Driving through Chennai the other day, I noticed a sign board of a restaurant named Anandha Vilas, with a descriptor -- "Flavours of Kongunadu".
Living in the Nilgiris -- just above the Kongunadu heartland -- I knew about Kongunadu and its food. However, what surprised me was it being marketed as a separate genre. For long, the only other popular sub-regional Tamizh cuisine was from Chettinadu. It is fascinating how many culinary branches exist within a single state -- each distinct from the others.
The geographic diversity of Tamil Nadu is not apparent to people from North India. There was a time when northerners would paint the entire region on the south of the Vindhyas with one brush. It is only recently that they have begun to differentiate between the states. But why fault them alone?
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Even people from the South do not have much knowledge about numerous sub-regions. Talking specifically of Tamil Nadu stretching from the verdant hills and forests in its North-West to the coastal regions of South East and the fertile agricultural plains in between, there is a great deal of cultural variations.
Also, there is not much understanding about the influences of foreign travellers and maritime trade in its culinary traditions. The ancient spice route ran through Tamil Nadu. The Greco-Roman traders crisscrossed between Malabar and Coromandel coast via the Palakkad gap. The population further down South East had intermingled with Arab traders, which contributed to the Tamil Muslim cuisine of the area now called the Sahibu cuisine in coastal towns like Kilakarai and Kayalpatnam.
Each of the Southern empires -- the Cholas and the Pandyas -- left their own imprint. The Chettiyars had business interests in Myanmar (Burma) and SouthEast Asia, and imported some of their spices and culinary traditions. Thanjavur, though the home of the traditional Iyer Brahmin cuisine, was heavily influenced by the Maratha Dynasty that ruled the area for nearly two hundred years, leading to the legend of the Sambhar, allegedly invented for Shivaji's son Sambhaji.
As is natural, some regions have imbibed tastes from the neighbouring states. Thus Nanjil food from around Kanyakumari is similar to that of southern Kerala. Each temple of Tamil Nadu has a culinary heritage of its own and 'Temple Cuisine' is a genre in itself. The temple town of Madurai is known for its street food -- earthy and scrumptious.
They even say every district of Tamil Nadu has a version of its own Biryani. While that may be an exaggeration - it is true that Biryani is the favourite comfort food of Tamil Nadu. While Dindigul, Ambur and Chettinadu Biryanis are more well known - Rawther Biryani is typical of Kongunadu. It is one of the few Biryanis of South which is red in colour for the ample use of Tomato and Kashmiri Chillies. But it is generally not available in large restaurants and is sold from hand carts or small hotels in by-lanes of the city. Otherwise, it is made for feasts by the local Muslim community.
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Kongunadu Food is the cuisine of south-west Tamil Nadu regions bordering Kerala, such as Coimbatore and Salem. It differs from Chettinadu food in terms of its more restrained use of spices and a generous addition of turmeric which the region is famous for. Given the arid climate of the region, millets find a lot of place in the menu. Kambu or Bajra Dosa is a local specialty. Fresh water fish and country chicken are popular, as is every part of the goat from skull to trotters.
The go-to eatery for Kongunadu food in Coimbatore is Haribhavanam, which now has several branches spread across the city. However, the best place for real Kongunadu delicacies is the ubiquitous "Mess".
My personal favourite is the Valarmathi Mess near the Racecourse. It has a limited menu that runs out fast. If you are a brave foodie try the Thala (Goat Skull) Curry or Fry. If your adventure quotient is a bit lower go for the Brain Egg Fry. But everything is great here. Take the advice of the owner who is generally present at the restaurant and you cannot go wrong.
Haribhavam is more upmarket and exotic serving farm quail and rabbit, in addition to the traditional fare. But, being a puritan, my crib against them is that they have strayed from the core to offer North Indian and Manchurian Chinese for enlarging the clientele. However, if you are looking for better ambience than a traditional "Mess", you should head right to one of their outlets.
While writing this, I should not give the impression of Kongunadu cuisine being bereft of vegetarian entrees. Among the more well known are Vazhaipoo Vadai (made from banana flower), Manikaram spicy vadagam curry (made from holy basil and betel nut leaves), Arisi paruppu sadam (rice cooked with dal and spices - a recipe that has existed from the fourth century CE according to legend). Elaneer Payasam, made of tender coconut, is the sweet delicacy of the region but not commonly available. However, the menu of Anandha Vilas looks interesting - especially its range of Parottas. I am putting it on the bucket list for my next visit to Chennai.