Cuisine
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Considering that the weather in Chennai varies between hot, hotter and hottest, here’s a lip – take a cup of curd or natural yoghurt, beat it well, dilute with water, add salt, lemon juice, freshly crushed ginger, curry leaves and a pinch of fenugreek powder, toss is some ice cubes and drink as often as possible. There’s nothing like buttermilk to beat the heat and to settle the stomach. Making it is not a problem since yoghurt is easily available in homes, hotels, department stores, and at Aavin (the brand name of a local dairy and its products) outlets all over the city. Tamilian food is hot and spicy. A typical meal will comprise one dry vegetable side dish usually laced with asafetida; the main dish is of rice with sambar, a thick lentil-based gravy with some vegetables thrown in, or the spicier kozhambu gravy, ideally made with fish or mutton and served piping hot. The meal is rounded off with lots of cooling buttermilk. Of course, there are any number of variations depending upon the region and the community. Another speciality, again with variations, is mixed rice. Take cooked rice, season it with turmeric, green chillies, peanuts, coriander, curry leaves and pods of garlic squeeze in lots of lemon juice and add salt to taste – lime rice is easy to make and delicious. It gets even tastier as the lemon juice soaks into the garlic pods and nuts. Similarly there is tamarind rice, a little more complicated to make because the basic paste of tamarind and many spices takes a while to cook. Then of course, there’s the best of them all – thayir saadam or simply curd rice. That’s all it is, rice and curd, mixed in many different ways. The best and only way to eat food in Tamil Nadu is with the hands. It is widely believed that curd rice eaten with a hand that’s been freshly decorated with henna imbues the rice with an extra special taste.
Idli, Dosa, Vadai, Pongal and Uthapam are all tiffin specialities, to be had nice and early in the morning or in the afternoon. These are served with coconut chutney, mint chutney, onion chutney, chutney powder and sambar, depending on your preference. Food in Tamil Nadu is a major adventure, always rounded off with a tumbler of steaming hot coffee.
Elaneer
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This part of India is also famous for its tiffin items and hot cups of good and strong fresh filter coffee – degree kaapi as it is called!
There’s nothing like refreshing tender coconut water (elaneer in Tamil) to quench your thirst and build your body’s defence against heat and lethargy. Coconut sellers dot the city’s roadsides with piles of the large green fruit with it’s green, and sometimes orange, husk intact. It can cost between Rs.8 and Rs.15 per coconut, but it’s worth every paisa, especially if the cool water inside turns out to be sweet. Sometimes it can be salty, but even that’s beneficial, if not as tasty! There are two kinds of tender coconuts – with the soft white flesh inside, which is delicious, or without it. You will usually be asked which one you prefer. Some restaurants serve ice cream and sweets made with tender coconut, but nothing beats elaneer sipped neat!
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