Thursday, August 5, 2010

South Indian Food inspired by the Thanjavur Marathis

We all have enjoyed and relished several South Indian dishes and some of these have become so much a part of Tamilian or Karnataka cuisine that their origin is forgotten. Even as I write this, I am sure there may arise questions regarding my claiming them as originally TMD dishes. Well, I have supplied enough evidence for my conclusions and hope you all feel the same!

The first one is .....

VANGI BHATH... as the very name suggests Vangi in Standard Marathi and TMD is brinjal and Bhath is rice. In Tamil, vangi is 'kattrikai' and in kannada it is 'badnekai'. Rice in Tamil is 'saadam' and in Kannada is 'anna'. So this is one dish popularly made by all south indian people that may have originated from the Thanjavur Marathi Deshasthas, who settled down south.


RASAVANGI or Vangyacha Rasa
This dish though very popularly made among the Tamil speaking population, so much so that one would think it is an original dish from the Tamil nation, probably has its origins in the Marathi speaking Deshasthas from South India! Rassa is a very popular Standard Marathi dish and once again Vangi is brinjal in both TMD and Standard Marathi. Bhendi Ras and Vangi Ras is still made among the TMDs.


PITLA..
This dish is very very typically a Thanjavur Marathi Dish and has no equivalent among the standard Maharashtrians except in Name. A dish named Pitla is common among the Maharashtrians but this refers to a dish made with besan and water...also called Junka amongst the TMDs.
The Pitla is very popularly made during weddings and auspicious functions. Amongst the Kannada people it is called Kootu. I welcome any conclusions on how this dish came to be a very typical TMD dish

DAANGAR..
What a fearful name that sounds! Even so it is a peculiar dish made with Urad flour mixed in buttermilk with seasoning added. It is had in a small amount as a first course or accompaniment.
This is once again a very typical TMD dish. I have seen recipes of this in Tamil recipe books and called as Daunker.


SAMBAR.. Here is what Wiki has to say about Sambar as a TMD inspired dish! I rest my case!

KOSHAMBRI....
Also called Koshimbir in SM and ads Kosambari in Kannada may be a TMD dish but yet I cannot be too sure. This is a lentil salad in anglicized terms.

SWEET KOSHAMBRI... This is without doubt another TMD original. Generally for weddings and festivals, two koshambirs are made and only among the TMDs a sweet and a spicy koshambir is made! It is made with soaked Chana dal, coconut, sugar and cardamom! This is not made or even heard of by many Kannada Deshasthas.

METHKUT... maybe another TMD original. It is however made by Kannada speaking Deshasthas and is called Menthe Hittu by them.

MARATHI MASALA.. This is a spice powder very much like the current SM Goda Masala. It is darkish in color and in my parents home was used to make Phanasach Sambar फणसाच साम्बार (Jackfruit Sambar) and Golyaacha Ras(Kofta Curry?)

JACKFRUIT SAMBAR(फणसाच साम्बार )...is made only among TMDs and I don't think has an equivalent anywhere .

RECIPES FOR ALL THE ABOVE DISHES CAN BE FOUND AT FEST'N'FOOD.

There are perhaps many more TMD dishes; some have even got lost down the line. Interestingly, they perhaps were made exactly like they were made in Maharashtra today but due to availability of necessities like kokum etc. evolved into very typical TMD dishes!