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On this “super tiffin” then and now…

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by nilaa, Mar 19, 2009.

  1. nilaa

    nilaa Senior IL'ite

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    Every household has its own signature tiffin and ours is undoubtedly “adai”. Saturdays are adai days.
    Patti ‘s favourite is called the “verumarisi adai”The ingredients being ; ground parboiled rice, mixed with murunga leaves and salt. A stiff dough of the above ingredients are patted mercilessly to a minimum of 2 inch thickness on a hot iron tava, like a medium size dosai. Paatti used to make some holes on the “adai” and bathe it with “velichaennai”/coconut oil. “Turned chilles” used to be the side dish for this. Purple or white chillies found in kerala homes are the ideal ones for this simple accompaniment. But in Madras , paati had no alternative than the bhai kadai green chillies. One or two chillies are pinched hard with crystal salt in a small cup of curds. This tastes terrific and the recipe is simple. This makes one feel that how our elders have lived life in a simple manner in every aspect.Amazing! Coming back to the “ verumarisi adai”, Having one or two of them ,and a thin , off-white “kaapi”in a tall “lota” will suffice. This version of the tiffin literally and figuratively lived up to the word”adai”, which meant “to stuff” or “fill” and thus filled the stomach, without having to worry about for a long time.

    Being children our favourite “adai” was the ones amma made. A shade of orange, a tinge of golden yellow, crisp on the circumference due to the generous drizzling of gingelly oil or ground nut oil, this “adai” always reminded me of the setting sun. With an addition of liberal amount of lentils, a mixture of parboiled and raw rice, fistful of red chillies, some ginger all ground to the coarse batter, makes this wonder tiffin. The batter goes right from the grinding stone to the hot tawa.(from attukal to dosaikal). Grinding the above ingredients in the grinding stone was a breeze for me. Just listen to three or four cinema songs, sing along , with advertisements too (which comes in between) , and the batter is ready!

    “mukka Mukka” was the order of the day. Since that was the evening tiffin and supper as well, amma insisted we ate to our heart’s content.
    The list of side dishes are as follows:
    • A Thoughtfully prepared mor kuzhambu or avial( which was prepared for lunch, keeping “adai” in mind)
    • some gunpowder mixed with left over fried oil(chutta ennai) ,
    • gravy of some pickle( oorugukai vizhuthu),
    • Pattis recipe of “turned chillies”
    • a small piece of jaggery,
    • a blob of butter if fortunate
    • and some veppilaikatti or or fried “thayir milagai”
    Like a jaladarangam, I wanted to have all the above accompaniments in small cups or plates.
    Once after eating " adai" with the one are all the above listed side dishes we forget everything about time, space and causation and rolled in one corner of the house into deep slumber, only to wake up to the boiling smell of small onion sambhar and roasted potatoes. That being ,appa’s favourite Sunday samayal. Those days we ate and slept as if there was no tomorrow, and secretly wished Saturdays and Sundays only existed in week!

    I too follow the legacy of the “Saturdays-adai days”, but with a twist in the recipe. Some fifteen years before , in Pondicherry I had a thin crepe like adai- served with kadappa,it tasted like an expanded vadai,I really fell flat for this version of adai, and started preparing this, until recently the whole world spoke about the goodness of oats and barley, These grains along with ragi sneaked into my preparation of this thin crepe version of “adai”. And for the side dish, saravanabhavan style kaara kuzhambu is fine. But Inji-puli is the deadliest of all combos, yes! Tastes like heaven together when taken in moderate quantum, otherwise can cause havoc with the stomach.
    And for me, no more” Jaladarangam” these days, some honey will do!
     
    1 person likes this.
  2. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Nilaa,
    Where did you go away? There was "new moon"!!
    I loved your post, being a foodie, call me, cookie (oops, not to be cleared!).
    There are many adai favourites in South - this is my survey.
    Now more information:
    In Madurai Durga Bhavan, the adais are super-duper delicious. I tipped the server & learnt the trick - add finely grated bottlegourd to the batter. That makes it less heavy!
    Now on a big tava, make mini-adais & top with
    vellam
    milagaipodi-ennai
    Vellapagu
    A tbsp of aviyal
    Any pickle gravy
    Pineapple jam
    Orange or still better, lemon marmalade.

    The "swargam" is at your feet!
    Your post is a stress buster, extremely enjoyable wioth vivid description, flowing easy style - let me stop!
    What next to murukku & adai, Moon???
    Love,
    Chithra.
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2009
  3. Padmini

    Padmini IL Hall of Fame

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    dear nila,
    your post echoed my thoughts. adai is our favourite tiffin that too with butter.but for adai i feel no jaladarangam is necessary that too for onion adai. your presentation about adai with side dishes was sooooo cute. o.k. it is time for adai. bye!!!
    with love
    pad.
     
  4. iyerviji

    iyerviji Finest Post Winner

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    Dear Nila

    Your write up brought me back the memories of my patti and adai. Those days they used to make thick adais but at present noone eats those thick adais. They want it thin and crisp. Adai with avial and butter I like it very much. Old is really gold . Cant forget those memorable days. Anda nalum vandidadho. The taste of adais or dosas grinded in attukal is superb than those grinded now in mixie. Very well narrated.

    love
    viji
     
  5. Jpatma

    Jpatma Silver IL'ite

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    Dear Nila,
    My mouth is watering. Its sometime that i ate adai & i love it with vennai & vellam. Since my family doesn't like adai (my inlaws don't make adai) i hardly make, but i still long for it deep inside

    Don't forget to post crepe adai recipe.

    Nilaa Nilaa odivaa
    Nilamal odivaa
    adai ehuthu konduva
    Avial vetchu thotukava

    :thumbsupsaliva drooling
    Jaya
     
  6. nilaa

    nilaa Senior IL'ite

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    Dear Chitra Madam,
    It is indeed a privilege getting this encouraging fb from you, and bonus of the recipes. I wanted to visit Madurai once, shall surely visit Durga Bhavan. We get bottle gourd during monsoon from the nearby island. Shall surely try that version. And lemon marmalade with adai.....Wow! Madam.. you are undoubtedly the "kitchen queen".
    We went on a long holiday and our son's exams followed and i had to keep away from the net for sometime. Here again i am... to enjoy the presence of all friends in IL
    Thanks once again,
    and warm regards,
    Nilaa
     
  7. nilaa

    nilaa Senior IL'ite

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    Dear Padmini,
    Thanks for the fb and happy that you like the "adai". Onion adai is my favourite too!
    I have heard that some times onion is ground along with the batter is that so?
    thanks again,
    warm regards,
    Nilaa
     
  8. nilaa

    nilaa Senior IL'ite

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    Dear Viji manni,
    How are you? Happy that you liked the "adai". Andha naallum kattyam vandhidum, come to Maldives and i shall prepare some adai for you.
    thanks once again,
    warm regards,
    Nilaa
     
  9. nilaa

    nilaa Senior IL'ite

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    Dear Jaya (jpatma)
    I loved that "nilaa Nilaa odivaa" of your version. Thank you for the Fb too!

    And for the crepe adai. Soak par boiled rice and raw rice half-a -cup each , also soak kadalai paruppu, paasi paruppu and thuvaram paruppu half a cup each .and barley, ragi a fistful each , urad dhal and methi seeds two tablespoon to this. Add three red chilies and a piece of ginger and grind it to a dosai batter like consistency. You can add more kind of cereals and pulses if you like. Make this adai like the way you make dosais. Fermenting is not necessary. You can make it immediately after grinding. Fermented adai too tastes good. Soaking time is a minimum of 5 to 6 hours.

    hope my recipe is understandable, please ask if there is any doubt.
    thanks again,
    regards,
    Nilaa
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2009
  10. Sriniketan

    Sriniketan IL Hall of Fame

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    nilaa,
    No doubt adai is a super tiffin..with all those accompaniments..:)
    Here my children don't like that...but if I use onion, they like it..
    Me too add what all cereals I have like soya, red kidney beans and which are all not used for sometime..:biggrin2:

    sriniketan
     

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