by Swetha Ramachandran
[box]’Appalam’, ‘Vadaam’, ‘Thogayal’ and Pickles – they are an indispensable part of a South Indian’s meal. Swetha Ramachandran tells you more about these yummy sidekicks.[/box]Ever felt that yummy ‘sambhar saadham’ (rice with dal) was incomplete without the crisp ‘appalams’ or crunchy ‘vadaams’? Ever felt that ‘thayir saadham’(curd rice) could simply not be had without the pickles or ‘thogaiyals’? If you are a south Indian, you must be nodding your head in agreement. Well, if you aren’t a south Indian, here is something you ought to know.
These ‘appalams’, ‘vadaams’, pickles and ‘thogaiyals’ do not make up the main course of the South Indian platter but without them food definitely loses THAT something which makes it tastier and more delicious!‘Appalams’ and ‘vadaams’ are crunchy crackers made usually out of rice flour with a pinch of salt and a dash of ground chilli. The process that precedes the final product, however, is quite a long one. In fact, the vadaam making process is a big ritual in many homes in Tamil Nadu, particularly during the summer season. The batter is cast into desirable shapes and dried continuously for about a week in the sun.
There are special plastic sheets available in the market specially for the purpose of drying these ‘vadaams’. However, sometimes even old cotton sarees serve the purpose! Moreover, the work doesn’t end with placing them under the sun. One has to pay frequent visits to the terrace to shoo away the crows and squirrels that secretly try to sneak in and have a peck of the ‘vadaams’!
Once fully dried, the ‘vadaams’ and ‘appalams’ are fried in oil to produce their crispy counterparts! The only thing left to be done after that is to devour it with rice of any kind or plainly too if you would like to, as they fit the bill for a light mid-day or even a mid-night snack!
These crunchy ‘appalams’ and ‘vadaams’ undoubtedly make an otherwise simple dish wholesome. For people who love variety, there is such a huge range of ‘appalams’ such as ‘kappai’, ‘arishi’ or ‘Lijjat’ and many more, to choose from. And, as for the ‘vadaams’, you have the ‘javverishi’ or the ‘neela’ or the ‘omapodi’. Mora-mora kara-kara and off they shatter away between the teeth and have you asking for more!
And, now the pickles! They definitely seem insignificant in terms of the size of serving, most often finding a place along the sides of our plates. But their importance in a south Indian meal cannot be underestimated. From weddings to train journeys, they have managed to find a place for themselves in a meal!
Be it a fruit or vegetable, the ladies of the south do not spare anything without trying to make a pickle out of it. Pickles down south range from lemons to mangoes to tomatoes to bitter gourd and even mustard and fenugreek.
Pickles are very easy to make. Anything edible (well, almost!) can be cut into little pieces, mixed along with a pinch of salt, chilli powder, spices of sorts and some oil(for longer shelf life) and one ends up as the proud inventor of yet another pickle!
In the league of pickles are the ‘thogaiyals’. They have their own credit for lending a distinct flavour to the taste buds! Their identity, however, lies in the way they cater to the various flavours that the human tongue has ever tasted. In one way they seem sweet, in another spicy, and in certain other varieties, tangy and sour!
‘Thogaiyals’ are made by chopping the main ingredient into small pieces, blending it in the mixer and finally adding spices, salt and in some cases, tamarind. The ones that reign supreme down south are the coconut, coriander and curry leaves based ‘thogaiyals’. But thanks to the innovative minds, one surely has a lot more varieties to choose from the likes of dal, onion, and bottle gourd,to name a few! Well, then, there you go! Get ready to have the ‘thogaiyal’ with curd rice or dosas or chapattis.
It is most often these ‘appalams’, ‘vadaams’, pickles and ‘thogaiyals’ that every South Indian pines for when he or she is away from home.
In fact, anyone who comes home on a holiday is sure to return with a bag packed exclusively with these items! This is because if not for them, food would seem soulless! What’s more, they offer an effortless means to spice up food! In fact, even the most tasteless and blandest of dishes are sure to taste yummy if they are packaged with these delicious sidekicks!
Pic : dainee – http://www.flickr.com/photos/dainee/
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