Kongunadu Cuisine

2021-11-09T04:11:00.000-08:00

Kongunad cuisine is basically a collection of exotic recipes being created by the people residing in the Kongu region. The cuisine is quite extensive for a simple reason that the Kongu region is very vast and includes places like Ooty, Coimbatore (the present headquarters of Kongu Kingdom), Pollachi, Tiruppur, Udumalpet, Avinashi, Palladam, Kangayam (the previous headquarters of Kongu Kingdom) to Karur, Erode, Aathur, Salem, Palani Mettur and Dharapuram.

Some of the aspects that make Kongunad cuisine very special are

The recipes have their own nativity and style. Besides, Kongunad cuisine is a collection of recipes from more than 50 cities n Tamil Nadu, (unlike Chettinad cuisine, which is the food of only one city of Tamil Nadu, called Karaikudi)
Unlike other cuisines, Kongunad cuisine does not involve marination of any raw material.
As a result the food has a different taste and unique texture
Addition of roasted groundnut paste in curries and Khormas creates a very different flavour
Turmeric is always added into curries as freshly grated and ground after roasting. This gives the product a deep yellow colour and an aromatic substance
Kongunad cuisine is not very spicy and oily, which is not the case with other cuisines
The cuisine is healthy and nutritious owing to use of considerable amount of pulses

The recipes had no sort of standardization and the recipes found their origin based on the speciality of that particular city of Kongunad. This is evident from the following instances:

Use of copra (dry coconut) was due to the abundance of coconut trees and coconut oil refineries in the kongu region.
Pickles happens to take an important part in the food, due to abundance of gingelly seeds which is a key ingredient in preparing pickle
There are numerous mutton and beef slaughter houses and thus the fried mutton accompaniment
Chicken finds its place in the daily menu as gravies and curries because chicken farming was the key occupation
Sweets like 'Pathaneer Halwa','Pathaneer Payasam', 'Elanir Halwa', 'Elanir Payasam' formed part of the regular food in kongu region again thanks to abundance of coconut and palm trees.

I would list down the various recipes of the dishes that form the kongu cuisine.

Popular Dishes and Recipes

2020-12-03T21:12:00.000-08:00

Click on the dishes below to get the recipe (Ingredients and Cooking Instructions)

1. Muttaigos Muttai podimas--------------------11. Keerai thayir kari
2. Kathirikkai Masal-----------------------------12. Thayir Semiya
3. Paruppu urundai kuzhambu------------------13. Coconut Chutney
4. Mochai paruppu pasi paruppu kootu----------14. Verkadalai Thuvaiyal
5. Kongu kozhi varuval--------------------------15. Pal Paniyaram
6. Sandavai
7. Rameswaram Chutney
8. Murungai Rasam
9. Ell Thuvaiyal
10. Thakkali Masal

Pal Paniyaram

2008-02-24T00:14:00.000-08:00

Ingredients :

250 gms - Bengal Gram Dal
500 ml - Milk
25 gms - Sugar
1 tsp - Salt
Oil to fry (Gingelly Oil)

Cooking Instructions :

- Soak the lentils overnight, Grind them to a fine paste adding salt along.
- Boil milk, add sugar and keep aside
- Heat the oil, fry balls of the ground lentils till golden brown.
- Strain the fried lentil balls without oil, soak them in the milk for 30 mins.
- Serve after straining or with the milk

Verkadalai Thuvaiyal

2008-01-28T09:40:00.000-08:00

Ingredients :

200 gms - Groundnuts
2 nos - Dry Red Chillies
2 nos - Green Chillies
7 nos - Shallots
1 tsp - Cumin Seeds
1 tsp- Corriander Seeds
3 nos - Garlic Flakes
1 tsp - Tamarind Paste
10 nos - Curry Leaves
2 tsp - Chopped Corriander leaves
Salt to taste
2 tbsp - Oil

Cooking Instructions :

- Dry roast groundnuts, remove skin and keep aside
- Heat oil, saute cumin and corriander seeds till brown , add red chillies , green chillies, garlic, tamaring paste, onions cut into halves and saute
- Add curry leaves, corriander leaves and groundnuts, saute for some time
- Cool the mixture, add salt and grind coarsely
- Groundnut preparation is ready to be served as an accompaniment with idly or dosa

Coconut Chutney

2008-01-15T06:54:00.000-08:00

Ingredients :

1 cup - Grated Coconut
5 nos - Green Chillies
2 tbsp - Curd (Yoghurt)
1/2 tsp - Mustard Seeds
1 tsp - Urad Dal
2 nos - Dry Red Chillies
10 nos - Curry Leaves
2 tbsp - Oil
Salt to taste

Cooking Instructions :

- In a mixer (blender) grind together coconut, green chillies and salt coarsely
- Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds and urad dal, add red chillies and saute
- Add the groung mixture with water as per requirement and bring to boil
- Once it boils remove from heat, add curd and its ready to serve

Serve with Dosa or Idly as an accompaniment

Thayir Semiya

2008-01-11T03:16:00.000-08:00

Ingredients :

1 cup - Roasted Semiya (Rice Noodles)
2 cups - Sour
Curd (Yoghurt)
1 no - Green Chilly
2 tsp - Chopped Corriander Leaves
10 nos - Seedless Grapes (Green)
2 Tbsp - Pomegranate
Salt to taste

Cooking Instructions :

- Boil and strain the semiya, keep aside
- Add curd once the semiya becomes warm.
- Add salt, corriander, grapes, pomegranate, chopped chilly
- Serve it cold

Keerai Thayir Kari (Spinach Curry)

2008-01-07T03:38:00.000-08:00

Ingredients :

250 Gms - Spinach (or any other greens)
1 Cup - Curd (Yoghurt)
3 Nos - Cloves
3 Nos - Garlic Flakes
3 Nos - Dry red Chillies
10 Nos - Curry Leaves
1 tsp - Fenugreek Seeds
2 Nos - Onions
3 Nos - Green Chillies
1 Inch - Ginger
2 Nos - Tomatoes
1 Tsp - Turmeric Powder
4 Tbsp - Oil
2 Tsp - Mustard Seeds
Salt to taste

Cooking Instructions :

- Wash the greens well and keep aside once chopped
- Chop coarsely ginger, garlic, green chillies, onions, tomatoes and keep aside
- Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, garlic, dried chillies, curry leaves and fenugreek and saute on slow fire
- Add chopped onions, ginger, green chillies and saute till golden brown.
- Add to this tomatoes, turmeric powder and salt to taste
- Add spinach to this and saute till cooked, once cooked remove from heat
- Add curd to this and mix well, return to fire
- Bring it to boil and simmer for 5 mins, serve with rice or rice pancakes(Dosa)

Thakkali Masal (Tomato Masala)

2007-12-17T03:22:00.000-08:00

Ingredients :

3 Nos - Tomatoes
1 No - Onion
1 Tsp - Mustard Seeds
1 Tsp - Urad Dal
1 Tsp - Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
1 Tsp - Corriander Leaves
4 Nos - Curry Leaves
1/4 Tsp - Turmeric Powder
2 Tsp - Red Chilly powder
1 Tsp - Ground Pepper
4 Tbsp - Coconut grated
2 Tbsp - Oil
Salt to taste

Cooking Instructions :

- Chop tomatoes and onion and keep aside
- Grind together coconut, pepper and red chilly powder and keep aside
- Temper mustard seeds, dal, cumin, corriander and curry leaves
- Add onions and saute till golden brown
- Add turmeric powder and mic well
- Add tomatoes to this and saute for a while
- After 10mins in simmer add salt and the ground coconut mixture
- Add water if required per the need for consitency
- Bring to boil and it is ready
- Can be served with rice or as accompaniment with
Dosa/Idly

Ell Thuvaiyal

2007-12-12T04:08:00.000-08:00

Ingredients :

1 cup - Sesame Seeds
4 Tsp - Urad Dal
3 Nos - Dry red chillies
1 Tbsp - Tamarind Paste
1 Tsp - Asofaetida
Salt to taste

Cooking Instructions :

- Dry roast the sesame seeds and keep aside
- Saute in oil urad dal, dry red chillies and asofaetida until brown
- Grind together the sauteed mixture, tamarind paste and salt
- Add roasted sesame seeds and grind until fine powder
- Serve with idli or dosa

Murungai Rasam

2007-12-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

Ingredients :

1/4 Cup - Bengal gram dal
1 No - Drumstick
1 Tbsp - Tamrind paste
1/2 tsp - Pepper corns
1/2 Tsp - Cumin Seeds
1 Tsp - Corriander Seeds
2 Nos - Dried red chillies
1 Tbsp - Coconut grated
1 No - Tomato
1 tbsp - Corriander leaves chopped
3 Nos - Curry Leaves
Salt to Taste

Cooking Instructions :

- Cut drumstick into 1 inch pieces
- Pressure cook or boil the gram dal and drumsticks with turmeric powder
- Grind together peppercorns, cumin, corriander seeds and garlic
- Remove the skin of drumsticks and add to a pot along with gram dal
- Mix tomatoes and tamarind paste in little water
- Add the tamrind mixture to the pot and get it to boil
- Add the ground powder to this and boil it for 5 minutes
- With a little oil temper mustard, dried chillies, and coconut
- Bring to a boil and add corriander and curry leaves
- Serve with rice

Rameswaram Chutney

2007-12-04T20:14:00.000-08:00

Ingredients :

2 Tbsp - Urad Dal
2 Tbsp - Toor Dal
4 Nos - Dried Chillies
1 tsp - Tamrind paste
1 cup - Coconut
1/2 Tsp - Asofetida (Hing)
1 Tsp - Mustard Seeds
1 Sprig - Curry Leaves
Salt to taste

Cooking Instructions :

- Saute in oil the dals and dried chillies
- Add grated coconut to this and saute till the cocunut becomes golden brown
- Once golden brown grind the mixture along with tamarind paste and salt to a paste (Add water as required)
- Saute the mustard seeds with curry leaves and hing
- Add the paste to this and saute it for some time
- Once semi dry take off the heat
- Can be served with Idly and Dosa

Muttaigos, muttai podimas (Egg and Cabbage mixture)

2007-12-02T22:15:00.000-08:00

Ingredients :

1/4 Kg - Chopped Cabbage
2 Nos - Eggs
1/2 Cup - Grated coconut
2 Nos - Green Chillies
1 Tsp - Saunf
1 Tsp - Khus Khus
4 Cloves - Garlic
1 No - Ginger
1 No - Onion Chopped
1 Tsp - Mustard Seeds
1 Tsp - Urad Dal
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
2 Tbsp - Oil
Salt to taste

Cooking Instructions :

- Grind together ginger, garlic, saunf, khus khus, green chillies to a rough paste
- With some oil in a pan pop mustard seeds and add urad dal
- Add onions and saute till golden brown
- Add cabbage to the mixture, saute for some time
- Add the ground paste and add 1/2 cup water
- Add salt to taste
- Beat with turmeric powder the two eggs and add it to the cabbage mixture once cooked
- Once the egg is cooked take the pan off the burner and add grated coconut.
- Serve as accompaniment

Kathirikkai Masal

2007-12-01T03:21:00.000-08:00

Ingredients :

6 Nos Aubergines (Brinjals)
1 No Tomato
1 No Cinnamon Stick
3 Nos Cloves
1 Tsp Ginger
1 Tsp Peppercorns
4 Nos Dried red chillies
3 Nos Garlic Cloves
2 tsp Oil

Cooking Instructions :

- Heat some oil and saute cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, red chillies, chopped ginger and chopped garlic
- Grind the mixture and keep aside
- Cut aubergines into fours and you can retain the stem
- In little oil saute chopped tomato and the aubergines for 5 mins
- Add turmeric powder, salt and the ground paste
- Turn the mixture for a few times and if required add some water
- Simmer the micture till the aubergines gets cooked
- Serve with rice and dosa

Parupu urundai Kuzhambu

2007-11-29T10:51:00.000-08:00

For Parupu urundai

Ingredients :

Toor dal – 1 cup
Coconut shredded – ¼ cup or less (Depending on your taste)
Jeera /
Cumin seeds – 1 tbsp.
Green chillies - 1 or 2
Dry red chillies – 1 or 2
Curry leaves – 1 sprig.
Garlic - 1 or 2 (optional)
Salt – As required

Cooking Instructions :

1. Soak the toor dal for an hour.
2. Grind all the above ingredients into a coarse paste without adding any water. If your ground mixture turns out watery, add a bit of rice flour before it is steamed.
3. Now there are two ways to prepare the dal dumplings or parupu urundai.• Make the ground mixture into small bite sized balls and steam in an idli steamer. • Take a non stick pan and add 1 tbsp of oil, when the oil is hot add the grind mixture and fry till alll the extra water evaporates. Allow the mixture to cool and make small bite sized balls.I follow the second method, because it is a lot easier than the first one and I like my dumplings cooked in the sauce.

To grind for the sauce

Ingredients :

Shallot / pearl onions – ½ cup.(Red onions can be used if there are no shallots)
Shredded coconut – ¼ cup
Coriander poder – 1 tbsp
Sambar powder - 1 tbsp
Dry chillies – 1 or 2 (Depending on the spice level).
Medium sized tomato – 1 (optional)

Cooking Instructions :

Heat 1tbsp of oil in a pan, add the onions then the tomatoes and saute well till it is cooked well. Finally add the coconut, sauté for 2 minutes and at the end add the coriander powder, sambar powder and mix well.
Cool the mixture and grind into a fine paste

Final finshing

Ingredients :

Shallot / pearl onions – ½ cup.(Red onions can be used if there are no shallots)
Tamarind – small lemon sized
Turmeric
Salt
Oil
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Hing/ Asfoetida – pinch
Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Cooking Instructions :

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan, do the tadka or thallipu by adding the mustard seeds , curry leaves and asfoetida.
2. Add the onions and sauté it well till it is brown.
3. Add the ground paste and salt, once it is boiling add the tamarind extract.
4. Now slowly drop the dumplings or lentil balls into the sauce and put the pot on slow flame. Do not stir it often, since the lentil dumplings will break and get dissolved.

Mochai Paruppu, Paasi Paruppu Kootu

2007-11-29T10:45:00.000-08:00

Ingredients :

1 Cup of Split Mochai Paruppu and Paasi Paruppu (Val Dal, Moong Dal) cooked with a pinch of turmeric and few drops of oil
1/4 onion chopped
10-15 green beans (any vegetable should work) chopped fine
seasonings,
mustard, cumin and curry leaves
1 tsp ghee

Paste Ingredients :

1 tbsp grated coconut
3 Green Chilies
1 tsp cumin seeds

Lightly toast and make to a paste

Cooking Instructions :

In a pan heat a bit of ghee, add cumin and mustard seeds
Add the onions and fry till translucent
Add the green beans and salt and cook till the beans are tender
Add the coconut paste and let it cook for a 2-3 minutes
Add the mashed dal with a 1/2 cup of water and let it simmer for a 5-6 minutes

Kongu Kozhi Varuval

2007-11-23T03:54:00.000-08:00

Ingredients :

1 no - Chicken (Cut into pieces)
150 gms - Onions
150 gms - Tomatoes
10 nos - Peppercorns
4 nos - Dried Chillies (Vattal)
2 Tbsp - Corriander Leaves
1 Tsp - Turmeric Powder
1 Cup - Grated Coconut
50 gms - Ghee

Cooking Instructions :

- Make a paste of the grated coconut and corriander leaves and keep aside
- Grind peppercorns, dried chillies, onions and turmeric powder and keep aside
- In a pan heat ghee and add the paste of onions and cook till the raw smell leaves
- Add the cocunut paste and the chicken pieces to the pan
- Mix them throughly, close the pan and let it simmer for 20 mins
- Add cubes of tomatoes, sprikle some water and mix the contents well for 10 mins
- Add some more water till the mixture submerges, add salt to taste
- Cook the mixture till the chicken tenderizes
- Serve with garnish of chopped corriander.

Sandavai

2007-11-12T05:17:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 cups Par Boiled Rice
1 cup Freshly Grated conconut
5 nos Cardamom Pods
Salt to taste

Cooking Instructions:

- Grind the rice into a semi smooth flour
- Powder the cardaom pods and mix it with the rice flour
- Add salt to this mixture
- Add luke warm water to this mixture until it forms a paste
- Take Idli plates and line them with grated cocunut
- using a sandavai nazhi (Idiyappam press) squeeze the paste on to the idli plate
- steam the sandavai for 9 mins till cooked
- serve it with some spicy gravy (The suggested gravies would follow in the days to come)