Viji Varadarajan's SAMAYAL - Traditional Ayurvedic Cuisine

World Gourmand award winning author Viji Varadarajan's book takes you through an amazing journey in the life of a Tamil Brahmin. Passed on through generations of grandmothers and perfected by priests throughout Tamil Nadu and Kerala the cuisine is as old as Ayurveda, Yoga and Hinduism itself! Mainly vegetarian this cuisine is based on the concept that food shapes the personality, mood and mind. Lovingly prepared it fosters sathvic qualities, calms the mind and is essential for spiritual progress. It is always cooked with a great deal of attention to cleanliness; to the balancing of nutrition, flavor, texture and variety, coupled with the belief that God is the first taster of the meal. This book is dedicated to generations of women in our families who quietly and anonymously carved their personalities in the cooking traditions and rituals of our daily lives. This unique book on ancient recipes retains the authentic methodology of the South Indian Brahmin’s cuisine.
The Chapters are divided into:

1. RICE
Rice ‘Annam’ as it is called in Sanskrit denotes wealth & prosperity. The Goddess of Harvest Annalakshmi is said to hold a sheaf of rice in her hands. Rice is the staple diet of the South Indians who are spiritually inclined. Food was first offered to God before it came to the table.

2. VEGETABLES STEWS & CURRIES
A gravy vegetable is referred to as a curry sauce. Mildly spiced with ayurvedic properties vegetables are cooked in their own sauces sometimes with the addition of lentils, coconuts or, and grains.

3. THE STORY OF KARI / CURRY (STIR FRY)
Kari is a tamil word for a stir-fry preparation. It is an important part of a balanced diet in a tamil home. It is seasoned, served mild or is made exotic with a variety of ayurvedic ingredients. Many of these spices are used for their antiseptic and preservative properties. The British in India added water and meat to curry/kari and it came to be called a 'curry dish'. There is even something called 'Madras Curry Powder' available in Indian groceries. Even today the word curry/kari is basically vegetarian in an Iyer Brahmin home in South India.

4. PACHADIS – TASTE TINGLERS
Vegetables are always cooked in a South Indian home. Any vegetable preparation with plain home-made yoghurt is known as a pachadi.

5. RASAMS – SOUP FOR THE SOUL
Tangy soups with the richness of pepper, cumin, turmeric and asafoetida are the Tambram food for the soul. When the rasam is mildly spiced it can be served as a soup. Mixed with rice and with any veggie side, it is often eaten with an appreciative slurp.

6. CHUTNEYS RELISHES AND SAUCES
Chutneys meaning to crush are spicy condiments. They are often eaten fresh using flavourful ingredients often with perennial or seasonal vegetables.

7. TANGY PICKLES OF THE SOUTH
An Indian meal is incomplete without pickles. Eaten in small amounts, it tickles your tongue with a burst of flavor and makes up for the blandness of some main course meals. Pickles are made from a variety of vegetables, ingredients and spices.

8. TIFFINS / ANYTIME SNACKS
Dosais – The South’s Pancake Wonder
Uppumas – The Crumble Story
Savoury Doughnuts – The Vadais
Healthy Whole Grain Salads
Tiffins also known as health food is made with any grain as pancakes, crumbles, and steamed cakes. Extremely tasty they can be served for supper too.

9. THE SWEET TOUCH
A meal in South India begins with a dab of something sweet on the banana leaf. Interestingly desserts are served before a main course meal. This habit adheres to an ayurvedic habit going back to many generations. Using the saffron is an art. In the South, saffron, cardamom and cloves are used only in desserts.

10. PODIS – PIQUANT SPICES
Spice powders are important taste enhancers of a South Indian cuisine. The recipes are handed down from generation to generation and can have a distinct stamp of a particular region or family.

11. A Glossary of Native Ingredients and Vegetables