In the busy kitchens of Tamil households, food isn't just something you eat.
For centuries now, Tamil cuisine has been a huge part of everyday life, not only tantalizing taste buds but also nurturing bodies and minds.
We all love Tamil food - but how many of us actually know why we make food the way we do?
And how many of us can actually make it ourselves? (No seriously, if you can make Chicken Curry - please hmu)
The heart of Tamil cuisine was built around a simple principle - உணவே மருந்து, மருந்தென உணவு (Unave marunthu, marunthei unavu) Meaning, food is medicine and medicine is food.
Step into a Tamil kitchen, and you're bound to run into a treasure trove of spices—turmeric, cumin, coriander, and more.
These spices aren't just for show. Turmeric has serious anti-inflammatory properties, while cumin aids digestion and coriander detoxifies the body.
Tamil cuisine recognizes the intimate connection between food and the body, treating ailments from the inside out.
In an era dominated by fast food and apps like Uber Eats, there's something timeless knowing you're eating the same food your grandparents did. (According to my dad - his mom's curry was better - but who's really checking?)
Tamil cuisine stands as a beacon of tradition and wisdom.
While embracing modern innovations, Tamil cooks remain steadfast in preserving the time-honored practices that have sustained generations. From farm to table, Tamil food honors the earth, the body, and the spirit.
Every dish tells a story, every signature curry carries a story from our past - and also the special touch of those making it.
As diaspora Tamils, it’s our job to carry forward these dishes and these stories.
A lot of us, myself included - can’t really cook. And worse yet, don’t see the need to.
With our families cooking all the dishes we could ever want - none of us take the time to learn how to make them ourselves.
With this, a huge part of our identity (and my sanity), is a generation away from being lost forever. With more resources available to us than ever before - we have no excuse not to know how to make at least a couple of our favorite Tamil dishes.
So, the next time you sit down to a steaming plate of Sambar or your mother’s Mutton Curry, remember that you're not just eating; you're partaking in a timeless tradition—a tradition of food as medicine, food as sustenance, and food as love.
And remember that sooner or later - it’ll be your job to make those dishes.
So… What’s your favorite Tamil food?
And why is it Roti with Chicken Curry?
