Tanjore Brahmin Thali

Tamil Iyer Thali

Tamil Iyengar Thali

Iyer Curries

One Page Cookbooks Iyer Curries All recipes copyrighted. No reproduction / commercial use without permission. Siramki@Gmail.com
1.: Paruppu (mashed lentils) To a pressure cooker add half a cup of tuvar dal, a pinch of turmeric powder, a cup ( 200 ml) of water & two pinches of salt. Pressure cook for two whistles. Let cool and mash.	Iyers are Tamil Brahmins, who migrated from North India in waves from as early as 3000 years ago. Some were invited by southern kings for performing vedic rituals and some moved after vedic sacrifices were banned under the Buddhist / Jain kings. They settled mostly in Cauvery delta of central Tamilnadu (Tiruchi, Tanjore and Mayavaram). They adopted and influenced the language, cuisine and culture of the south. The different Iyer sects roughly correspond to the migratory waves as in Vadama (northern sect), Vathima ( central sect ), Brahacharanam ( Guru followers), Ashta Sahasram ( eight thousand) etc. Even after 3000 years, their language still retains a smattering of Sanskrit words, most vedic rituals remain intact, many still pay homage to the north Indian river Narmada and all of them trace their ancestry to one of the eight sages of the vedic era. Iyer Cuisine is vegetarian and frowns on the use of of anything apart from basic spices. So spices like fennel, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves are not used. Onions / garlic are believed to be aphrodisiacs and are avoided / replaced by asafetida. But unlike the more orthodox Iyengar cuisine, Iyer cuisine tolerates them and they are increasingly used. Like most south Indian curries, Iyer curries are built on tamarind, lentils, yogurt and coconut. Different combinations of these building blocks give rise to different curry families. . Cooking rituals : A bath is mandatory before cooking / eating. Concepts like madi (avoiding contact with unwashed garments), pathu (avoiding contact with cooked food), echil (avoiding contact with saliva), preferring freshly prepared food and frowning on storing leftovers are still religiously observed in many households. It is interesting to note that all these rules were originally designed for one purpose - to ensure food safety. The concept of echil led to South India’s undying love for the use of banana leaf as plates (The plates get contaminated by saliva and throwing them away was considered preferable to washing and reusing them). The concept of not storing ‘left overs’ has been frustrating quite a few housewives down the ages. In spite of advances in food safety, storage and refrigeration, and in spite of the fact that many curries actually taste better the next day, the weight of tradition still remains strong ! Serving Rituals: The cooked food is first offered to Gods, then to ancestors (who are believed to appear in the guise of crows) and then served, first to males. They chant a hymn worshiping food, sanctifying it, ritualistically offering it to various Gods before being eating. A brief ritual is observed at the end of the meal, thanking the Gods. The women are served next, but do not follow these rituals. The most favourite 'curries' of the Iyers are also the most basic, requiring little or no cooking at all. Iyers are known for their love of Thayir (yogurt) , paruppu ( boiled tuvar dal) and ghee. The meal starts with cooked rice consumed with paruppu and ghee and ends with yogurt eaten mixed with rice. Iyer’s undying love for yogurt- rice combo has earned them the name ‘Thayir Sadam', which is what most lunchboxes of Iyer children still contain ! Iyer migrations to Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra have led to the development of distinct cuisines in these places. At their core, you'll see that these cuisines follow the Tamil Brahmin style of cooking, with some key ingredients replaced with whatever was available easily in the new lands they settled in. For example, replace sesame oil with coconut oil, replace tamarind with yogurt as a souring agent and Tanjore cuisine starts resembling Kerala Brahmin cuisine. Instant Sambar powder : Mix two spoons of coriander powder, a spoon of red chili powder, a pinch of asafetida and turmeric powder Shopping List : 50 gms: Coriander seeds, Dried neem flower, dried turkey berry, pepper, cumin, salt. mustard, curry leaves, turmeric, dry red chili, green chili, asafetida, peanuts, sun dried vegetables, sambar powder. 250 gms: Tuvar dal, chana dal, mung dal, urad dal, yogurt, tamarind paste, eggplant, beans, raw papaya, butter, milk. One each - Coconut, lemon & potato, carrot.
2.: Ghee (Clarified butter) Take a cup of unsalted butter. Add to a pan and heat on medium flame till it melts. Continue heating till the bubbling & frothing stops and the liquid becomes golden and transparent (you should be able to see the bottom of the vessel through the liquid). Switch off flame. Bottle the golden liquid. The bottom layer of sediment is usually removed, but it is perfectly edible. (When you evaporate all water out of butter, it becomes ghee).
3.: Thayir Pachadi (Raw yogurt curry) Take a cup( 200 ml) of yogurt. Mix in two pinches of salt and a handful of chopped / grated carrot / cucumber / tomato / beetroot.
4.: Paruppu Podi (spicy lentil powder) Heat a pan. Add a handful of mixed lentils tuvar dal / mung dal / chana dal. Stir and roast on low heat till lentils brown. Let cool. Blend to a powder with two dry red chilies, a pinch of asafetida and three pinches of salt.
5.: Vatral Kulambu (Sour stew with sun dried vegetables) Heat a spoon of oil. Add two pinches of mustard, a pinch of asafetida, and half a handful of sun dried vegetables (sundakkai / okra etc). Dissolve 3 spoons of tamarind paste, two pinches each of jaggery/ sugar, salt and sambar powder in a cup of water. Add to pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 min.
6.: Paruppu Thogayal (Lentil paste) Heat a pan. Add a handful of split mung dal. Stir & roast over medium heat till it browns. Let cool. Add to a blender with two dry red chilies, two pinches of salt half a handful of chopped coconut, a bit of tamarind, little water and grind to a thick paste. Omit coconut, tamarind and you have Pathiya Thogayal
7.:. Milagu Kulambu (Pepper sour stew) Heat a spoon of oil. Add two pinches each of peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin, chana dal, tuvar dal and 2 curry leaves. Stir and cook on gentle heat till lentils start to brown. Let cool and grind to a powder. Heat a spoon of oil. Add two pinches of mustard and pinch of asafetida. Mix a spoon of tamarind paste in a cup of water. Add to pan. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the ground powder, two pinches of salt & simmer for a minute.
8.:. Araichu Vitta Sambar (Lentil Tamarind stew) Heat half a spoon of oil. Add a dry red chili, a pinch each of dhania, pepper, tuvar dal and half a handful of grated coconut. Roast and grind together. In a cup of water, mix half a spoon of tamarind paste , three pinches of salt, sambar powder, a pinch of asafetida and a handful of chopped and boiled vegetables ( Ash gourd/okra/eggplant etc ). Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the blended powder, half a handful of boiled and mashed tuvar dal & simmer for two minutes.
9.: Lemon Rasam (Lemon lentil soup) Heat half a spoon of ghee. Add two pinches of cumin. Mix half a handful of boiled and mashed tuvar dal in a cup of water. Filter and strain out solids. Add the filtered liquid to pan. Add two pinches of sambar powder and salt. Simmer for 2 minutes. Take off heat. Mix in the juice of a lemon & a pinch of coriander leaves.
10.: Thayir (Yogurt) Boil a cup of milk. Let cool till lukewarm. Mix in a spoon of yogurt. Cover and rest for 4 -5 hours in a warm place till it sets. Refrigerate.

Iyengar curries

One Page Cookbooks Iyengar Curries All recipes copyrighted. No reproduction / commercial use without permission. Siramki@Gmail.com
1.: Iyngaya Podi (5 dried stuff powder) Heat a pan. Add a spoon of coriander seeds, half a spoon each of dried neem flower, dried turkey berry ( sundaikkai), black pepper corns, cumin and three pinches of salt.. Stir and roast for two minutes. Let cool. Blend to a powder.	Iyengars are a 1000 year old sect of the 4000 year old Tamil Brahmins. Iyengars believe Vishnu to be the supreme lord and the path leading to Him is the one revealed by the teacher (Acharya) Ramanuja. History: During 500- 1000 AD, Hinduism was in decline, partly due to the spread of Buddhism / Jainism and partly due to caste oppression and elaborate ritualism. In response, Bhakti & Vedanta movements arose in the South and spread across India, revitalizing Hinduism. Bhakti movement was spearheaded by common people from all walks of life – the 63 Nayanmars and 12 Alwars. They proposed absolute love for God as the path to salvation. The Vedanta movement was led by the philosophies of Brahmin intellectuals - Adi Sankara’s (788-820) Advaita, Ramanuja’s ( 1077-1157) Vishishtadvaita and Madhwa’s ( 1238 – 1317) Dvaita. Both movements deemphasized the cornerstones of vedic Brahmanism - caste system, Brahmin supremacy, rituals and sacrifices. The Bhakti and Vedanta movements came together under Nathamuni, a vedanta philosopher, who collected the poems of Alwars into the Divya Prabandham. His grandson Yamunacharya became the guru of Ramanuja, whose philosophy led to the emergence of a new class – the Iyengars. Tamil with a liberal sprinkling of words from Alwar poems became their language (Vaishnava paribhashai). Iyengars soon split into Vadakalai (influenced by Vedanta movement) and Thenkalai (influenced by the Bhakti movement). Persecution by the Shaivaite Chola king probably caused Ramanuja to migrate with his followers to Karnataka. Their descendants later became the Hebbar and Mandyam Iyengars. Iyengar Cuisine is rooted in Tamil Brahmin cuisine. Onions, garlic or spices like fennel, cinnamon, cloves, are frowned upon. Iyengars believe the kitchen is sacred and what gets cooked there is ambrosia, suffixing many dishes with amudhu (ambrosia). Entry to Iyengar kitchen is restricted and many Iyengars still do not eat food prepared in other kitchens.The Hebbar / Mandyam Iyengar language, culture and cuisine evolved under the Kannada influence. Many of their recipes are morphed versions of Tamil recipes like Chatumbdh (sattamudhu) , Karimbdh ( Kari amudhu), Kolamb ( Kulambu) etc. . Shopping List : 10 gms : Long pepper root & fruit ( thippili) 50 gms: Coriander seeds, Dried neem flower, dried turkey berry, pepper, cumin, salt Ghee, mustarrd, curry leaves,turmeric, dry red chili, green chili, asafetida, peanuts, chana dal, urad dal, roasted gram, jaggery 250 gms: Tuvar dal, Yogurt, Tamarind paste, Eggplant, beans, raw papaya One each - Coconut, lemon & potato
2.: Kandanthipili Saar Amudhu (Long pepper soup) Heat a pan. Add a finger length stick of Kandan thipili, a pinch each of arisi thippili, black peppercorns & cumin. Stir and roast for a minute. Crush to a powder. Heat a spoon of ghee. Add a pinch of mustard, cumin and two curry leaves. Mix half a spoon of tamarind paste in a cup (200 ml) of water and add to pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the ground powder, a pinch of turmeric and simmer for a minute. A rare recipes using Long pepper (Piper longum / Pipli: Sanskrit,Hindi/ Thippili : Tamil) Kandan Thipili - Dried long pepper root, Arisi thippili - Dried long pepper fruit.
3.: Kathirikkai Gotsu (Eggplant sour mash) Take a fist sized eggplant. Smear all over with oil, hold by stem and roast over a medium flame till skin blackens and chars all over. Let cool, peel skin & mash flesh. Heat a spoon of oil. Add a pinch of mustard, asafetida, 2 curry leaves and a dry red chili. Mix half a spoon of tamarind paste in half a cup (100 ml) of water. Add to pan. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and two pinches of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in mashed eggplant and simmer for 2 minutes.(Gotsu is probably the Kannadiga Gojju)
4.: Pacha Kootu (Veggie - lentil stew) Heat a spoon of ghee. Add two pinches of mustard, 2 curry leaves and a pinch of asafetida. Add a handful of boiled mixed native vegetables and half a cup of water. Blend four pinches of coriander seeds, a pinch of mustard, two red chilies and three pinches of salt to a powder. Mix in a handful of boiled tuvar dal. Add to pan. Simmer for 2 minutes. ( Hebbar Iyengar Recipe)
5.: More Kulambu (Yogurt stew) Soak three pinches of of tuvar dal in water for an hour. Drain. Heat a spoon of oil. Add three pinches each of coriander seeds, chana dal, two pinches of fenugreek, a dry red chili and half a handful of grated coconut. Stir and fry for a minute. Blend to a paste with the soaked tuvar dal. Take half a cup of yogurt. Mix with half a cup of water. Add a handful of a chopped and boiled vegetable. Heat half a spoon of oil. Add a pinch of mustard and two curry leaves. Add the yogurt and the blended paste. Cook for 5 minutes on medium flame.
6.: Vepampoo vatral (Fried neemflower) Take two handfuls of neem flower. Mix in the juice of a lemon and two pinches of salt. Let soak overnight. Keep in sun for 3 -5 days till it is completely dry. Fry a few pinches of dried flower in a spoon of ghee and eat mixed with hot cooked rice.
7.:. Puli Kaichal (Thick Tamarind stew) Take half a cup of tamarind, tightly packed. Let soak in one and a half cups of water. Dissolve well and filter out solids. Heat half a cup of oil. Add four pinches of mustard, ½ handful peanuts, chana dal, urad dal, torn dry red chilies and three pinches of asafetida. Stir and fry on medium flame till the dals turn golden. Mix in the tamarind pulp and simmer for around 10 - 15 minutes till pulp is thick.
8.:. Potato Thayir Pachadi (Potato in spiced yogurt) Take half a handful of coconut. Blend to a paste with a green chili, a spoon of water and three pinches of salt. Mix in half a handful of boiled and mashed potato. Heat a spoon of oil. Add a pinch of mustard and asafetida. Mix in and serve. (Can use grilled eggplant, stir fried okra/snake gourd/ boiled and mashed gooseberries, etc)
9.: Paruppu Usili Kariamudhu (Vegetables with mashed, spiced lentils) Heat a spoon of oil. Add a pinch of mustard, asafetida and a handful of chopped and boiled beans. Add two pinches of salt & a pinch of turmeric powder. Soak half a handful each of tuvar dal and chana dal in a cup of water for 2 hours. Drain and blend to a coarse paste with two red chilies, two pinches of salt and a pinch of asafetida. Add to pan. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. ( Can use cluster beans, banana flower, snake gourd, fenugreek leaves etc). A must in Brahmin marriages.
10.: Kadagpuli (Mustard – Tamarind Curry) Take half a handful of chopped coconut, a pinch of turmeric powder, asafetida, three pinches of mustard, 2 dry red chilies and half a handful of roasted gram ( pottu kadalai). Blend to a thick paste with a bit of water. Mix half a spoon of tamarind paste, a pinch of jiggery/ sugar and three pinches of salt in a cup of water. Bring to a boil. Add a handful of chopped and boiled raw papaya. Add the ground paste and simmer for two minutes. ( Can also use boiled eggplant, cabbage, chow chow , cucumber, beetroot etc). (Hebber Recipe)

1001 Iyer Curries

Iyer cuisine arose from the ritualistic, vegetarian cooking practices of Tamil Brahmins from Cauvery delta, chiefly from Tiruchi, Tanjore and Mayavaram of central Tamilnadu.

Traditionally Iyer cooking is done only after a bath and concepts like madi ( avoiding contact with anything not recently cleaned) and pathu (avoiding contact with food served to the diner) are still practiced in many households. The food is served only after it is offered to Gods and ancestors ( or rather to crows ). After the food is served, the males go through an elaborate ritual, worshipping it, sanctifying it, offer it to various Gods and only then start eating it. A brief ritual is also observed at the end of the meal, thanking the Gods.

The most favourite 'curries' of the Iyers are also the most basic, requiring little or no cooking at all. Iyers are known for their love of yogurt , paruppu ( boiled tuvar dal) and ghee. The meal starts with cooked rice consumed with paruppu and ghee and ends with yogurt eaten mixed with rice. In fact Iyer’s undying love for yogurt- rice combo has earned them the name 'Thayir Sadam', which is what most lunchboxes of Iyer children still contain !

Iyer migrations to Kerala, Bengal and Karnataka has led to the development of distinct cuisines in these places. At their core, you'll see that these cuisines follow the Tamil Brahmin style of cooking, with some key ingredients replaced with whatever was available easily in the new lands they settled in. For example, replace sesame oil with coconut oil and Tanjore cuisine moves one step closer to becoming Palghat cuisine.

Typically onions, garlic or spices like fennel, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves are not used in Brahmin cuisine. But unlike the more orthodox Iyengar cuisine, Iyer cuisine tolerates them and you'll occasionally find them being used.

Like most south Indian cuisines, Iyer curries are built on tamarind, lentils, yogurt and coconut. Different combinations of these building blocks give rise to different curry families. Meenakshi Ammal’s ‘Samaithu Par’ is the classic cookbook cataloging Iyer cuisine.

If you spot a bloomer or have traditional Iyer recipes you’d like to be linked here, mail me or leave a comment. Thanks !