Thayir Sadham: The National food of Tamil Nadu

You might have gone out for a fancy dinner at let’s say Leela Palace or Grand Chola, or you might have just ordered a pizza at home. You may relish in the cheesy flavours of Italy or in the hot peppers of Mexico, but the moment your mother says, “Konjam Thayir Sadham sapadraya?” (Will you eat some curd rice?), you just can’t say no. It’s like coming back home after an exile.  Thayir Sadham, it’s not just food. It’s an emotion.


A necessity in some Tambrahm house holds, you could say; their (stereotypical) priority list in life reads somewhat like

-Get son into IIT/Get daughter married to IIT Boy (first priority, sorry)
-Thayir Sadham
-Everything else.

“With pomegranate and grapes!” exclaims Nivetha, a college student.
“With Kadugu thalippu (tempered with mustard seeds) and cold creamy curd. So creamy that it looks like ice cream. With a dollop of manga thokku,” says an excited Prathiksha. “Eat thayir sadham the way it’s meant to be eaten… With your hands,” she says.

“It’s the light at the end of the tunnel, the ray of hope to get me through a bad day. I can say it’s the secret of my energy,” says  Sandhya, an IT professional.

One of the greatest things about thayir sadham is that it can be what you want it to be. Hot or cold. Spicy or plain. Round, rectangular and even heart shaped! (round dabba = round Thachi mammu).

However you may like it –tempered with mustard seeds, chillies, coriander, pomogranates, avakka, chuntney, ketchup, what not!? just sink your hands (and not the spoon) into that box of Thachi Mammu. After all, it is the food (hero) that you(gotham) may not deserve, but it’s a food that you need!

-Anagha Natraj

Order your Thachi mammu now and other homemade food at moremilaga.com!