It is perhaps not known to many that the humble Foxtail millet is not only one of the oldest grains in the universe but also finds mention in several Hindu texts as one of the grains offered in the yagnas in the ancient times. Archaeological excavations have also revealed that the oldest civilizations cultivated Foxtail... Continue Reading →
The humble nungu (Borassus flabellifer) as it is known in Tamizh (taati nungu in Kannada) is a seasonal fruit that is found in abundance in south Tamil Nadu, Salem, Cuddalore, Tirunelveli and other districts and makes its appearance in the peak summer. Commonly known as the date palm or palmyra, this kalpa vriksha has been mentioned... Continue Reading →
A visit to Pondicherry is deemed complete only after one samples kamarkattu at the decades - old Gunasekaran's shop. Kamarkattu is one of the most popular traditional sweets of Tamil Nadu and said to have originated in Madurai and nearby places. However, over the years the delectable kamarkattu has become synonymous with the beautiful seaside town... Continue Reading →
The delicious makkan peda is synonymous with the historical town of Arcot. About 190 - 200 years ago, Govindsamy Chettiyar tasted a mithai in the palace of the Nawab of Arcot that was truly amazing and worthy of further improvisation. He came up with the world - famous makkan peda that resembles a gulab jamun but with... Continue Reading →
Dodol is an interesting dark chocolate coloured halwa prepared in Indonesia and Sri Lanka that made its way to the coastal town of Keelakarai in Ramanathapuram district. Also known as nudhal or karupatti thothal halwa or karupatti thothal, this hugely popular seaport sweet is an unusual treat that simply melts in your mouth. As the name... Continue Reading →
Muscoth Halwa, a centuries - old sweet of Sri Lanka made its way to the tiny village of Mudalur in the bustling coastal district of Thoothukudi in the 1950s. This traditional treat was accidently found by A. Joseph on one of his many trips to the island. So intrigued was he with its texture and taste,... Continue Reading →
One of the most delicious Chettinadu snacks of Karaikudi is its world - famous thenkuzhal murukku. This traditional treat is prepared for Diwali and important social functions. Locally available IR20 raw rice (or CR Pachai) is soaked for an hour after which the water is drained and the rice is dried on a thin cloth... Continue Reading →
The lush green hill station of Kodaikanal famous for its purple Kurunji flower (Strobilanthes kunthiana) has been making great strides in the cultivation of Kashmir saffron in the past decade. Saffron called as red gold is the most expensive, elusive and fragile flower that grows in the foothills of the Himalayas and has largely been associated... Continue Reading →
The humble adhirasam, a delicious Diwali sweet made of rice flour and jaggery is perhaps one of the most difficult sweets to prepare requiring a high degree of expertise. This traditional Chettinad speciality is one of the signature sweets of Karaikudi in Sivaganga district. Karaikudi and surrounding areas is largely believed to be the best... Continue Reading →
Kallidaikurchi on the bank of the Thamirabarani River in Tirunelveli district is renowned for its traditional food and snacks like appalam, murukku, thengoyal and seedai, vadam and vathal and festive sweets. Almost all the delicious items prepared here are done by hand and are hugely popular within the state and country. One of the most famous accompaniments made here is arisi appalam... Continue Reading →
Varkey, the decades - old baked treat of Ooty can best be described as a native interpretation of the French Puff Pastry. This delightful teatime accompaniment was introduced in the scenic hill station by the British Raj. A number of bakeries making a variety of treats sprung up to cater to the British taste.... Continue Reading →
Manapparai, located in Tiruchirappalli district is renowned for its murukkus since the 1920s. This unique innovation was first made by Mani Iyer who sold his murukku (made of rice flour mixed with fresh butter and deep - fried in coconut oil) in his refreshment stall at the railway station to the hungry passengers. In fact,... Continue Reading →
Uthukuli, a largely barren land dependent on rain - fed agriculture is home to several dairy units that have been producing high - quality butter and ghee for decades. This town is located a few kilometres from Tiruppur, the garment export hub of the country. Locals say that their rise to fame came during... Continue Reading →
One of the most - loved traditional sweets of Tamil Nadu is manoharam. Also known as manovalam or paruppu thengai, this sweet which is essentially murukku dipped in jaggery syrup makes an appearance as part of the seer bakshanam in almost every religious ceremony in Tamil Nadu. There are two popular versions of the manoharam made across the state namely... Continue Reading →
Madurai is often referred to as the culinary capital of Tamil Nadu with an interesting range of delicacies to sample. In fact, locals emphatically state that it is extremely difficult to run a restaurant or sweet shop in Madurai as they have well - developed palates! Though the traditional hub of appalam making has... Continue Reading →
Banana fibre is one of the oldest materials widely used in Asia since the ancient times as per archaeological evidence discovered. In Akhanda Bharat specially, banana is referred to as the kalpa vriksha, with every part used for either culinary purposes or household uses or to make shelters. As India is the largest producer of... Continue Reading →
It is perhaps not known to many that Akhanda Bharat has the largest collection of paintings, literary texts, historical journals and scientific records in the world dating back to the Vedic Period. This treasure trove of our ancient culture, art, history and heritage was painstakingly documented using the humble wooden pen. Since the ancient... Continue Reading →
It is perhaps not known to many that India has a thriving footwear industry and is the second-largest footwear producer in the world. The main clusters are Bahadurgarh, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Karnal and Ambala in Haryana, Jalandhar and Ludhiana in Punjab, Kanpur, Agra and Noida in Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata in West Bengal, Mumbai in Maharashtra, Hyderabad... Continue Reading →
Kodaikanal is known for its thriving organic farming community and excellent agricultural produce. Garlic, coffee, pepper, citrus fruits, hill banana and cotton have been grown in the lush green hilly terrain of Kodaikanal for decades. Avocado, the latest entrant has truly been the surprise package for small and marginal farmers of this region. Avocado... Continue Reading →
This will probably come as a big surprise to many, but Bharat in fact produces some of the finest artisanal cheese in the world. Since the days of yore, Bharat is known to prepare the best and most innovative sweets and dishes from milk and its products. Cheese was introduced in the 1960s by... Continue Reading →
Periya Puranam, a Tamizh magnum opus of sixty-three Nayanars (poet saints of Lord Shiva) compiled by Sekkizhar in the 12th century is a literary masterpiece evoking a wide range of emotions from tears of joy to astonishment to bliss. Chidambaram or Thiruchitambalam, one of the pancha sabhas which witnessed the tandava of Lord Nataraja is a mesmerizing tirthasthala with... Continue Reading →
It is well known that India is not only the largest producer of ginger in the world but is also a treasure trove of ginger diversity with more than fifty indigenous varieties grown since the ancient times. Each and every district in each and every state has its own local variety that has a distinctive... Continue Reading →
One of the most popular fasting meals of South India is vella dosai (jaggery dosa). This scrumptious dosa is made by Tamilians on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivaratri, Ekadasi and Shasti. Vella dosai, as the name suggests is made from wheat flour, jaggery and spices. Three-quarter measure of powdered jaggery is dissolved in hot water on low flame. The jaggery water... Continue Reading →
A delightful spicy yet tangy accompaniment to curd rice, adai, dosa and chapati is veppilakatti. Veppilakatti is a truly masterful innovation of the Palakkad Iyers (Palghat Iyers) that is loved by people from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. One naturally will think that veppilakatti is made from neem leaves (veppila means neem in Tamizh and Malayalam) but is actually made... Continue Reading →
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