A cookery book from a Sahitya Akademi winner explores traditional recipes of Nanjil Nadu

Sahitya Akademi award winner Nanjil Nadan’s book ‘Nanjil Naatu Unavu’
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Food is an integral part of society, and like the fine arts, it flourishes in regions where basic human needs are met. The food habits — both vegetarian and non-vegetarian — of Nanjil Nadu in Kanniyakumari district are, in a way, a melting pot of cultures. For centuries, it was part of the erstwhile Travancore. The use of coconut and coconut oil for cooking, prevalent up to the coastal belt of Goa, creates an unmistakable aroma in the foods of Nanjil Nadu as well.

“Some say that they feel like throwing up when faced with the prospect of eating foods cooked in coconut oil. The same can be said for mustard oil preparations in Uttar Pradesh. One cannot move forward with such mental blocks,” writes Sahitya Akademi award winner Nanjil Nadan in his book Nanjil Naatu Unavu (Kalachuvadu Publishers).

A cookery book by a novelist and essayist, whose writings are often punctuated with verses from the Sangam and classical Tamil literary works, might raise many an eyebrow. “What, Nanjil, are you writing a cookery book?” Nanjil Nadan recalls poet Abdul Rahman asking him at the Madurai Book Fair.

But it is not just a cookery book. It captures the deep culture and tastes associated with food in Nanjil Nadu. The author’s language flows like well-prepared pulimulam (a fish curry unique to Nanjil Nadu) and, in some places, like paruppu payasam. It also reflects the author’s love for traditional cooking. He compares writing about the preparation of pulimulam to Kamban’s efforts in penning the Ramayanam.

In his preface, Nanjil Nadan writes that his objective was not to preserve or worship tradition, but simply “to pass on what my ancestors had to the next generation. There should be books on food from all regions of Tamil Nadu.”

Nanjil Nadan has covered almost every type of food, ranging from juices, beverages, and liquors distilled in some homes, to curries, kuzhambu, pickles, snacks, sweets, rice varieties, and other items that have either disappeared from the plate or now exist only in the memories of a generation that didn’t fall for the fast-food culture.

In Nanjil Nadu, after securing marriages, the priority for families is the menu. Curries must be served in odd numbers: five, seven, nine, eleven, thirteen, or fifteen. Kuzhambu includes doll, sambar, pulicheri, rasam, and buttermilk mixed with ginger, green chilies, and coriander leaves. There will be three types of payasam, known as pradaman, with the variety chosen depending on the season. Jackfruit payasam will be replaced by nendhirapazham (plantain) if it’s off-season, but milk and paruppu payasam are a must. These will be served with matti or kathali bananas from Kanniyakumari district and sprinkled with poonthi or boli.

The menu changes completely if someone has passed away. Pulikari, poosanikkai patchadi, milakai patchadi, or narathangai patchadi with rasam and buttermilk will dominate the spread.

The blurb on the book notes that folklorists would disagree with the idea that food is merely for survival. “Food habits depend on culture, region, festivals, rituals, and the observation of religious customs,” it says.

Nanjil Nadu has documented food items that would otherwise disappear over time, especially as coconut, coconut oil, and rice have earned a bad reputation. The foods are also a reminder of a time when physical labour and intensive farm activities were an integral part of daily life in Nanjil Nadu. Another point is that one must acquire the taste to truly appreciate the food of Nanjil Nadu.