This title features authentic recipes from one of the most popular cuisines in India, in an easy, step-by-step format ideal for modern-day cooks. Chettinad is a region in Tamil Nadu, South India. Chettinad cooking has always been distinctive and has recently become popular not only in India but also in many other parts of the world. Chettinad cuisine is characterized by thick delicious sauces called kulambu and irresistible vegetarian and non-vegetarian stir-fried dishes called poriyal. Chettinad cuisine is also known for a wide variety of unique savouries and sweets called palakaram usually served at breakfast, teatime or as a light meal in the evening. "Chettinad Kitchen: Foods and Flavours from South India" presents tempting and simple recipes for a broad range of delicious Chettinad foods. The book is aimed at modern day cooks who wish to explore this famous South Indian cuisine in their own kitchen. It presents each recipe in a step-by-step format that is easy to follow. The recipes in this book will allow home cooks to create enticing vegetarian Chettinad favourites such as Vellai Paniyaram, Kuzhi Paniyaram, Adai, Idiappam, Aappam, Kosamalli, Vellai Poondu Kulambu, Kaikari Kuruma, Beans Poriyal, Broccoli Podimas and Pala Payasam. The book also includes recipes for many authentic non-vegetarian Chettinad foods including Chettinad Chicken Soup, Chicken Chops and Meen Vaurval(Fish Fry). Over 100 recipes, 24 colour photographs, a glossary of Chettinad foods as well as spices, and a shopping list of spices make this book and excellent and valuable guide to Chettinad cooking. This book will take you on an unforgettable and enjoyable culinary journey to Chettinad! "Growing up in the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu in South India, about 60 miles away from Chennai, Alamalelu Vairavan learnt the art of traditional Chettinad hospitality from her mother. Even a casual visitor to their home would be hard pressed not to leave without sitting down to a meal, if he or she dropped in around lunch or dinner - or even breakfast. From savouring her mother's cooking to learning the art herself was a natural progression. In this book, Alamelu recreates many memorable meals enjoyed in her family home - and those she has cooked over the years, across continents, in her adopted home in Wisconsin, US. From the famous Chettinand breakfast which includes apparns and adais, to mouthwatering dishes like the Chettinad Chicken Masala, Crab Kulambu, chutneys, sambhars, soups and vegetarian delights like Brocoli Poriyal and Chow Chow Kotu, Alamelu has something to suit every palate, in simple, easy-to-cook recipes.
Alamelu Vairavan resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A native of South India, Alamelu has developed a deep interest in promoting healthful cooking to the public using spices, legumes and simple Indian cooking techniques.
Alamelu has co-authored three cook books with her friend Dr. Patricia Marquardt, including Healthy South Indian Cooking-Expanded Edition 2008. She has also published a book: Chettinad Kitchen- Food and Flavours from South India (Westland Publishers,New Delhi, 2011). A fifth book: Healing Spices by Bharat Aggarwal and Debora Yost (Sterling Pub. 2011) features many recipes that Alameu provided.
Alamelu spreads her passion for healthful cooking through her books, and classes offered in a number of venues including community outreach programs at hospitals, universities and libraries. She also conducts private group cooking classes and has offered corporate team building events for companies including GE Healthcare, Johnson Controls and Manpower International.
Alamelu has also been hosting a cooking TV series titled, "Healthful Indian Flavors with Alamelu", on Milwaukee Public Television. In this series she demonstrates some of the recipes found in her book: Healthful South Indian Cooking- Expanded Edition. Originally shown in Wisconsinin 2010, the series has been aired in other parts of the US later. In the summer of 2011, Alamelu recorded 13 more episodes in the series that are being aired in 2012.
If you think kids have difficulty enjoying vegetables think again! Alamelu offers simple and easy to follow recipes that result in aromatic and flavorful foods. Kids will find the vegetable dishes irresistble. Even vegetable haters will be tranformed to vegetable lovers. In her book, she also presents deliclious non-vegetarian recipes and flavored rice dishes.
Besides her own recent TV series, Alamelu has also been featured on numerous national and regional TV shows, radio programs and print media inclhding PBS, Discovery Channel, CBS, NBC, FOX, The Los Angels Times, USA Today and the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. In 2009, she presented a workshop titled, Enticing Indian Flavors, at The James Beard Foundation in New York. She has also been featured as a celebrity chef in national Food and Wine events.
Additional information about Alamelu and her culinary activities can be found at www.curryonwheels.com . She also maintains a blog (spice of life) at a community web site: www.whitefishbaynow.com .
