The history
Sangam-era Tamil poetry already describes rice, tamarind and pepper. Roman ships came for Malabar pepper, Arab traders brought coffee and left with cardamom, and the temple kitchens of Tamil Nadu turned vegetarian cooking into a daily discipline of balance across six tastes.
Rice in every form — steamed, ground, fermented, flattened. Coconut as oil, milk and fresh scrapings. The tadka of mustard seeds, curry leaves, urad dal and asafoetida in hot oil is the region's signature sound and smell.
