region.We do not use tamarind though & if you want you can also add potatoes to the palakkai & it will be very tasty. You can try mixed veggies pirattal with the ground masala. It is simply yummy. Loved your enthu in creating an awesome spread.

Love,
Kate.

So So Simple said...

Hi ASha

I marvel at your exotic food.It's like taking a trip abroad to the East when I read your blog. Thanks for sharing with us.

Mahimaa's kitchen said...

my goodness, wonder how you come with such lovely array of dishes every time.. posting 1 recipe itself is a huge task for me :) and hey, i am so glad your tried tomatillo kootu. you made my day!

Uj said...

wow.. that looks like a great spread... Chettinad cuisine is spicy Is it not? Looks yummy.. Missing jackfruit even more :(

Dalicia said...

the superbowl...what will u be making? :)

TBC said...

Chettinad cuisine is one cuisine I have never tasted.

I want to see The Reader. I like Kate Winslet's work in most of her movies. Watched Slumdog Millionaire... have mixed feelings about it.

Lakshmi said...

ahaa...neevu namage heege virtual treat kottagella 2-3 dina niddi barlla ri ..oota nenastha :P Such a good spread Ashakka. Trust all of you feasted on it!

Ramya's Mane Adige said...

wow!!! delicious spread.... for some reason, I thought chettinad cuisine had something to do w/ Andhra!!! :P ignorant, i know!!!! loved the pirattal....
btw, have made a note of the "300" spoof. Naveen enjoys all spoof movies, big time... Will let him know!! :)

Raks said...

You always make a complete meal for RCI! Chettinad cuisine I too like so much! Every thing looks great asha!

Raaga said...

I loved karakuzhambu when they served it at hostel... the only dish I probably licked my fingers for :)

the entire spread looks great :)

Sig said...

Yum, yum, yum... Chettinadu is my favorite cuisine, well the non-veg stuff mainly, but I love kara kuzhambu also! Next time do a Chettinadu non-veg thali please... :)

Keshi said...

**The dishes are hot and pungent with fresh ground masalas, and topped with a boiled egg that is usually considered essential part of a meal

Im drooling on my office desk!!!!

Dun do this to me Asha. LOL!


Keshi.

sra said...

I just decided recently that adai is not for me - I've tried it at various places and it's always been rough and raw-tasting - I don't mind the roughness but the raw daal taste ...
LOL @ "vegetarian wrestler" in answer to Bee!

Jaishree Iyer said...

Another delicious spread from you. The thali looks colourful and delicious. Loved the jackfruit dish in particular. Love ur chettinad cuisine.Everything looks tempting:)

Navita (Gupta) Hakim said...

love the thali n all tht info...sure gonna try it!

Priya Suresh said...

Wow wat a spread Asha...am just drooling over the thali, wat a lovely dishes, am just drooling over them...also thanks for trying my beets stir fry, am honoured..i love always chettinad cuisine, my fav always:)

Premyscakes said...

Wow, it a great feast to my eyes, and i can imagine that how it would have been tasted too. Felt like having it for my lunch.
Cheers.

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Tell Trisha to stay home as long as she can, though I'm sure she'll love whatever food parcels you give to her.

Great to read all your research on the Chettinadu cuisine. It all looks yummy!

Sampoorna said...

Hi Asha,
Thank you for dropping by and leaving your comment on my blog..........I'm looking forward to more visits from you and your friends...........
See you around.........

SMN said...

Ashakka im coming down mouthwatering :)

Anonymous said...

Hi , Asha, feast for the eye once again !! You can n't even guess how elated I felt to see your comment on my blog and know for sure that u have returned from your long break ! You will always remain my first blog-friend and my first inspiration for blogging ! Sorry, I could not know when exactly u came back - although I visited your blog a few times during your extended breaks . How I love your amazing-looking, very inviting recipes !!

This post also made me say Wow ! We , too, have some similar dishes - i will try out these versions. And I would also invite you to try out a few dishes from my blog ( not very many I have posted , though )and tell me how they are - especially the oil-less lemon chicken ( I assure, it is not risky, ha, ha). A comment from you - good or bad, but genuine - would be so..o.. uplifting !!

Anonymous said...

hey, Asha, I could not access your "life as it happens" blog - it says it only allows "invited" bloggers ! Pl invite me. I love it.

Purnima said...

Asha, we three (my son being fussy) loved the adai..simple no-ferment n quick ..it was golden brown n taste lent by dal mix was too good! Iron that was provided by brwn rice..not to b missed! ( I just had a successful experiment wt idli batter which didnt ferment..added half packet of eno fruit salt to 3 cups batter, idea frm dhokla batter..n got fluffy n spongy idlis! My 4 yr old daughter too loved it.. she made a brkfast b4 school n a lunch after school of it! :D Evening menu..idli fry! ):D Now reading jack dish..n other dishes..:D

Bong Mom said...

Lovely Thali as usual, what about Chettinad Chicken, have had it at restaurants

Chibog in Chief said...

i love indian food! too bad its too hard to find a good resturant in the place i live. good thing though i have your blog to make me salivate!!LOL

Daily Meals said...

Awesome thali Asha! Want to try making adai...enjoy your awards:)

FH said...

Kate, recipe didn't ask me to add Tamarind indeed but I thought how can I not add some acidity to it since it's spicy and added Tamarind!! :D

Sig, I will make a Chettinad non-veg post someday, I promise! :))

Dalicia, mainly Taquitos, spicy Baffalo wings, Chilli cheese fondue with bread cubes, soft drinks for kids and Beer!! Hahaha!! Can't wait!!

EC said...

Excellent spread...as always u cook an elaborate meal for each RCI..next month is my turn with RCI-Haryana...will announce it shortly

Lisa Johnson said...

Congratulations to Trisha! I'm behind in my blog reading. : )Imagine all the food her friends are going to request from you when they find out that you're a food blogger!

Anonymous said...

Hi there!,

Looks like your attention is needed for "Currently reading....." section. Link may be incorrect dear.

Anon.

kamala said...

Held up yesterday with some work..Just open ur site..Wow what a spread...Before my marriage I got a chance to attend my chettiar friend's brother marriage..Lot of dishes in a big banana leaf...U know I was a poor eater that time and moreover with that teenage....We hardly eat that time..Ur post remembers me those memories..Missed the food..Kara kuzhambu is grt!!!

FH said...

Anon, just checked. Link is working and is connected to WIKIPEDIA for reference.

Hi Kamala, take your time. We do get busy with kids and all! :))

Unknown said...

Like everyone else Iam drooling too..Very new to Chettinadu cuisine, looks like typical south indian thali.
You are so quick to comment and made me smile with jelly bean comment.

Anonymous said...

He he,

I refering to sidebar dear.

It says "My life in France-Julia Child " I think you are currently reading "The Reader".

Looks to be you are to very occupied :).

anon.

FH said...

Madhu, just sat down to check the posts and your's popped out! They do look like pretty red Jelly beans, don't they? Gorgeous! :D

Archy said...

Wonderful Chettinadu tali Asha.. Very well spread of veg dishes, Feast for my eyes :) !!

FH said...

Anon, I posted that book about 6 mnts ago and forgot to take it out, thanks for telling me! :D
I am done reading The Reader anyway, new book now!
Yes! I am a bit frazzled these days, too much to do outside and inside the home, busy busy.

Priya said...

Welcome back Asha:) You are tmepting with all delicacies... I always love kara kolambu and during winter its nice with sour and spicy.

Shionge said...

So many varieties there I think it's gonna take me a week to finish them heheheh...

Thank you for your visit to my blog Asha...:D

Laavanya said...

How on earth did I miss this fabulous post??! Everything looks so delicious Asha.. esp. the kara kozhambu has me salivating - nice bright colour.

I remember the big list I made (that i updated everytime a craving struck me) during my 1st semester of University and took home during the holidays for my mom to whip up... :)

Anonymous said...

oh, yum Asha!! Everything looks wonderful but you *know* my fav is the drumsticks sambhar... and that jackfruit pirattal is easy too since I always have a can of jackfruit around ;)

So happy that T is excited for school... m signed up for SAT prep course after telling me she wanted to contribute to the cost, can you imagine!

Will be cooking up something Chettinadu myself, tonight or tomorrow, see you soon! :)

Prajusha said...

ahsa,
Thali looks wondeful.love chettinad dishes..
thnks
prajusha
www.icookipost.com

Sujatha said...

thats a wonderful array of chettinad cuisine! Just a few weeks before, I had a blast of chettinad dishes in India.. especially non-veg.. Love their rasam too.. your thali is looking super delicious!

jayasree said...

What a lovely spread. Appreciate your efforts to cook a complete thaali. Even I prepared a gravy with jackfruit of RCI. Hope to post it before the deadline

Rajitha said...

hey Asha...how have you been? Have not read any posts yet...but i figure out that ur kiddo is off to college!! You must be so proud of her...yet i guess getting all choked up. I do understand the reason she gave her 'list of food' tho...mom's cooking is always the best :). That chettinad thali looks delicious btw.

indosungod said...

Asha, my comment got eaten up :( I was here drooling over the fabulous thali as soon as you posted. The drumstick kara kozhambu is something that I have to try right away ( I have to get some drumsticks) The adai is also a favorite, DD loves it even though it causes ahem "gas" according to her.

FH said...

Hi Rajitha, how are you? Good to see you here after a long time! :))

Indo, I thought so too, happens sometimes with Google, that's okay. Adai trouble for D, oh dear! Must be the raw dals! :)

Recipeswap said...

Asha so nice to here from you after such a long time.Last month I wanted to drop a msg wishing you for you anniversary but I was in Jakarta with my sister and didnt really get the time.So happy for your daughter and you guys.Lovely platter!

Mojo said...

I'm not as familiar with South Indian cuisine as that of the north, but after this I may have to remedy that very soon!

FH said...

Mojo, experiment with North Indian food first and then slowly hop into South Indian dishes, which are spicier and complex combination of spices with very different taste and flavors than that of North Indian dishes. Once you try and taste the easy Southern Indian dish like a simple Sambhar, you will love these! :)

Deepthi Shankar said...

man, you have the patience to dish out an entire thali .. I havent tried chettinad cuisine except for Biryani, looking out for the recipe

Smita said...

Thanks Asha!!! Looking forward to seeing pictures of my recipes on your blog:D:D...

anudivya said...

Congrats on the award...
Chettinad cuisine is my favorite cuisine among all South Indian ones, and sadly I don't make it that much at home... I would love to though.

So from now on I need to check both the blogs, right?

I just finished reading "The Reader" too... I kind of liked it, but wished there was a different ending :(
Am yet to see the movie.

Malar Gandhi said...

What a feast to my eyes...very inviting dear...

FH said...

Smitha, in 2 weeks, you will see it girl! :)

Anu, I post here once a week on every Wednesday without a fail until I am tired of blogging and go away forever or on a blog break! :D
Yeah, I felt sad too in the end of "The Reader", didn't expect the tragedy at all!!

Mandira said...

wow what a feast! I am so glad that you are blogging again Asha!

DK said...

I finally figured out your India confusion - Just happened to hop over to divya's blog of 'Dil se' and saw ur comment thr...U did a whoopsy doopsy there! hehehehe! This is what happens when you selfishly enjoy this chettinadu thali without calling the poor me :( :( My "aroma' smelling nostrils cursed you - u know! I am good at all that Mallu tantric --boom shoom kaboom....:) :) :)

Ok ok before you ask Mr.A to take a good look at my tongue for good health lemme shoo myself away ;)

hugs

DK said...

Hey this is amazing...

I commented and went back to check you have commented in my space! hehehe - how cool are we ;)

FH said...

I know, DK! I was about to log off and thought I will check comments and then be off. Here you are babbling about stuff again. Yeah, sending A around ASAP! ;D
You know, DV mailed me about that and said "hey, I think you got confused betn DK and me", and I said "oops" and apologized quickly! HeHe. There are 4 Divyas and 4 Smithas and 3 Meera's around, don't blame me! :P

Hugs to you too, have a great weekend, see you next week! :)

Nithya Praveen said...

Wow Asha, this is a treat to the eyes.. amazing spread:-) Looks wonderful.Did u like 300? i found it to be too gory and walked out in between the movie.

veggie belly said...

Thats a great looking spread! Youve hit very close to home for me :)

FH said...

Nithya, 300 is part of Greek history which I wasn't familiar with before until I saw this movie and most likely war was gory in realty too. I liked it although showing Parsis as weird looking people, when they showed Greeks as handsome men was bit unnecessary! :D

Hi VB, glad you liked it. I wasn't aware much about this cuisine, was so tasty! :))

Shobana senthilkumar said...

Wow gr8 post ashaji....

Jaya M said...

these all looks so great and yummy dear Asha..
thanks for the info on chettinaad cuisine ...something new to me ..
hugs and smiles

LifenSpice said...

Hi Asha, that thali makes me drool:) Loved the adain and the jackfruit palya recipe. what's the white roti on the thali? is it the same adai? am planning to try this adai over the weekend:)

Anonymous said...

Oh WOW! What a delicious display o food! I wish I could get my food pretty decorated like that atleast sometimes.

U have a beautiful place over here.

Dibs said...

What a feast. Chettinad cuisine uses some realk fragnant masalas! Your platter looks very inviting!

Anonymous said...

I have heard a lot about Chettinad cuisine. Never got to try any. Your thali looks really delicious!

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

Looks delicious, of course Asha.
I was always under the impression the Chettinad cuisine was non -vegetarian and have never really ventured that way.
But here, I see a lot of variations on food that I usually cook, so I have been missing out on a lot, I think. Should remedy that.

Srikitchen said...

that thali is really awesome!

FH said...

KV, they are the same Adai there on the plate. I flipped the inside out on the plate, that's why they looks white there. Do try! :)

Pavithra Kodical said...

Wow..My eyes are happy..i appreciate your patience..Lovely spread :)

david santos said...

HI, Hasha!
Excellent menu! delicious.

Varsha Vipins said...

Asha..which is the cybershot u use dear??

FH said...

Varsha, I have 2 Sony Cyber-Shot cameras. One is 4-1 mpx and the other one is 8.1 mega pixels. Most of the photos you see here and at Aroma are taken from 4.1 mpx (old camera) and few are from the new camera. I really like the ease of Sony for basic photographs without any sophisticated equipment to go with it. I like my old camera with 4.1 mpx better than the new, to be honest! :D

starry said...

Love the write up and the mouth watering spread.don't know which one to start with.Hope you had a good superbowl weekend.

Snooky doodle said...

thanks alot for the interesting info :)

Anonymous said...

Wow your Chettinad thali looks good, the jackfruit dish in particular is something I have never tried. I like the quick easy way your recipes are mentioned. Cheers!

Unknown said...

Deliciously tempting, Asha......you've got amazing patience to dish out such yummy dishes for your family...

Anonymous said...

Asha,what an awesome Thali...am not surprised seeing that from you...the jackfruit pirattal and adai..awesome yaa ..I love chettinad cuisine too

Anonymous said...

Thanks Asha for the link and i updated with that

FH said...

Ann, I loved making these Puttus and Kadala for RCI Kerala! :)

Andhra Flavors said...

your chettinad recipe is too delicious. love to taste all.

Andhra Flavors said...

Love ur chettinad cuisine. the meal looks tempting.

Gattina Cheung said...

did your favorite team finally win? Oh there is no fun here without your lovely food :D

FH said...

Gattina, Steelers who played the best game won in the end, it was fun this year! :)

Namratha said...

Ohhh wow, that's one gorgeous spread!! Loved everything Asha...awesome :)

Pooja said...

Wow this looks tempting. I was searching for a recipe for Kara Kuzhambu. this one looks delicious :)

FH said...

Thanks Pooja and Namratha, enjoy! :)

Chutneytales said...

What a delicious platter! Chettinad food always make me drool..