Chettinad Cuisine

Chettinad cooking developed among the trading families of this region and carries the marks of their travel: star anise, kalpasi or stone flower lichen, and marathi mokku, dried flower pods, appear alongside the usual South Indian spices, roasted fresh for each dish and ground on stone rather than bought as powder. Heat comes from both chilli and black pepper. Distinctive items include kuzhi paniyaram, sun-dried and salted meats and vegetables kept for the dry months, and the use of coconut, tamarind and curry leaf throughout. Vegetarian Chettinad cooking is equally developed and less known outside the region.

What you actually see

• The fresh masala - spice roasted and stone-ground for each dish.
• The unusual spices - kalpasi lichen, marathi mokku and star anise.
• The sun-dried preserves - salted meats and vegetables for the dry season.
• The vegetarian side - a developed meat-free tradition less known outside.

When to go

Year-round; the region is hot from March to June, which is when the sun-dried preserves are made. Mansion hotels around Karaikudi serve the fullest versions.

Honest expectations

Chettinad food served elsewhere in India is usually much simplified and often just heavily peppered. Heat levels are high. The best cooking is in family kitchens and mansion hotels rather than restaurants.

Nearby

Karaikudi and the Chettinad mansions are the region.