The highly developed and sensitive palates of the Tamilians are well chronicled in the Sangam classics. They believe that food should ideally cater to all the six tastes - bitter, pungent, sweet, salty, sour and astringent.Tamil Nadu has a wide variety of delicious food both for the vegetarians as well as the non-vegetarians, though most of it is made of grains, lentils, rice and vegetables. Spices are added to give a distinctive taste. Rice has been the staple diet of the Tamilians, an inculcated habit, due to the large-scale cultivation of the crop in the state.Chettinad cuisine, a speciality in Tamil Nadu, is famous for its hot and spicy non-vegetarian food. A part of the Mudaliar community is non-vegetarians and its cuisine is delightfully spicy without being too hot. Wet masalas are generally used, the main ingredients being fresh coconut paste and ground ginger-garlic.
Prep Time : 11-15 minutes
Cook time : 2.30-3 hour
Serve : 4
Level Of Cooking : Moderate
Taste : Mild
Ingredients for Madras Lamb Curry Recipe
Lamb cut into 2 inch cubes on the bone 750 grams
Green chillies 2 small
Garlic cloves 4
Ginger roughly chopped 1 inch
Yogurt ¾ cup
Salt to taste
Coconut oil 3 tablespoons
Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves 10-12
Onions finely chopped 3 medium
Tomatoes pureed 4 medium
Tamarind paste 1 tablespoon
Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon
Fresh coriander leaves finely chopped 2 tablespoons
Curry powder
Coriander seeds 1 tablespoon
Fenugreek seeds (methi dana) 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
Poppy seeds (khuskhus) 2 teaspoons
Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
Black peppercorns 2 teaspoons
Fennel seeds (saunf) ½ teaspoon
Cinnamon sticks 3 inch sticks
Cloves 6
Red chillies dried 4
Turmeric powder ¼ teaspoon