Culinary talent hunt contest showcases the rural specialities of Tamil Nadu

Chef Damu is travelling across Tamil Nadu, picking out regional cooks for The Hindu One State One Taste grand finale. And the competition is as creative as it is fierce

“But we were surprised to see participants walk in with more than that,” says the chef, adding, “What caught my attention during one of the prelims was a lasagna, made by layering kudhiravali (barnyard millet) upma and pasta, with chapatis to divide the layers along with cheese. We also had pasta made with sakkarapongal, which was cooked to perfection.””

The chef observes that this edition is seeing a lot of enthusiasm from children ages between 10 and 18, and also a good number of senior citizens. For instance, an 86-year-old woman presented traditional sweets of Tamil Nadu including the simile urundai,, urad dal laddus, adhirasam and sesame laddus.

He says he was also pleased to see the rise in interest in home style healthy meals and long forgotten traditional dishes. “A reason for such heightened interest could be the time families spend together and with grandparents during the pandemic,” he states.

The competition has showcased a variety of cooking techniques, distinctive spices and regional dishes. “Every region has a different way to make fish curry, or chicken masala. It was thanni kulambu and arisiparuppu sadam in Coimbatore and kadappa, sodhi and munthiri kothu in Kumbakonam, for example.

As a chef whose heart lies in rural traditions, I was also happy to see almost everyone use clayware for presenting their dishes at the venue,” adds Damu.

The preliminary rounds, will be held in 20 locations across the State. A panel of judges, headed by Damu, will select the three best cooks from each preliminary round to participate in the grand finale to be held on July 23 in Chennai.

The first prize is ₹1 lakh, the second prize is ₹60,000 and the third is ₹40,000. The title sponsor is Vidiem Appliances, powered by Savorit. The event is hosted by The Hindu in association with RKG Ghee, Cardia Advanced Groundnut Oil, LG Asafoetida, Naga Food, ITC Mangaldeep and Everest Masala.