Top 4 Tamil Stews

Madras is a traditional curry that's characterized by its spiciness and complex flavors. Although there are many variations, it's typically made with a combination of chicken or lamb, onions, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, lemon juice, cinnamon, oil, coconut milk, and a spice mix consisting of madras curry powder, chili powder, dried fenugreek, and salt. The curry shouldn't be too thick, and if it does, it's enough to add a bit of curry base, not water. Once prepared, this spicy curry is usually garnished with chopped cilantro before it's served. The dish can also be prepared with lamb or beef instead of chicken, but it's then called ghoust madras.Expand

Sambar is a popular curry dish prepared with a tamarind-based broth, lentils, and vegetables. It originates from Tamil Nadu, but it is also very popular in Sri Lanka and throughout South India. The dish is traditionally served with steamed rice or various Indian flatbreads. Sambar was created as a mistake by the Maratha ruler Shivaji's son named Sambhaji. As the head chef was away, Sambhaji wanted to prepare dal for himself, and he added a bit of tamarind into the pot during the cooking process. The royal chefs scolded him, since tamarind is not used in dal. However, Sambhaji loved the dish and named it sambar, after himself. Today, there are numerous variations on the dish such as seafood sambar, chicken sambar, and even the unusual milk sambar.Expand

Originating from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu, Chettinad kozhi is a traditional curry dish prepared with chicken as the main ingredient. The meat is marinated in turmeric, yogurt, and a paste that's made with a combination of coconut, red chili peppers, cumin, coriander, poppy seeds, tomatoes, black pepper, fennel, onions, garlic, lemon juice, and oil. Once done, this spicy curry is served garnished with curry leaves or coriander leaves. It's usually accompanied by paratha or boiled rice on the side. Chettinad kozhi is often made for special occasions in the area.Expand

Aratikaya kura or artikai kura is a traditional dry curry originating from Tamil Nadu. This dry curry is usually made with a combination of green bananas, coconut, turmeric, chickpea flour, oil or ghee, cloves, ginger-garlic paste, onions, chili peppers, and salt. The bananas are cooked with their skin on until soft, then cooled, peeled, and cut into pieces. The grated coconut is mixed with turmeric, salt, and gram flour. The cloves and garlic paste are stir-fried in ghee or oil, along with the onions and hot peppers. The banana pieces and coconut mixture are added near the end of cooking and shortly fried before the dish is served. It's recommended to serve aratikaya kura with steamed rice or Indian flatbreads.Expand