Chettinad Wedding Spread is a spread that is served for weddings of the Chettiar community of South India.
Chettinad Cuisine is the cuisine of the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu. Food from this state is predominantly vegetarian due to the majority of Tamil Brahmins. Traditionally their meals are served on banana leaves with servings of rice, buttermilk, pickles, papads, and salads. They follow a specific protocol where each dish served should be at a designated space and order on the banana leaf.
Chettinad Cuisine largely uses spices like fennel, cloves, bay leaf, star anise, fenugreek, and cumin. It’s interesting to note that some of their recipes use garlic with skin!
Today I have tried to create a wedding spread, the menu for this has been planned by Valli. To be frank, I had no clue about this cuisine, and since I wanted to explore it, I decided on it and asked Valli to get me an authentic menu and recipes. When it comes to South Indian Food, I definitely need help in planning for it. With the menu and recipes all ready, my 50% work was done, so I definitely have to give credit to Valli. Thanks, Valli, this was quite a spread and my family loved it.
Here is the menu that was served for the Chettinad Spread, which is my 5th Regional Thali under The Thali and Platter Festival. The meal is normally served in the following sequence.
First salt is served followed by vegetable dishes.
Dry vegetables
Chettinad Muttaikose Thuvattal
Beetroot Kola
Tomato Soup
Fruit Payasam
Jhangiri
Main Course
Brinji
Followed by
Steamed Rice
Getti Parupu / Thick Toor Dal
Ghee
Sambar
Pineapple Rasam
Kuzhambu
Vendaikkaai Mandi
This meal was prepared for a Sunday Lunch and we loved the flavours. Everyone had a different choice for the best dish. Potatoes ranked on top, so I shall share the recipe for these today.
I normally use regular onion or baby onions while making any South Indian, but this time I went out of my way to get shallots. It sure was a task to peel more than one kg of shallots, but totally worth it. I shall talk about each dish as and when I post them in the upcoming marathons, at present I can only say Chettinad Cuisine is super delicious.
I have some more meals from South India, check them out!
Let’s look at the Thali spreads that I have posted so far for The Thali and Platter Festival-
Week 1
Everyday Thalis
Day 1 Sindhi Lunch Thali
Day 1 Guar ji Bhaji
Day 2 Chithiyal Gogdu
Day 3 Sindhi Moong Dal
Day 4 Sindhi Kadhi Dal ji
Week 2
Regional Thalis
Day 5 Royal Awadhi Thali
Day 5 Subz e Noor Chashm
Day 6 Parathe wali Gali ki Thali
Day 6 Kaddu ki Khatti Meethi Sabzi
Day 7 Sindhi Meal
Day 7 Sev ka Raita
Day 8 A Meal from Kerela
Day 8 Nadan Urulaizhangu Curry
This is surely a spectacular spread and kudos on making it so well! I really enjoyed getting this menu prepared and I so badly wanted to make it myself. I couldn’t achieve it. I will surely make it sometime…So glad your family loved this meal..:)
I read the post yesterday and forgot to comment. 🙂 I wouldn’t dare to cook a wedding thaali even being a south Indian. My husband keeps telling me to serve a spread on a banana leaf as we usually miss all the weddings in India that keep happening in our extended family.
What a spread you have prepared Vaishali. I wonder what other title can be bestowed upon you.. Thussi great ho! A visual treat for sure.
Wow! That’s quite an amazing spread there! Wonderful Sadya Vaishali…I know it’s a pain to peel the pearl onions that too an entire kilo, but the flavor is worth the effort as I am sure you would agree.
A visual treat for sure. Love it and a big salute to all your efforts and research. I wish I could make it someday. once again amazing Vaishali.
This is one amazing thali. Looks like I am in chettinad marriage function. Perfect spread and all the dishes compliment each other so well.
Wow, an amazing spread. At first, I thought the first pic might be from some wedding and down you will have what you have done. But no all prepared by you, simply awesome. Hats off to you
Great details for wedding spread specially for south Indian couple & great for north indian couple who wants to keep regional buffet spread in there wedding & dont know more then dosa + wada + idli ….rather then keeping international cuisines we should focus more on regional food option which show versatility of Indian food…Great work looking for more similar blog soon from your side