13 February 2006

Kalyaana saapadu

I have been fantasising about kalyana saapadu (meals at weddings). ;-)


I know, I know, what a thing to fantasise about. As though I didn't have anything better to do. But I can't help myself. I have had just two such occasions in the last 8 years, which averages to just one saapadu every four years. And for a foodie like me, that is disastrous.

And just any kalayana saapadu won't do for me. It has to be the traditional south Indian brahmin one (ah, the perils of being TamBram). So much so, that I've spent much of my recent non-existent free time working out my ideal menu...

(not necessarily in order of service - and now updated to include readers' items...)

Firstly, after a morning tiffin of
rava kesari
bonda
pongal
idli chutney
followed by lunch proper which includes
nokkal
pineapple rasam
beans paruppu usili
paruppu Kozhambu
more kozhambu
urulai poriyal
jangiri
some yummy newly-made urugai (with my fave being maangai thokku)
paal payasam
puliyorai
some form of chips
mixture
boondi laddu
& even the humble multi-coloured maida cake
avial
paruppu vadai
ven pongal
chenai varuval


Yes, I can tell that my menu is skewed very heavily in favour of sweets. And I also know, that due to prolonged absence, I must have forgotten many an important item.

But hey, it's my dream menu after all. But I would like to hear from my gentle readers what they think an ideal menu should comprise. Any suggestions?

And till such time as one of my friends or cousins or rellies decides to get hitched when I happen to be in India next (note: when I hap to be there, 'coz I am not really sure if I can go at the time they get hitched), this will be the closest I can get to a meal like this. Poor 'ol me.

22 comments:

Shammi said...

Chenai varuval
paruppu vadai
beans paruppu usili

and what is nokkal?

Castor aka Kiwilax said...

I was just waiting for some to ask me what nokkal was:)
cashenuts dipped in sugar syrup - used to love'em when i was a kid.
and ohmigosh, how could i miss the vadai? i have lost it, for sure:(

Anonymous said...

Wow! at first browse...seems it deserves frequent visits.
Balajee

Anonymous said...

Your menu sounds yummy. Only I can’t relate to it because it is very traditional one. Why can’t we design the menu and have a pot luck evening. Won’t that be fun.
Gayathri

Castor aka Kiwilax said...

Thanks Balajee - do keep visiting often. As a fellow Chennaite, I am sure you will find something of interest here.

Gayathri: Why not, we can do up a menu here, only most of the things will probably taste different. Maybe we can even get banana leaves from somewhere and eat on them, just for authenticity.

Anonymous said...

Your blog implies only one thing "Masakai". Whats been going on Lakshmi???

Mr. J said...

Hey, why no mention of good ol tasty yummy Pongal with pepper corns...

LAK said...

Another avatar, Goldenstring, lakshmi? It is really hard keeping track, y'know! From the URL, I'd thot you'd be lakshmi, then I used the grey cells on Goldenstring and came up with Swarnamala--u gotta agree that was bright! I was just gearing up to change the name of my link to yr blog to GS. I was too slow, I guess.I'll now directly put kiwimyl.
And, and and---great minds! Just yesterday I was longing for a wedding feast andhra style--with special emphasis on the sweets! And I was wistfully thinking that you can't even probably get them in sweetshops, bec they are exclusive to weddings---i don't even know some of their names!There is a divine melt-in-the-mouth confection made from the humble bottlegourd, which I had only once ages ago and am pining for it ever since.

Anonymous said...

and i forgot aviyal

Anonymous said...

Papji, your list looks yummy.. I agree with Shyam .. avial avial avial!
But you know what .. what I really enjoy the most is the tiffin part of Tamil weddings... rava kesari and bonda. or pongal or idli-chutney and rava kesari.. ever heard of a better breakfast than that? And here I am in a cold country where you can only get tasteless cereal and bagel for breakfast!!

Vidya

Castor aka Kiwilax said...

Ash,

All that Valentine celebrations and 'love is in the air' mood has left you with a lot of overly-romantic notions in your head!:-)

Castor aka Kiwilax said...

Me: Sorry, I did miss the good ol' Pongal, just like I did with the vadai, etc, etc.....please accept my humble apols *grin*

Castor aka Kiwilax said...

Lak,my sincere and total apols. But being a Gemini, I think I am addicted to some sort of a change. And i do like to keep trying till at least I am fairly (not very) happy with the results. Touch wood, I think I won't change me blog for the time being.
AS for the Andhra dishes, tell me about them - I have had just one wedding meal in Hyd, about 15 yrs ago and it was super. Loved it. *Sigh* our cuisine is out of this world.

Castor aka Kiwilax said...

Shyam: Done deal, will add avial to the list.

Confused: I knew that the menu was a bit tricky as it is very traditional and very TamBram. I will add an index of what's what as soon as I can. Thanking for dropping by.

Castor aka Kiwilax said...

Vidhu: I adore wedding tiffins too, but I thought I better not overdo the food bit. And also to do justice to the varierty of dishes, probably need another entire post only on tiffin. cheers.

Mr. J said...

Apologies accepted since you appreciate hyderabadi cusine. Next time you go to Hyd, check out the Double ka meetha, Kubani ka meetha, and Haleem during Ramzan.. its yuuuuuumm.. and yeh chicken tangdi and the famous Hyderabadi biryani and write about it.. oohh.. sorry, got carried away :D

Castor aka Kiwilax said...

Hey Me,
I have checked out quite a few Hyd items - like Kubani ka meetha when I was there in Dec last year. I just love this veggie restaurant called 'Utsav' near Tivoli cinema, the food there is just out of the world. Have you been there?

Houseowner said...

i llurrrrrve nokkal and ur entire menu... now how do we get invited to a wedding?! :)

cheers!
ramya

Mr. J said...

Utsav.. ohh yeh, that's a really nice place for veggie stuff. Ok... now you making me really hungry and homesick...

Castor aka Kiwilax said...

Rums, hi da, been a long time. Yes, that is the tricky question - how do we get a wedding on? Sure u dont have any friends' wedding coming up - maybe we can all gatecrash?

Me: Sorry, didn't mean to make you homesick. But yes, Utsav is a great place for veggie food.

Anonymous said...

you have no pity! Here we are dying of homesickness and depression after a nice long trip to India (to attend a wedding ofcourse) and trying to forget it so that we can carry on with our boring life here and here you are all set to destroy us again by reminding it!!!
C

Castor aka Kiwilax said...

Sister C, come on. You've just come back many wedding meals. Think of us poor souls. Btw, you never did tell me what the wedding menu was. Let's catch up on that during our next jaunt.