The Authentic Flavors of Chettinad Cuisine

It is no surprise that you equate the Chettinad region to its food. Honestly speaking, these flavors of Chettinad Cuisine are the reason this region on a traveler’s map. So far my posts have been largely on travel to the offbeat Chettinad area of Tamil Nadu. However, once you are there, you will find that there is no escape from the tantalizing taste of Chettinad food. Why – it even converted a non-foodie like me into a complete foodie! So much that I could not wait for my meal times when in Karaikudi.

So, What is it about this Chettinad Cuisine that ensnares people and gets them addicted to all things Chettinad! This post attempts to unravel this secret and take you through a virtual culinary journey of Chettinad.

Roots of the Chettinad Cuisine

If you think that Chettinad food is best enjoyed by non-vegetarians, then you need to think again. The cuisine of the Chettinad region has a plethora of options for vegetarians. In fact, if you trace the history of the wealthy Nattukottai Chettiars or the Nagarathars, then you will be surprised to know that surrounded by Tamilan Brahmins, their base ingredients were largely vegetarian. Owing to the proximity to the ocean (their first homes were in Poompuhar which was lost to the Tsunami), their first inclusion of non-vegetarian items included sea-food.

Read about the history of Chettinad. Discover how the name Nattukottai Chettiars came about. What made them move from their original abode to Karaikudi and why they were so respected. Click through this post to know more.

After they moved to the high-lands, the community introduced chicken, turkey, rabbit, and other non-vegetarian items into their menu. With their frequent business trips overseas, came in new flavors and dishes – most popular being Sri Lanka and Burma. The base ingredients remained the same. In fact, these still form the bulk of any Chettinad dish. The foreign flavors have just been seamlessly blended to create a new and unique signature dish of Chettinad.

For quite some time, I believed that the Chettinad fare was all about spicy food. Blame it on the commercial restaurants who tend to add their personal touch to it and alter the authentic tangy flavors of the land. It was only during my Karaikudi trip that I actually got the true taste of Chettinad.

Secret ingredients of the Chettinad Food

The Chettiars have mastered the use of Tomatoes and Tamarinds for their tangy dishes. The spices that are used in any Chettinad cuisine are freshly pounded, after a fair bit of sun-drying. In fact, their meats and vegetables are also, sundried. Brined vegetables and fresh pickles are pretty much a norm for any Chettinad meal and are prepared regularly by the Chettiars. The spicy reputation of the cuisine of Chettinad comes from ground pepper. Chilies too contribute to the savory flavors.

The other common spices include cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and Star Anise. The unique ones include types of dried flower pods like Maratti Mokku and Kalpasi (Stone Flowers). The Chettinad dishes are not very heavy on coconut. It is used in moderation for various gravies.

With that, you now know what goes into that secret recipe. 😉

A typical Chettinad kitchen

Where you have such exclusive meals, then you can expect some special Kitchen equipment too. The old Chettiar homes had a complete courtyard or Valavu dedicated to a kitchen. The Moonamkattu as it is called is divided into two parts. The actual cooking area called Adukala and the preparation area called the Irandankattu. The Adukala has lines of firepits and that gives you an idea of how the ancient cooking took place over firewood.

The Irandankattu has a lot of rooms used as storage. Along the corridors, sat the women cutting and grinding the raw materials required for the dish of the day. You will often find huge hand pounders and stone grinders lurking around. These were used for pounding and grinding the sun-dried spices. In fact, the same open-to-sky courtyard was used for sun-drying various ingredients. For chopping, you would often find a huge iron blade called Aruamanai.

The modern era has long replaced these elaborate kitchens. However, certain specialized equipment continues to be in use. Take for example the Idiyappam machines used for making fresh string hoppers and the Paniyarakkal for making the yummy Paniyarams. What is that? – you ask. Ah well, time to unveil the signature dishes of Chettinad.

The Signature dishes of Chettinad

Get ready for a lip-smacking, salivating journey through Chettinad. I will start with the vegetarian ones first. Please excuse me for not having pics for all of these. I just could not wait to dive in, forgetting that I need to click the yummy affair.  P.S: The names can be a tongue twister 😉

Idiyappam

My breakfast favorite. Every morning, I would love this simple dish of string hoppers with a variety of chutneys. The chutneys ranged from coconut to tamarind, drumstick and tomato. Each one lends a different taste to these steamed idiyappams. If that is not enough, you should club the dish with the tangy sambhar or the coconut-based stew (Vellai Kurma). Or maybe, add a certain sweetness with the jaggery syrup.

Dosai

Dosai or Dosa is popular in India but what makes the Chettinad ones special are the accompaniments. The same chutneys that go with the Idiyappam are served with the Dosai as are the curries and sambhar. One special variety that I tried was the sweet Ragi Dosa. This was made using jaggery and milk and trust me, they were YUM!

Kuzhi Paniyaram

These mini – idli like dish is quite popular across South India. In Karnataka, they are called Guliyappa while in the rest of Tamil Nadu, they are called Paddus.  Paniyarams require a special vessel called Paniyarakkal. There are different varieties of it. The savory ones have different fillings like onions and vegetables. The sweet ones include jaggery and coconut fillings. I even managed to taste Paniyarams made using Ragi flour.

Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu

Balls made from dal or lentils dipped in a tangy curry made from Tamarind. This one caught me by surprise as I expected those balls to be something like the idlis. This dish can be had by itself or you can team it with steamed rice.

Vendakkai Varuval

This is almost like a side dish. Simply put – Vendakkai Varuval is a Chettinad dish consisting of crispy, deep-fried ladyfingers. In a lot of ways, it is like the Kurkuri Bhindi served in Rajasthan and North India.

Vazhaipoo Kuzhambu

A vegetarian’s fish meal. And how you may ask? Well, it includes banana flowers fried in a batter and added to the tangy Chettinad gravy. Perfect with rice.

Kaikari Pirattal

This Chettinad curry is almost like stir-fried vegetables. Kaikari Pirattal includes a dash of coconut with the typical Chettinad spices sprinkled over it. Not only can you have it with rice but it tastes good even with chapatis.

Ennai Kathirikai

Ennai Kathrikai is one of those tangy Chettinad preparations that goes really well with Idiyappams, Appams, Dosai, Chapattis, or even steamed rice. It consists of brinjals that are deep-fried and added to the tangy tamarind gravy.

Cabbage & Carrot Poriyal

Shredded carrots and cabbage that is sauteed and mixed with mild spices, the Poriyal is a popular side dish that is almost, every time, served as a part of the grand Chettinad meal.

Meen Kuzhanbu

The sweet and sour gravy concoction with fresh fish makes an excellent accompaniment with rice or Rotis. If there is one signature dish that seems to have come from Poompuhar times, this must be it.

Chettinad Chicken (Milagu Kozhi Varuval)

The Chettinad Chicken served in the commercial hotels is definitely different from what is served in Karaikudi or the Chettinad region. The natives consider the pepper chicken preparation called Milagu Kozhi Varuval as the authentic Chettinad Chicken dish. Normally, this is dry but some wet variants are available for accompaniments with rice or rotis.

Mutton Chukka

This is a lamb preparation is a highly recommended Chettinad dish. In fact, I remember one lady in our heritage stay feeling disappointed that we were vegetarians and could not taste it. The only thing that made her happy was when I asked her to describe it. The lamb is marinated in an aromatic mix of cardamom, cinnamon, curry leaves and chillis and just listening to that mix, made my mouth water! I did ask her if she could make mushroom with that marination – but well, 🙁

Karaikudi Eral Masala

Karaikudi Eral Masala is a must-try for sea-food lovers. The prawn dish is laced with a paste of spices and is best enjoyed with a dash of lemon freshly squeezed over it.

Kada Fry

Quail is quite a staple in the Chettinad menu and if you want to sample it, then the Kada Fry is a recommended Chettinad dish. It is marinated in the Chettinad spices and is deep-fried.

Nandu Masala

The famous spicy crab affair is one of the key signature dishes of Chettinad. The dish is renowned across destinations in South East Asia as well as India. They say that the Chettinad flavors add a zest to the crab meat.

Paal Payasam

After all that spicy, tangy affair, you must cool down with the simple Chettinad dessert – the Paal Payaram. Rice boiled in milk and garnished with nuts and cardamom is bound to appeal to almost anyone.

Kozhukattai

I actually, thought these were the savory momos and almost did not taste them. However, the kind lady insisted I bite into one. The one I tasted had a mix of coconut and jaggery. The Kozhukattai did seem like a perfect way to end a Chettinad meal.

The Chettinad Meals

The Chettinad breakfast and dinners generally include Dosai, Paniyarams and Idiyappam. In fact, these are all-day meals.  However, lunch is generally an elaborate affair. A typical Chettinad meal is had on a banana leaf and over the three days that I was there, that is something I looked forward to. The plantain leaf Chettinad meal is an important part of the Chettinad culture. It does not include random dishes but follows certain norms.

For one, it will always have odd number of dishes included. The Chettinad items are served in a particular order and each dish has a place. It starts with the salt and pickles that are placed on the right and are followed by the chutneys and vegetables and finally the curries. Rice is generally piled in the center. My favorite part of this meal was always the assortment of curries – starting with the Chettinad sambhar, the special rasam and the curd based gravy. Ooh boy! I cannot stop salivating right now!

Where to find good Chettinad Food in Karaikudi?

Finally, if you are in Karaikudi and are looking for an authentic taste of the Chettinad cuisine, you need to head to these places

• The Bangala
• Karaikudi Annapoorna
• Jainica

Let me know what you think of this culinary journey with deep culture. And if you loved it, you got to bookmark it with this pin – just so that you remember to taste it whenever you get a chance.

Booking resources

• If you are looking for a stay in Karaikudi, you can check out Booking.com .
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