Share
If you are someone who grew up in South Indian cities or towns like Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mysore, and so on, you might be familiar with the word Iyengar or Aiyengar, especially if you enjoyed your cakes, aloo buns, bread toast, capscicum, or vegetable puffs from the local Iyengar bakery. Back in the 90s, Iyengar bakeries sprouted in different parts of Bengaluru, Hassan, Mysore, etc. and were known to be some of the best places to buy baked delights for they sold purely vegetarian and freshly baked goods.
On a serious note, the Vaishnavite Brahmin community in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states are referred to as Iyengars. They are Tamil-speaking Hindu Brahmins who follow the religious philosophy propounded by Ramanujacharya. The community's cuisine is by and large sattvik in nature, as the dishes are made with fresh vegetables and ingredients, are strictly vegetarian, and do not use garlic or onion in their cooking.
That's not all. This community believes that the kitchen is a sacred place and the food prepared is holy and consumed as prasadam only after the prepared food is made as an offering to the god with prayers called naivedyam every day. Thus, be it home or temples, it means that tasting the food during preparation is not practiced, and yet the prasadams in most of the temples taste divine.
For instance, the taste of the puliyodharai or tamarind rice served in Melukote Cheluvanarayana Swamy temple or the akkara adisal (moong dal and rice sweet similar to sakkara pongal) offered at the Ranganatha Swamy temple in Srirangam is unforgettable.
That's not all. The meals at Iyengari weddings are elaborate and the spread is usually unique, comprising traditional dishes that are lesser-known and not easily available in restaurants. While rice is the staple and the heart of the Iyengari cuisine, many versions of flavoured rice preparations are popular.
Take the pongal, the puliyodharai, or the dhadhyodhanam (also known as curd rice with tempering), for instance. Most of these dishes are made as prasadams or offerings, to the temples or to the deities in the prayer room of each Iyengar household every morning.
That might make you wonder about Iyengar's breakfast options. So, what do the people or Iyengar community eat for breakfast? Most of the Tamilian breakfast dishes, like idly-sambar, dosa-chutney, lemon rice, semiya upma, or shavige bath, are some of the most commonly found breakfast dishes on the menus of eateries or establishments run by the Iyengars.
However, some of the signature Iyengar dishes and lesser-known or forgotten dishes do surface on some menus every once in a while. Let us explore some of the lesser-known breakfast dishes made by the people of this community, whose recipes might have been passed on from one generation to another for many centuries now.
Here are the eight unique Iyengar specials that are prepared for breakfast:
Nucchinunde
This dish is popular among the Iyengars in Karnataka, especially in Mysore and Bengaluru. Nuchinunde is a nutritious and hearty dumpling recipe originating from Karnataka. These lentil-based dumplings are made with soaked and ground toor dal, chana dal, dill leaves, and spices, providing essential morning protein. Traditionally served for breakfast, nuchinunde pairs well with spicy coconut chutney or majjige huli but can also be enjoyed on its own. The name "unde," meaning ladoo in Kannada, might confuse some, but these dumplings are savoury and packed with lentils, herbs, and spices.
Pongal And Iyengar Kalyana Gotsu
Pongal is a savoury porridge made from lentils and rice, flavoured with a tempering made from ghee and spices. Gotsu is a popular side dish, commonly served with pongal for breakfast. Kalyana Gotsu is an Iyengar-style side dish that includes pumpkin, turnip, brinjal, and potato, creating a wholesome and flavourful dish.
The preparation involves soaking moong dal, finely chopping vegetables, and extracting tamarind water. Mustard seeds, green chillies, and tomatoes are sautéed before adding the veggies and tamarind water, along with sambar powder, salt, asafoetida, and turmeric powder. After pressure cooking, jaggery is added for sweetness.
Garnished with curry leaves or coriander leaves, this dish pairs perfectly with pongal, rice upma, dosa, and idli, making it a cherished addition to celebratory meals. This combination is available at a popular eatery called Thaligai in Chennai for breakfast.
Ottu Shavige And Gasa Gase Payasam
Ottu shavige is made from rice flour and is similar to spring hoppers. It is served with a sweet payasam made from poppy seeds and topped with a churma made from powdered sesame seeds, peanuts, and jaggery. This dish is one of the best sellers, along with the nucchina unde, at the popular TKS Iyengar eatery in Bengaluru.
Kovil Puliyodharai
Temple Prasadam-style Puliyodharai is a tamarind rice preparation that includes tamarind pulp, rasam powder, sesame seeds, rice, and peanuts. A tempering of urd dal, chana dal, curry leaves, and hing adds a toasty and nutty flavour to the flavoured rice, which is tart in taste and grainy in texture. The dish is served with yoghurt and is popularly sought after at eateries, especially in Melukote, Karnataka.
Ulundhorai
Ulundhorai, a sacred offering at Srirangam Temple in Trichy, is dedicated to Lord Balaji, especially on Saturdays. This South Indian temple dish, devoid of onion and garlic, revolves around short-grained rice. Fragrantly spiced with urad dal and various spices, it also serves as an excellent tiffin box option. The dish involves cooking and fluffing rice, while a spiced mixture of urad dal, red chilies, and black pepper is prepared separately. A tempering of mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, and optional cashew nuts completes the dish, which can be enjoyed as is or with accompaniments like lauki raita and papad.
Kos Nalagiri Bhath
Kos nalagri bhaath, a specialty of the Hebbar Iyengar community in Karnataka. It is a vegan, satvik, and gluten-free dish. The dish features a unique spice powder called Nalagiri, which is specific to this community. The spice powder, with a blend similar to sambar and vangibhath mixes, is used to flavour rice dishes, especially when combined with cabbage.
Other vegetables like potatoes, peas, french beans, methi leaves, capsicum, or brinjal can be added. The rice, flavoured with Nalagiri powder, is mixed with grated dry copra for added richness. Served on its own or with yoghurt or pickles, it's a spicy and satisfying meal.
Akkaravadisal:
Akkaravadisal is a divine prasadam offered at Srirangam Temple during Panguni Uthiram, an auspicious day for Hindus. The dish, mentioned in Naalayira Divya Prabandham, is a revered preparation for Lord Ranganatha. It involves cooking rice and lentils in milk using the pot-in-pot method, creating a creamy and mushy texture.
Sweetened with jaggery and sugar and flavoured with cardamom, it is enriched with ghee and often garnished with fried cashews. Akkaravadisal is similar to sakkara pongal or sweet rice and lentil porridge, which is a cherished delight and savoured for breakfast.
Khara Kolkotte or Baaleyele Idly
When it comes to idly, two versions are popular in an Iyengar household. One is the thatte idly version, where the plate is used as the mould to pour the idly batter and steam them in, which explains the name. And the other one is baaleyele idli, where a banana leaf cup is used as a mould to steam the idlis, whose batter is flavoured with lentils, etc. Both of these idlis can be served with coconut chutney and the myriad range of podis or lentil powders that the community popularly savours with their breakfast dishes.
