03-28-2006, 04:41 AM
From Deccan Chronicle, 27 March 2006
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Somethingâs cooking in tiny TN village
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By Bosco Dominique
Cuddalore: The tiny hamlet of Kalaiyur on the Tamil Nadu-Pondicherry border has become synonymous with sumptuous vegetarian wedding feasts, <b>not only in Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, but also in the neighbouring States of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. </b> Around 3,000 third-generation cooks from Kalaiyur and the neighbouring hamlets of Thadinatham, Kuttiyanpakkam, Ulleripattu, Edapalayam and Thirupanampakkam, specialise in vegetarian wedding meals. Cooks from the neighbouring hamlets also call themselves Kalaiyur cooks adding to the fame of the hamlet.
With the marriage season kicking off after a lull, these cooks are busy travelling the length and breadth of Tamil Nadu and neighbouring States preparing sumptuous dishes and an array of accompaniments to suit the budget and taste buds of the hosts. âThe fame we have today is not an overnight phenomenon. There is an over 80-year-old history of cooks here who have made wedding feasts exciting and enjoyable experiences. My grandfather was one of the most sought-after cooks in Kalaiyur and I am the third-generation wedding feast specialist,â says B. Ranganathan of Kalaiyur.
The placement of the sumptuous dishes and the manner in which they are served makes a Kalaiyur wedding feast a memorable experience. Kalaiyur cooks adopt old-fashioned ways which were regular features of a typical Tamil wedding feast in the past, he explains. âIt is a pleasant sight to see shiny and clean banana leaves spread in neat rows and guests wiping off the leaves after sprinkling water on them and rolling up their sleeves preparing to eat. Food plays a vital role in any ritual for any community,â he points out.
<b>The main ingredients of Tamil wedding meals have remained almost the same for generations, as people prefer pongal and idli with spicy coconut and onion chutneys and sambar, vadai accompanied by a hot coffee for breakfast. âThe only change is that nowadays we use English vegetables in addition to the traditional ones,â he explains. </b>
However, hosts and guests lay more emphasis on lunch, says the master cook, adding that the lunch menu included sweets like payasam, laddoo or mysorepak or jangri, thair (curd) pachadi, avail, vadai, fried appalam (large papad), white rice with dal, sambar, karakuzhambu, rasam, curd, buttermilk and a few vegetables. <b>âKalaiyur karakuzhambu, sambar and rasam are very famous in the Tamil community, which enjoys the traditional old-fashioned feast. In fact, placement of dishes for the lunch is more prominent than for breakfast,â </b>he adds.
<b>Each item has its own specific place on the leaf and the placement of dishes follows an architectural pattern. Pickle, payasam, laddoo or mysorepak or jangri, thair pachadi, avail, vadai and appalam are placed on the top half of the leaf while hot rice is served on the bottom half to be mixed with dal, sambar, kara-kuzhambu, rasam, curd, buttermilk and at least two vegetables as side dishes.</b>
It is the number of items that determines the budget of the wedding feast. âA standard celebratory lunch will have around 21 dishes and in weddings with a high budget there are 27 with fruits, ice creams and mineral water included,â says Murugan, another third-generation cook.
However, Kalaiyur cooks can make a four-or-five dish wedding meal also to the satisfaction of all, he assures. Kalaiyur cooks are in great demand among the Tamilians spread out in the southern States. âMost of the maistries (masters) em-ploying a team of speciali-sed cooks from Kalaiyur are busy on all mugurtham days in a year,â he says.
The Kalaiyur cooks have retained their fame and name because the younger generation has followed the older as specialist cooks without any fuss. This is because preparing wedding feasts is a seasonal affair giving them adequate time to pursue other careers of their choice while taking a break now and then to delight wedding guests with their sumptuous feasts.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Somethingâs cooking in tiny TN village
Â
By Bosco Dominique
Cuddalore: The tiny hamlet of Kalaiyur on the Tamil Nadu-Pondicherry border has become synonymous with sumptuous vegetarian wedding feasts, <b>not only in Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, but also in the neighbouring States of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. </b> Around 3,000 third-generation cooks from Kalaiyur and the neighbouring hamlets of Thadinatham, Kuttiyanpakkam, Ulleripattu, Edapalayam and Thirupanampakkam, specialise in vegetarian wedding meals. Cooks from the neighbouring hamlets also call themselves Kalaiyur cooks adding to the fame of the hamlet.
With the marriage season kicking off after a lull, these cooks are busy travelling the length and breadth of Tamil Nadu and neighbouring States preparing sumptuous dishes and an array of accompaniments to suit the budget and taste buds of the hosts. âThe fame we have today is not an overnight phenomenon. There is an over 80-year-old history of cooks here who have made wedding feasts exciting and enjoyable experiences. My grandfather was one of the most sought-after cooks in Kalaiyur and I am the third-generation wedding feast specialist,â says B. Ranganathan of Kalaiyur.
The placement of the sumptuous dishes and the manner in which they are served makes a Kalaiyur wedding feast a memorable experience. Kalaiyur cooks adopt old-fashioned ways which were regular features of a typical Tamil wedding feast in the past, he explains. âIt is a pleasant sight to see shiny and clean banana leaves spread in neat rows and guests wiping off the leaves after sprinkling water on them and rolling up their sleeves preparing to eat. Food plays a vital role in any ritual for any community,â he points out.
<b>The main ingredients of Tamil wedding meals have remained almost the same for generations, as people prefer pongal and idli with spicy coconut and onion chutneys and sambar, vadai accompanied by a hot coffee for breakfast. âThe only change is that nowadays we use English vegetables in addition to the traditional ones,â he explains. </b>
However, hosts and guests lay more emphasis on lunch, says the master cook, adding that the lunch menu included sweets like payasam, laddoo or mysorepak or jangri, thair (curd) pachadi, avail, vadai, fried appalam (large papad), white rice with dal, sambar, karakuzhambu, rasam, curd, buttermilk and a few vegetables. <b>âKalaiyur karakuzhambu, sambar and rasam are very famous in the Tamil community, which enjoys the traditional old-fashioned feast. In fact, placement of dishes for the lunch is more prominent than for breakfast,â </b>he adds.
<b>Each item has its own specific place on the leaf and the placement of dishes follows an architectural pattern. Pickle, payasam, laddoo or mysorepak or jangri, thair pachadi, avail, vadai and appalam are placed on the top half of the leaf while hot rice is served on the bottom half to be mixed with dal, sambar, kara-kuzhambu, rasam, curd, buttermilk and at least two vegetables as side dishes.</b>
It is the number of items that determines the budget of the wedding feast. âA standard celebratory lunch will have around 21 dishes and in weddings with a high budget there are 27 with fruits, ice creams and mineral water included,â says Murugan, another third-generation cook.
However, Kalaiyur cooks can make a four-or-five dish wedding meal also to the satisfaction of all, he assures. Kalaiyur cooks are in great demand among the Tamilians spread out in the southern States. âMost of the maistries (masters) em-ploying a team of speciali-sed cooks from Kalaiyur are busy on all mugurtham days in a year,â he says.
The Kalaiyur cooks have retained their fame and name because the younger generation has followed the older as specialist cooks without any fuss. This is because preparing wedding feasts is a seasonal affair giving them adequate time to pursue other careers of their choice while taking a break now and then to delight wedding guests with their sumptuous feasts.
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