Foodie Anyone ?

[hariharan1972]

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It's nearly been nearly 1.5 years since the forum started, i guess.

Wonder how this has never been a topic of discussion.

I am not a foodie myself but i like to try out different cuisines.

So, here you go.........I have started the thread, so it's upto foodie members to keep this thread alive & kicking or should i say finger licking !!!

 

[goundamani]

I will talk about a great food item which is the favorite of my family deity.Panjamirtham.

On every pongal day all our family members will gather in our deity's temple. That is the tradition.We will take bananas and first somebody will cleanly wash his hands and mix them into a paste.Then we will pour brown sugar into it(Atleast 50%), then ghee.Finally cashews and other nuts.Again somebody will mix it.Finally prasadam is ready.....

Panjamirtham will be offered to goddess and then served to all in a banana leaf.Along with panjamirtham, sundal, sarkarai pongal etc will be served.

After a certain point of time, I stopped eating this panjamirtham.I did not like the idea of somebody mixing bananas into paste by bare hands....opcorn:

 

[lotus_quartz]

Sugarcoat.

Reading the description alone is enough to send the blood sugar shoot up!

I will talk about a great food item which is the favorite of my family deity.Panjamirtham.

On every pongal day all our family members will gather in our deity's temple. That is the tradition.We will take bananas and first somebody will cleanly wash his hands and mix them into a paste.Then we will pour brown sugar into it(Atleast 50%), then ghee.Finally cashews and other nuts.Again somebody will mix it.Finally prasadam is ready.....

Panjamirtham will be offered to goddess and then served to all in a banana leaf.Along with panjamirtham, sundal, sarkarai pongal etc will be served.

After a certain point of time, I stopped eating this panjamirtham.I did not like the idea of somebody mixing bananas into paste by bare hands....opcorn:

 

[lotus_quartz]

Stir fried baby corns served in 'Mainland China" Chennai is a favourite snack dish for our family.

Recommended to all those tambrams who want to have a change of taste (from Idly/Dosa/Sambaar routine).

PS:- Dear NARAS/N.Suresh ji, this is a purely veg dish. usage of 'baby' in the corn is incidental.

 

[hariharan1972]

Pancha-amirtham

Mr Goundamani,

Pancha-amirtham is indeed divine.

However the way it is prepared at my home is different. I guess what we mix is Curd, Milk, Honey, Jaggery & sliced Bananas for the divine concoction.

I was wondering whether you don't have the option of 'slicing bananas' instead of mashing it with fingers. This way, i guess you don't have to run away from your favourite dish.

Just a thought, if it has any 'custom ramifications', please treat my option as unsaid.

 

[NARAS]

sir - my favourite has been puliyotharai - particularly the puliyotharai they prepare at sri parthasarathy temple. god! very delicious. i suspect they use pure ghee, and KUMUTTI stove. the dishes prepared in KUMUTTI stove are normally very delicious,compared to gas stove or kerosene stove. Kumutti is very orthodox but takes more time. but boy- the dishes are very delicious and so good for health also!

 

[hariharan1972]

Virtues of IVS/IDS

Recommended to all those tambrams who want to have a change of taste (from Idly/Dosa/Sambaar routine).

LQ,

Let it be known to all men that IVS / IDS is not a "routine" for tamilians (why only tambrams ?).

IVS / IDS is as much a part of our culture, ethos as is tamil literature. (have i taken a step too far ?)

However high a position, a tambram or a SI could get, i guess, he/she cannot get disassociated with IVS / IDS. Try having croissants, ghee dripping aloo paranthas, bacon, toast for a week, then you will know the virtues of IVS / IDS. Much like you can appreciate shade only when you are in the sun.

Infact i know of a head honcho of a midcap IT services (which has since been taken over by a top US IT Services MNC) who doesn't mind flaunting his American alleigance when it comes to business but is a 'mannina maga' as far as his palate is concerned.

Discussing breakfast in one of the meetings, the honcho proudly said to his prospective american clients that his breakfast was "steamed rice dumplings in lentil sauce". While i was imagining all sorts of exotic stuff, the man next to me said is hush-hush tone - "He's just had Idly Sambhar".

You have missed one another tam favourite. The ubiquitous "Curd rice". For us the meal ends o-n-l-y when we round it off with Curd rice. Contrast this with a punjabi colleague at work, who proudly proclaimed that he's never had curds in his life. He is about 25.

On a different note, isn't punjab the land where "whirlpool" washing machines were used to mass manufacture lassis ?????

PS : I am sure Suresh / NARAS sir knows baby in baby corn. After all he's been having "ladies finger" for so long !!!!!

 

[goundamani]

Hariharan,

They will peel the bananas and cut them.But to make them into a paste we have to do like this.Pasted bananas will become like juice.Noway except to mix it by hands.

In pazani temple,when I went to siddhanathan prasadam stall, i heard that they use a machine to make bananas into paste.:hippie:

 

[hariharan1972]

My favourites

My personal favourites are :

a) Any dish which has bindi in any style ranging from Vatha Kuzhambu, Dahi Bindi, Okras, Bindi Do Pyaaz

b) Bitter Gourd - Deep fried with a lingering bitterness in your tongue

c) Sundakkai Sambhar - A request. Can anyone let me know the english equivalent of sundakkai. Before we 'emigrated' from TN, sundakkai was freely growing in our compound. After moving to Bengaluru, unable to source sundakkai as frequently as i would like.

d) Thondangai poriyal - Again english equivalent please

e) Pongal, Vada, Sambhar - Divine, simply divine. Though i am off rice these days, nothing to beat a solid PVS. A sad commentary on Bengaluru Pongal - It runs off the plate & gosh they serve it with raitha ! omg !!!

f) Chutneys - Tomato, Pudina, Curry leaves, Coriander. Gongura - a strict no no.

g) Paruppu Podi alias gun powder. Paruppu podi, steaming rice, bit ghee & roasted papad - oh, the 'somabanam effect' of lunch

h) Rotis, Tadka Dhal, Lime smeared onions

i) Paratha with Hot pickle & curd

j) IVS / IDS ofcourse. Hey have you tried Crisp dosa with Upma, a great combination again.

k) next is....... (Me to myself : Hey Stop. Don't you remember you said you are not a foodie at the start of the thread ? so STOP NOW.)

ok full stop.

 

[KRS]

Dear Sri Hari,

What I miss the most that I have not had for the past 40 years is the proper "Pazhaidhu" properly mixed with Thairu by an elder member of the family (preferrably a grand mother, mother or loving aunts), which then was served to all the youngsters sitting side by side and waiting each's turn to receive a handful of the Sadham. One used to put a deep dimple in the middle of the lump in the hand, where a drop or two of sambhar was placed by the loving server. And it went around the circle like that till the pot was empty!

After all these years living in the west, I have never had the pleasure of eating anything like that, which nowadys I often dream about!

By the way, when you talk about the mid-cap company, are you talking about a company whose name starts with 'M' and ends with 's'? Just curious.

Pranams,
KRS

 

[Bhooma]

Hari

I have seen plenty of sundakkai in the markets in Bangalore .... look around next time ( the last i saw it was in the market near JP Nagar)..

ps: I am not from Bangalore ...

 

[hariharan1972]

Oh Thanks.

Hari

I have seen plenty of sundakkai in the markets in Bangalore .... look around next time ( the last i saw it was in the market near JP Nagar)..

ps: I am not from Bangalore ...

Oh Thanks.

Can you help me with kannada word for Sundakkai ? I presume you meant the green ones & not the black 'sandige' ones.

Sandige - kannada for vadam.

 

[lotus_quartz]

Oye balle balle

LQ,
Let it be known to all men that IVS / IDS is not a "routine" for tamilians (why only tambrams ?).

Point conceded.

IVS / IDS is as much a part of our culture, ethos as is tamil literature. (have i taken a step too far ?)

OK, agreed.

However high a position, a tambram or a SI could get, i guess, he/she cannot get disassociated with IVS / IDS. Try having croissants, ghee dripping aloo paranthas, bacon, toast for a week, then you will know the virtues of IVS / IDS. Much like you can appreciate shade only when you are in the sun.

Couldn't have phrased it better.

Now, coming to some of my favourites:-

1. Upma (Suji & Arasi)
2. Idly (for reasons other than taste)
3. Any dish which has (BHINDI) bindi in any style ranging from Vatha
Kuzhambu, Dahi Bindi, Okras, Bindi Do Pyaaz -- DITTO
4. Daal, Roti, Dahi Bhaat (curd rice), pickles
5. Parappu Podi Rice (Gun Powder is used to denote Molaga Podi)

6. Lemon Rice
7. Avial
8. Paruppu Usali

 

[Bhooma]

Will requests for info about rarely made foods ( maybe linked only to a particular place ) be welcomed ?

If there is anybody here from Tirunelveli/ambasamudram.. they may know about the "kunukku" thats made for Krishna Jayanthi.. it is not sweet like the Appam, but tastes yummy.. ( no its not the standard Adai maavu kunukku I am talking about )!! any help ??

 

[lotus_quartz]

It has been quite some time since I had good quality Samosa. Chennai is not the place for those who relish this item. One place where it is available and of reasonably good quality is Gupta Sweets near Anna Nagar Round tana.

The Muruku & Seedai of Grand Sweets is oilier compared to those of Adyar Anand Bhawan. Agreed?

 

[silverfox]

Dear KRS:
You certainly brought back cherished memories of my childhood when my grandmother would serve to all us, sitting around and having 'thyir saadam' in our hands!

Thanks!

 

[mrifan]

Tambram recipe collection

I am wondering if it would be possible to post links to sites containing typical Tambram recipes, preferably in both Tamil and English. This would aid the Tambram diaspora considerably. I can personally vouch that among all my extended relatives and family, no one ever got cancer, and most lived into their eighties following a Tambram diet. I feel the mixture of spices, lentils, rice, vegetables, fruits, curd, and condiments contains a good blend of the many nutritional inputs needed for our bodies.

At least, it has definitely not led to diminished mental capacity or a huge rise in diseases for our community. over the last few thousand years! Why should this knowledge be lost in the current generation which may have forgotten some of these dishes? In fact, I wish we could also persuade more women from our community to write books about Tambram recipes so this knowledge is preserved, and with their permission, publish excerpts on this website.

 

[lotus_quartz]

Paruppu Usali
------------

Is there any place in chennai which sells Paruppu Usali (cash & carry) sort of joint?

 

[Bhooma]

many of the people who supply lunch will provide you with Paruppu usili... but I cant vouch for how good they will taste!

you can get them at your risk

 

[hariharan1972]

Mangalore delicacies

For those in Bangalore, just wanted to let you know that there is a shop just behind Jayanagar IV Block Post office (which is opp to Shanti Poly Clinic), there is a shop selling Mangalore delicacies.

One could get Akki Rotis, Ragi Rotis, Chapatis, curries, variety rice on a daily basis plus whole lot of short eats.

Quality is very good. Haven for bachelors & forced bachelors.

I buy Chapatis regularly to save trouble for my mother.

And LQ, he serves mangalore version of paruppu usli. Let me know next time u r in bangalore.

 

[lotus_quartz]

I get my supplies of coffee powder from a shop in Jayanagar IV th block. Next time I happen to be in Bangalore, I will try this outlet for sure.

 

[NARAS]

sir- wonder why nobody has mentioned about tirupathi laddu! nowadays they are using machines for preparing this. but till a few years back, when machines were not used, Kumutti stove and pure ghee were used,i understand. generally vegetarian food will last longer than nonveggie food. this laddu is so tasty, there are very few things in the world to beat this!

 

[silverfox]

Would you please tell me just what is BHINDI or Bindi? Is this a vegetable that is called "Ladies Finger" in Chennai? (In the US, this is called OKRA).
LQ: you left out PONGAL! By the way, are you in Chennai currently?

Lotus-Quartz:
3. Any dish which has (BHINDI) bindi in any style ranging from Vatha
Kuzhambu, Dahi Bindi, Okras, Bindi Do Pyaaz -- DITTO

 

[lotus_quartz]

Hi SF,
Yes, Bhindi is the same as Okra or Ladies Finger (Vendekkai in Tamil).
Pongal is also a good dish, though I avoid sweet variety of same. Uppu pongal is OK.

Yes, I am in Chennai since last 3 years.

 

[fire]

fire

Kovil ven pongal......Hotel sambar (Only TN hotel ) with dosa . Freshly cooked thayir satham with milakai maangai or with kothamalli thogaiyal......Nellikkai with salt....Ilaneers on sunny days..........Pathaneer,nongu when i was in my native( I donno how u ppl wil call them)......I guess nothing can match with doing exercise , take a bathe ,have food and sleep well....Diet is the one everyone should concentrate on. Its our duty to ensure nothing causes harm to ur body and mind .Last but not least ....Eat a lot and take revenge of our friends in parties hosted by them. Sorry.....I missed IceCreamssssss