Our Simple 'rasam' Of South India

That was written partly in jest. After all, even our former Brit overlords have become accustomed to their 'curry' takeaways, so why not Marathas with rasam? I am more interested in that book with excerpts from the court records and its provenance!

 

You, Scurry! Scurry!
Don't skewer facts in a hurry.

Rasam and Marathas may still be fine but the Brit overlords and barons had been native ‘cury’ patrons even before the imported ‘curry’ tickled their nostrils.

The royal cooks of Richard II published “The Forme of Cury” as early as 14th century long before today's greasy spoons serving “tikkas” and “kormas” showed up. Cury reportedly is Old or Middle English meaning “to cook", however, such tenuous citation is weighty enough to contest that the courtly galleys were stocked up in spices and curry powders. Who knows! These shifty Brits may allege tomorrow that they invented ‘cury’ which sailed to India as ‘curry’ and then repatriated in an exotic and saucy flavour. It was the Indians who were accustomed!

You might have written in partial jest but I am writing in uncompromising sternness, haan, full-on sternness.

 

Dear @jayasala42 ma'am,
What a delectable topic.
Thanks a ton for the interesting history on how cooks were selected for the royal kitchen.
Rasam is simple but it is quite tricky...the balance of ingredients is critical that any slight deviation can ruin the taste.
No wonder, it was used as the litmus test by kings and is still the litmus test for dils too.

You are a source of a vast knowledge of our history and the whys and hows. I have been a silent admirer of your writings for quite some time.
It took the favorite rasam to wake me up from my slumber and provide a response.
I have also noted down the books you mentioned and they are next in my reading list.
I have always wondered at the kind of food partaken in the Chera, Chola, Pandian, and Pallava, times after reading Kalkis famous works, Sivgamiyin sabatham, Parthiban kanavu, Ponniyin Selvan etc.
Thanks for this tasty post.

 

Dear @jayasala42 ma'am
You offering to give your own backyard for the rasam yaga goes to show how much the water scarcity is affecting Chennai. That's a wonderful idea; I second it
It is sad water scarcity has become a constant.

I recall my high school days in the then Chennai suburbs (now it is a busy extended city), when our well ran dry and I had to walk a kilometer to the municipal office well, thrice every morning to get water. My mom would go later.

Our colony girls all went together, somewhat like Andal rounding up her friends in Margazhi. Only, Lord Vishnu was not in our minds, because we were in a rush to get home fast and then head off to school.

That was about four decades ago and water scarcity never abated.

The population growth, industrial growth near the city, and deforestration are only adding to the woes.

Praying for Chennai to get good rains so that you will make the lovely aromatic rasam in the comfort of your kitchen.