How Chettinad's cuisine holds the secrets of its mercantile people. We find out on a food trail
Last year, the Park hotels restored one of the oldest mansions in the region and launched the Lotus Palace Chettinad. Located near Karaikudi, the hotel joins hands with other properties in the area for Suvai, a three-day festival celebrating the cuisine of Chettinad. Iconic properties such as The Bangala, Visalam, Chidambara Vilas, and Chettinad Mansion, are also part of the festival. So, I pack my bags and catch a flight to Trichy, to immerse myself in the region's rich history.
Who are the Chettiars?
Day one of the festival kicks off with a welcome dinner at The Lotus Palace by Priya Paul, the chairperson of Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd. I am staying at Visalam, an art-Deco style CGH Earth hotel, a few minutes away. The dinner is curated by chefs Niyati Rao from Ekaa, Mumbai, and Ashutosh Nerlekar from The Park, Chennai, and is a mix of traditional and modern. Think almond soup with gundu milagai chillies, and lamb brain venpongal.
With my drink in my hand, I join Kathiravan Karunanithi, the hotel's manager, on a tour of the property and a riveting history lesson. 'Chetty' is derived from the Sanskrit word sreshta, the same root for words like seth. They are a wealthy merchant class from Tamil Nadu. Legends say they originally lived near the coast in Kaveri Poompatinam and a tsunami drove them inland. They settled in villages in the Pudukottai district. Since they were maritime traders from the eighth century, they travelled far and wide. Their homes and kitchens bear testament to that; enamel and lacquer ware, antique wooden furniture, dry preserved foods like vatthals and dried meat, and of course, the spices. They even brought back the 'forbidden' black rice from East Asia and use it to make payasam.
Between wedding feasts and street snacks
After a breakfast of steamed rice kozhukattai and dosa, we are off to explore the town. The first stop is Soundaram snacks. I feel like Charlie in the chocolate factory, except it is heaps of murukus instead of trees of candy. A family-run and women-led business, Soundaram makes authentic coconut oil and rice flour snacks. After the tour and watching the women hand-make the murukus and seedais, I buy a bagful to take it back to Bengaluru with me.
Lunch is at The Bangala, a property run by the 92-year-old Meenakshi Meyyappan. After a cooking demonstration using local spices, we sit down for a wedding-style feast. Banana leaf prepped, I watch in awe as the servers pile on dish after dish. Chettinad food may have a reputation of being spicy, but here I find it balanced and ingredient-focussed. To name a few, I have — banana flower ketti kuzhambu, mutton uppi kari, chicken pepper masala, peanut capsicum mandi and badam halwa.
To get our appetites ready for the evening, we take an afternoon walk in the antique market of Karaikudi. Here you can find cast iron vessels, enamelware crockery and kitchen tools, that was all collected as dowry for the women in the community.
Before dinner we stop at Chettinadu Mansion for high tea. The hotel has snacks such as black rice upma, sweet and savoury kozhukattai, paniyaram, and even a spicy and garlicy rose petal chutney.
Tales from the kitchen
The evening begins with an illuminating session between historian V Sriram and author Meyyammai Murugappan. Meyyammai wrote The Chettinad Cookbook, with her sister Visalakshi Ramaswamy. In the conversation she shares anecdotes about growing up near her grandmother's house, which was just across the lane, and how her grandmother cooked for her. After she got married, Meyyammai went to Malaysia and slowly learnt to cook there. Through the talk I learn how frugal, yet hospitable the community is. While the men travelled, the women ran the house. Saving and storing food is a large part of their culture; it would be trumpeted today as sustainability.
We round off the day with a tiffin style dinner at Chidambara Vilas, an 118-year-old home that is now a luxury hotel. I go to bed thinking to myself there is no such thing as too much kozhukattai.
From Burma with love
The farewell lunch takes place the next day at Visalam. The house was built a century ago by KVAL Ramanathan Chettiar for his eldest daughter, Visalakshi. This lunch is inspired by Burmese flavours, reflecting the Chettiars' frequent travels to the region. We have a mildly spiced khao sway, bein mont (a sweet Burmese pancake) and peru soru, also called King's one pot mutton meal.
Chettinad is its own pocket of culture, history and heritage in the middle of an arid landscape. Its stories, architecture, cuisine food, and enterprising people make it unique and a must-visit for lovers of history and food.
The writer was in Chettinad at the invitation of The Lotus Palace Chettinad
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The Hindu
4 days ago
- The Hindu
How Chettinad's cuisine holds the secrets of its mercantile people. We find out on a food trail
The sweet smell of marigolds mixed with the still humidity of a Tamil Nadu afternoon linger in the air. We are in a palatial Chettinad mansion, one of many that we will visit in the coming few days. The tiles are a work of beauty, the Burmese teak pillars stand imposingly tall, and the aromas from the kitchen beckon. I am in the historic region of Chettinad on a food trail called Suvai, organised by The Lotus Palace Chettinad. Over this weekend, I try all the food that the region has to offer and learn more about the Chettiar community. Last year, the Park hotels restored one of the oldest mansions in the region and launched the Lotus Palace Chettinad. Located near Karaikudi, the hotel joins hands with other properties in the area for Suvai, a three-day festival celebrating the cuisine of Chettinad. Iconic properties such as The Bangala, Visalam, Chidambara Vilas, and Chettinad Mansion, are also part of the festival. So, I pack my bags and catch a flight to Trichy, to immerse myself in the region's rich history. Who are the Chettiars? Day one of the festival kicks off with a welcome dinner at The Lotus Palace by Priya Paul, the chairperson of Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd. I am staying at Visalam, an art-Deco style CGH Earth hotel, a few minutes away. The dinner is curated by chefs Niyati Rao from Ekaa, Mumbai, and Ashutosh Nerlekar from The Park, Chennai, and is a mix of traditional and modern. Think almond soup with gundu milagai chillies, and lamb brain venpongal. With my drink in my hand, I join Kathiravan Karunanithi, the hotel's manager, on a tour of the property and a riveting history lesson. 'Chetty' is derived from the Sanskrit word sreshta, the same root for words like seth. They are a wealthy merchant class from Tamil Nadu. Legends say they originally lived near the coast in Kaveri Poompatinam and a tsunami drove them inland. They settled in villages in the Pudukottai district. Since they were maritime traders from the eighth century, they travelled far and wide. Their homes and kitchens bear testament to that; enamel and lacquer ware, antique wooden furniture, dry preserved foods like vatthals and dried meat, and of course, the spices. They even brought back the 'forbidden' black rice from East Asia and use it to make payasam. Between wedding feasts and street snacks After a breakfast of steamed rice kozhukattai and dosa, we are off to explore the town. The first stop is Soundaram snacks. I feel like Charlie in the chocolate factory, except it is heaps of murukus instead of trees of candy. A family-run and women-led business, Soundaram makes authentic coconut oil and rice flour snacks. After the tour and watching the women hand-make the murukus and seedais, I buy a bagful to take it back to Bengaluru with me. Lunch is at The Bangala, a property run by the 92-year-old Meenakshi Meyyappan. After a cooking demonstration using local spices, we sit down for a wedding-style feast. Banana leaf prepped, I watch in awe as the servers pile on dish after dish. Chettinad food may have a reputation of being spicy, but here I find it balanced and ingredient-focussed. To name a few, I have — banana flower ketti kuzhambu, mutton uppi kari, chicken pepper masala, peanut capsicum mandi and badam halwa. To get our appetites ready for the evening, we take an afternoon walk in the antique market of Karaikudi. Here you can find cast iron vessels, enamelware crockery and kitchen tools, that was all collected as dowry for the women in the community. Before dinner we stop at Chettinadu Mansion for high tea. The hotel has snacks such as black rice upma, sweet and savoury kozhukattai, paniyaram, and even a spicy and garlicy rose petal chutney. Tales from the kitchen The evening begins with an illuminating session between historian V Sriram and author Meyyammai Murugappan. Meyyammai wrote The Chettinad Cookbook, with her sister Visalakshi Ramaswamy. In the conversation she shares anecdotes about growing up near her grandmother's house, which was just across the lane, and how her grandmother cooked for her. After she got married, Meyyammai went to Malaysia and slowly learnt to cook there. Through the talk I learn how frugal, yet hospitable the community is. While the men travelled, the women ran the house. Saving and storing food is a large part of their culture; it would be trumpeted today as sustainability. We round off the day with a tiffin style dinner at Chidambara Vilas, an 118-year-old home that is now a luxury hotel. I go to bed thinking to myself there is no such thing as too much kozhukattai. From Burma with love The farewell lunch takes place the next day at Visalam. The house was built a century ago by KVAL Ramanathan Chettiar for his eldest daughter, Visalakshi. This lunch is inspired by Burmese flavours, reflecting the Chettiars' frequent travels to the region. We have a mildly spiced khao sway, bein mont (a sweet Burmese pancake) and peru soru, also called King's one pot mutton meal. Chettinad is its own pocket of culture, history and heritage in the middle of an arid landscape. Its stories, architecture, cuisine food, and enterprising people make it unique and a must-visit for lovers of history and food. The writer was in Chettinad at the invitation of The Lotus Palace Chettinad
Time of India
7 days ago
- Time of India
IND vs ENG: The transition is over! Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir deliver a powerful statement at The Oval
London: Once all the media formalities were completed, the Indian team whizzed out of the Oval fast on Monday afternoon. They reached the team hotel and had a short customary celebration before dispersing. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now If one went out for a stroll in the evening on the stretch from Oxford Street to Piccadilly Circus, one could have casually bumped into a few members of the Indian team. Prasidh Krishna was there with his family. Kuldeep Yadav hopped stores with former India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla. Arshdeep Singh too had his family with him. Head coach checked out of the team hotel by evening. Captain had his friends and family over to celebrate a memorable tour that has placed him at the centre of 's power centre. The coach-captain duo has come out of their first assignment with flying colours, having drawn the five-Test series, including the dramatic six-run win in the fifth Test on Monday. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Bigger milestones now beckon. Before this tour, there had been discussions around the future of the coach-captain combination. Having settled all the doubts, now it's time for the two to set concrete plans for the future. Poll Do you believe Shubman Gill is the right captain for the Indian cricket team moving forward? Yes, absolutely No, he needs more experience Undecided Gill landed in England with an Indian team in the first week of June with questions being raised about his inexperience. Now he deserves to go off the constant high-performance routine of an India cricketer for a few days. Meanwhile, Gambhir's tenure as India's head coach has revolved around his strong people-over-individuals philosophy. He is also a coach who came into the Indian dressing room to wipe out the superstar culture. IND vs ENG: Mohammed Siraj reflects on memorable win at The Oval Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin retired from Test cricket before the selectors could get down to planning for the English summer. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Jasprit Bumrah, the biggest name after Kohli and Rohit, declared he was available for only three of the five Tests. India boarded the flight from Mumbai to London after a disastrous first six months in Test cricket under Gambhir. The ICC Champions Trophy triumph in March aside, Gambhir knew he had to deliver. Not that there was any immediate threat to his position, but a drubbing with a fresh team here would have been detrimental to his reputation. The first thing he did was to instill enough conviction in Gill and the team. 'Before the start of the series, Gauti bhai (Gambhir) said that we are a young team, but we don't want to be looked at as a young team. We want to be looked at as a gun team'. The way we played today showed why we are a gun team,' Gill said. This has also been Gambhir's line of thinking. After India pulled off a draw in the fourth Test in Manchester, having trailed almost throughout the match, a typically combative Gambhir decided to front up to the media. 'I don't like to call this a team in transition. I will say they are inexperienced,' he had said. There is this unmistakable aversion to the word 'transition'. 'Even if there was no transition or if we had the old players, everything would have looked good if batters and bowlers performed,' Gill said. Then he went on to highlight his batting lineup's stellar performance in the series. 'Almost every batter in the series has performed. They have scored hundreds. They have scored runs in crucial and crunch situations,' he mentioned, offering enough hints that this team management had moved on long before the world could. Gill's confidence in his batting lineup is backed up by numbers. 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So, it could come down to picking either the two-Test series against West Indies at home in Oct before South Africa come in Dec for another two Tests. India don't have another five-Test series in two years. With the team expected to play on spin-friendly pitches in India, there won't be much load on the pacers. The selectors and Bumrah can comfortably plan his availability for white-ball tournaments like the T20 World Cup at home in Feb-March next year. ODI leadership shakeup With Gill and Gambhir striking a cord, there could be a temptation to revisit the ODI leadership group going forward. Gill is already the designated vice-captain in the ODI format. His consistency with the bat makes him indispensable. With incumbent Rohit Sharma not being a certainty for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, there are murmurs in the board that if a new captain had to take charge, he should get a fair time to shape the ODI team according to his philosophies. India don't play much ODI cricket in the build-up to the 2027 World Cup.
The Hindu
31-07-2025
- The Hindu
Burma Burma returns to Delhi with tea, stories, and a sweet new chapter
After a seven-year hiatus, Burma Burma, the vegetarian Burmese restaurant and tea room, has made its way back to Delhi-NCR's dining scene. Known for its layered flavours, warm hospitality, and immersive storytelling, the brand has launched three new outlets—at DLF Promenade in Vasant Kunj, Worldmark 3 at Aerocity, and Worldmark 65 in Gurugram—marking a significant expansion in the region. 'Delhi is, and will continue to be, one of our most exciting markets,' says Ankit Gupta, co-founder of Burma Burma. 'People here love to eat, they love to go out, and food is a big part of their lives.' A tea-forward menu Tea has always been central to Burma Burma's philosophy, and the new From Burma with Tea menu takes this focus further. 'We are one of the very few restaurant-forward brands that explicitly calls itself a restaurant and tearoom,' says Ankit. 'In Burma, tea–or Laphet Yay–is at the heart of daily life, so much so that it is even eaten. Tea shops, not restaurants, have long been the country's social hubs, where people gather after work to share tea and watch movies together,' he adds. India's deep-rooted chai culture made it easy for Burma Burma to introduce Indian diners to Burma's vibrant tea traditions. What began as a cultural parallel soon evolved into a deeper exploration, culminating in the addition of pulled tea to the brand's offerings, an ode to a ritual that's as beloved in Yangon as it is in Delhi. The pulled tea is a creamy, layered drink made with black tea and three types of milk—regular, evaporated and condensed—and pulled to achieve the perfect texture. The limited-edition menu features Yangon Royal Tea, layered with cream and best enjoyed with Chin state potato croquettes—crisp bites of five-spice mock meat, served with a spring salad and black bean dip. The creamy bagan tea brings a richer, rounder flavour, while chilled choices like iced milk tea (with spiced black tea and milk foam) and the coconut iced tea (with coconut milk and custard) bring a refreshing counterpoint. At Burma Burma's tea shop, snacks and noodle bowls elevate a simple tea break into a satisfying meal. Begin with the seared tofu and avocado salad, a dish made of crisp tofu, creamy avocado, tomatoes, and scallions tossed in a chilli-garlic lime dressing. The corner cart skewers, inspired by Burmese street food, feature pan-seared mock meatballs in a sticky chilli glaze. For something bold, try the cracklin' Burmese dumplings, that are stuffed with edamame and shiitake, spiced with Kalar Lay curry, and paired with a mustard-chilli dip. End on a sweet note with tea shop toast, honey-glazed and soaked in custard apple milk, finished with clotted cream. A sweet finale The brand's expansion is also marked by a reimagined dessert programme, The Sweet Life. Curated in collaboration with award-winning patisserie expert chef Vinesh Johny, the menu draws from Burma's tropical abundance, think bananas, coconuts, peaches and berries, while also playing with nostalgia. Start with the celebration cake. Seven layers of moist chocolate sponge with tart cherries, finished tableside with a pour of molten chocolate. The milk tea cheesecake, infused with Burmese laphet ye, is a Basque-style treat served with cinnamon-spiced apple compote. For a tropical finish, try the Coconut and pineapple crème brûlée, topped with caramel and served with pineapple compote, cinnamon gelato, honeycomb, and a semolina cake crumble. Burma Burma is already eyeing its next phase of expansion in Delhi-NCR, with potential locations at Pacific Mall in Rajouri Garden and Dwarka, the upcoming DLF Mall of India in Gurugram, and Ambience Mall, also in Gurugram. 'As the city grows and new spaces emerge, we will capitalise on the right opportunities,' says Ankit adding that the brand has also filed patents in the UK and UAE in preparation for international expansion. From Burma with Tea, available from August 1 to September 30, 2025 at the three newly opened restaurants in Delhi NCR. This special menu will subsequently be available at all 18 Burma Burma restaurants across India from Sept 1 to 30, 2025.
