SOMETHING YOU WILL FIND INTERESTING AS AN INTRODUCTION TO READ BEFORE I EXPLAIN THIS RECIPE….
The best part of any south Indian thali is that the meal does not become heavy or gastric once completed. They are tossed in very simple 1 or two ingredient spices and we can fully enjoy the flavours of vegetables. In Tamil Nadu, you see, we rice eaters can never really call it a meal without a side dish added to it. So basically our side dish goes in a lot of variations but similar masala/spices also they are mostly more than one.
When we are cooking rice with gravy or curry, we want some stir-fried vegetables with mild spice, what we call ‘Thoran‘, chutneys being called ‘Thogayal‘, instant pickles called ‘Thokku‘, sautéed vegetables called ‘varuval‘, and deep-fried vegetables called ‘poriyal‘.
In the south, particularly in Tamil Nadu, the majority of the vegetables we add to our dishes are ‘water retention’ vegetables, and our side dishes are lightly tossed vegetables. I am grateful to my Tamilnadu cuisine, which has evolved over generations, even though I have yet to fully explore more traditional recipes.
Whatever I have learned or found appealing to me and my family’s tastes, I have stuck with it. It is just now that my little daughter has started eating side dishes and new recipes, so now my journey to explore more traditional food starts. My meal plates are most of the time COMFORT FOOD RECIPES. meaning I don’t prepare the combination with much spice. Its simple and quick, containing high nutritional values yet retaining its flavours. All the comfort food combinations on my post are curated by my choice, and hence, when I show you a platter or a thaali, remember you may or may not appreciate it with some other combinations.
Like they say, ‘Match are made in heaven,’ so do i say
‘food combinations are made in heart.’
That becomes your memory; you call it a home-cooked meal a few years down the line.
This becomes a traditional recipe… so i keep in mind this fact and cook with immense affection that serves as a magical ingredient to my recipe.
In this platter or thaali here ..
I have created a combination of two thoran (stir fried vegetables) with very mild spices, There is white rice with sambar; rice is our regular cooking plain rice. complimenting the platter with some fries and payasam (Kheer/milk pudding)
1. The link for the sambar style i prepare is here.
Please click over here to redirect you to my sambar post.
2. The link for the okra fry is here.
please click over here to redirect you to my vendakka poriyal post (lady’s finger stir-fried)
3. The link for the kheer is here.
Please click over here to redirect you to my kheer recipe I prepare.
4. STIR FRIED POTATOES RECIPE (COMMONLY OBSERVED IN MY VILLAGE):
In a pan, heat oil, add jeera, add long sliced onions and fry until nice golden brown. Meanwhile, add green chilli and curry leaves. Add a long and thin slice of potato with the skin removed. Cover and cook for two minutes on high flame so they become a little crispy. Now reduce the flame, sprinkle salt, mix well, cover, and cook again until well cooked.
The main hero of this dish is the caramelized onion. So don’t forget to fry them well, as mentioned above.
This platter feel very light and after finishing you get a real sense of satisfaction, The mind and body relax and free itself from distress for a while when we are relishing a soulful food and that’s why they say, “let’s eat something that can calm your mind.
I bet you will love this combination and do let me know in the comment box when you try it. cooking perfectly is not important to me but cooking with love and attention is all for me. I love my own hand-cooked meals. There are some dishes that I love eating with my husband’s hand as well. we really have good cooks running down for generations in our family and relations. So I can assure you that I have mature taste buds, and my recipe will not disappoint you.
Have a great meal!