Iyengar paribaashai (special lingo) is something to know if you wish to know about Iyengar culture.The “Iyengar paribhashai” for food is a kind of lingo that Iyengars (a sect of Vaishnavite Brahmins in Chennai) who say these things for cookery.For them Samayal is “Thaligai”.–an expression for cooking. In general, the term “Amudhu” (Amirtham or Nectar) is added after all basic dishes,like Saath-Amudhu (for Rasam).Thiru KaNN-amudhu for payasam, Kariy-amudhu (for poriyal or simply karamudhu).
Iyengars add “Thiru” (meaning auspicious or sacred), to all words used in the kitchen i.e., “madapalli” . Iyengars, spell it as “Tirumadapalli, adding Tiru to give it a sacred connotation,.
Generally for a pandigai (festival), the menu is given as a list of Tamil terms– to describe Cookery items.
Saadam(rice), Nei(ghee), paruppu (lentil), moar kozhambu, Paruppu kozhambu(lentil Sambhar) , paruppu usili, kari amudhu(poriyal), kootu, thayirpachadi, kosumari, vadaam or appalam, vadai or thayir vadai, saatru amudhu(Rasam), Tirukannan amudhu(payasam), thayir (curd),oorugaai(pickle). Coloqually, it is pronounced as sathumudhu, karamudhu and kannamudhu in ordinary parlance.
In addition, to this, puliyodharai, venn-pongal, karaasevu or mixture is also served.
The special dishes of “Iyengar Thaligai” are: Puliyodharai, Kadamba saadham,Veppampoo sathumadhu, Kandathippili sattamudhu, Vathal, Vadaam, Maavadu, Molagu sathumudhu, Paruppu podi, Mendhiya kozhambu, Paruppu thogayal, Nellikai pachadi and Aathikeerai karamudhu for “Dwadasi”, Akkara vadisal), Thayir vadai, kozhakattai, Ela vadaam, Paal kootu, Mor kootu, Thirattupaal, naartha elai podi and so on. The list is endless. Each item has to be explained that only an Iyengar can provide.
Iyengars are good eaters and good hosts too. Elders say “Not to make noise with the ladles and vessels while serving” as the people may feel that it signifies that there is no food left.
In extreme orthodox the daughter-in-law will not make even crunching sound ( A joke:A wag commented that the d-i-law was even asked to soak ‘appalams’ in water to avoid making sound when munching the crisp appalams!)
The diet is also well balanced. On Ekadasi day , it is a fasting day and on Dwadasi(second) day, the menu will be medicated without too much acidity. Hence Tamarind is not used on Dwadashi and the “paaranai thaligai” is Mor Kozhambu, Poricha sathumudhu, Aathikeerai karamudhu, nellikkai thayir pachadi and soon–sort of medicated.. Generally, the diet is complete only with thayir saadham, (curd-rice) which has a cooling effect on stomach.