Whenever we hear about a wedding, the first thing which comes to our mind is food. Indian weddings have delicious and varieties of food stalls.
It’s rightly said “There is no sincere love than the love of food” or a famous spanish saying “The belly rules the mind.”
Indian weddings are great occasions to behold. They give significance to traditional ceremonies and above all, more importance is given to the food menu, which should always be top-notch. Especially South Indian weddings or destination weddings in Chennai. They consider that guests who come to attend the wedding should relish the food which is considered as a blessing for the bride and groom and this is why it is necessary to book the best wedding caterers in Chennai.
It is done in a sit-down meal arrangement in the wedding hall adjacent to the main wedding banquet. The food is served in a traditional manner on a banana leaf. Usually the food which is served is vegetarian to mark the auspicious occasion. People generally eat food with bare hands without fork or spoon unlike other countries.
This 10 food specialities are must have in a South Indian wedding meal:
1. Rice: It’s their staple food dish which is present in almost every meal consumed in Chennai. It is served throughout the meal to act as a vehicle to be mixed with and eaten with the other dishes on the menu.
2. Sambhar: It is lentil based vegetable stew which is a combination of tangy and spicy. It serves as the perfect way to get one’s taste buds perked up.
3. Aviyal: Vegetable mix consisting mostly of sliced drumstick, carrots, green beans prepared in coconut oil and curry leaves added while tempering. It can be eaten as condiments mixed with rice.
4. Kootu: Semi solid lentil and vegetable stew prepared with fresh coconut paste mixed with spices and vegetables like carrots, beans, diced potatoes, diced pumpkin, cucumber and peas cooked with turmeric powder and salt in water.
5. Rasam: It is spicy, sweet and sour soup stock traditionally prepared using tomatoes and tamarind. Spices like cumin, pepper and garlic are added to the stock to add heat and flavor. Herbs are used to season it. Second main dish served after sambhar. It helps relieve symptoms of common cold, stomach ailments and aids in digestion.
6. Poriyal: Ultimate vegetable side dish for any meal one will have in Tamil Nadu. It consists of fried or sauteed vegetables which are either diced or sliced up. Mustard seeds, onions, chillies, turmeric and coriander are usually added to the dish while cooking.
7. Appalam: Thin, crisp, roughly round flat bread. It is made from rice flour dough and salted as per the taste. It is hand-shaped and then deep fried in oil to give its crispiness. Served as accompaniment to the meal.
8. Thayir Saadam: Yogurt mixed with rice is known as Thayir Saadam in Tamil Nadu. It is usually served as the third main dish after Rasam. It can be served with poriyal, pickle and can also sometimes be topped with pomegranate seeds or coriander leaves. It acts as natural coolant to bring down the body temperature after the spiciness of the previous dishes.
9. Vadai: A savory snack which is served hot. It is made from legumes like chickpea, black gram or green gram. The legumes are ground to make a batter and shaped and deep fried. The shape of it depends on the type of vadai and the legume used to make it.
10. Payasam: It is a rice pudding made by boiling milk and sugar with rice along with some dried fruits like almonds and cashew nuts. The rice can be substituted with vermicelli, millet or wheat. It is the primary dessert dish in any typical Tamil wedding menu.
After the guests are done eating, it is customary to fold the banana leaf (towards you if you enjoyed the meal and away from you if you didn’t enjoy the meal).
