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The Hindu
08-08-2025
- 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
The Hindu
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Explore the culinary heritage of the Chettinad region with The Suvai festival by The Lotus Palace Chettinad
The Lotus Palace Chettinad, by the Park Hotels, is a heritage property housed in a restored mansion that dates back to the 17th Century. Located in Kanadukathan, near Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu, the hotel is joining hands with other heritage 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 that begins on the evening of July 18. On the first day, guests can indulge in Chettinad-inspired small plates and a seven-course progressive dinner at The Lotus Palace Chettinad, by Chef Niyati Rao of Ekaa Mumbai. On the second day, they can explore the region with visits to an 80-year-old nannari sherbet shop, traditional pickle and vatthal makers, snack making artisanal shop and have a wedding-style banana leaf feast at The Bangala. The day ends with dinner at Chidambara Vilas. On the last day, guests will stroll through the local market. And the festival will end with a Burmese-inspired farewell lunch at Visalam, as an ode to the trade and historic ties between the two regions. The region also holds the Chettinad Heritage Festival annually, but Suvai is distinct. Priya Paul, the chairperson of the Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels, who is spearheading the project, says, 'Suvai is our way of celebrating Chettinad's rich culinary heritage through an intimate, immersive journey. The Chettinad Heritage Festival is a broader cultural showcase while Suvai, also a collaboration with hotels across the region, stays entirely food-focussed: a layered, curated culinary exploration of heirloom recipes, traditional techniques, and local flavours that go beyond the palate. Suvai isn't just a festival — it's a living narrative of Chettinad told on a plate'. The Lotus Palace says they want to make the Suvai festival an annual event. ₹59,999 upwards for the two nights and three days (includes accommodation and curated experiences). At The Lotus Palace, Chettinad, Karaikudi. For more details, call: 9884750601
