Chettinad Cuisine

Masterclasses
by The Bangala
for Professional and Home Chefs

Learn Chettinad cuisine from the renowned chefs at The Bangala

Demonstrations, workshops, background information, shopping and more
Special package for professional and home chefs includes intensive 3- or 7-day programme,
accommodation and meals
Exclusive Chettinad Cuisine Masterclasses
Introduction
Chettinad, in the heart of Tamil Nadu in southern India, was once little more than a fabled
land. This was the home of the Nattukottai Chettiars, the traders who made their wealth
overseas in the early 20th century and built in their homeland palatial residences that married
local architecture with fabulous imported embellishments – pillars of Burma teak, chandeliers
of Bohemian crystal, Belgian mirrors… Everyone had heard of Chettinad, few had the
motivation to visit. Till, in 1999, The Bangala opened its doors as Chettinad’s first small luxury
hotel. Meenakshi Meyyappan, whose family owns the gracious bungalow in Karaikudi, created
a hotel that scores of visitors now love to call a second home.

The Bangala Cuisine

The subtle traditions of Chettiar cooking, the nostalgic ‘butler cuisine’ and Mrs. Meyyappan’s
own deep culinary understanding have all contributed to a groaning table of riches. At The
Bangala, guests can expect to encounter the unusual, the comforting and everything in
between: from crab rasam to Anglo-Indian mutton cutlets; a Chettiar version of the Tamil
staple vatha kozhambu to brussel sprouts masala poriyal; the Chettiar speciality mandis to
more familiar pachadis; and of course classic meaty treats such as uppu kari (mutton fry),
chicken pepper masala and quail 65.

A Unique Opportunity for Chefs

The food at The Bangala is unique, and now you too can work the magic! The newly
introduced, intensive Chettinad Cuisine Masterclasses give chefs and gourmets alike the
opportunity to experience and learn first-hand one of the world’s best-kept culinary secrets.

The programme includes:

• Full-day cooking masterclasses
• All course materials with a signed copy of The Bangala Table cookbook
• Accommodation at The Bangala (in a deluxe room on double occupancy basis)
• All meals and non-alcoholic drinks
Schedule
Each day of The Bangala Cuisine Masterclasses programme has been carefully designed to
introduce professional and home chefs to a great culinary tradition and equip them with the
means to reproduce the subtle cuisine in their own kitchens. Days are packed with interactive
sessions on the history and context of Chettinad cuisine, the ingredients, spices and utensils
required, menu planning, etc; cooking demonstrations and classes; visits to local fresh
produce markets – and of course eating the superb food that emerges from the kitchen! Chefs
who would like a brief, intensive experience can opt for the 3-day programme, which will
introduce them to the fundamentals of Chettinad cuisine and provide plenty of opportunities
to master classic dishes. Those looking for a more expansive cooking experience can immerse
themselves in the 7-day programme, which, apart from offering a fuller exposure to the
repertoire of Chettinad food, also includes visits to vegetable and spice markets, attending
wedding feast preparations and other exciting local activities.

Day 1
After breakfast (8am), an introductory session followed by demos and cooking classes on
sambars, curries and rasams (9am-2pm). Time for an afternoon break, then a short class on
chutneys and accompaniments (5-7pm). The day ends with discussion and review (7-8pm).
And finally the pièce de résistance: dinner (8pm)!
Day 5
Day 2 The long morning session offers an intensive introduction to that mainstay of southern Indian
Following the previous day’s structure, the long morning session focuses on meat and poultry food: rice, in all its manifestations. The afternoon is spiced up with lessons in pickle-making.
preparations. The afternoon will take on vegetable dishes.
Day 6
Day 3 The penultimate day of the seven-day programme focuses on offal dishes and other add-ons.
The morning is devoted to that fascinating aspect of Chettinad cuisine – palakarams. Classes The group selects 10 dishes, and may include anything from aapams and sambols to trotter
in the afternoon will cover fish and shellfish. curry to brain masala.

Day 4 Day 7
Classes have ended for chefs on the 3-day programme – time to relax, reflect and depart. After a morning devoted to soups, it’s time to wrap up a grand culinary experience.
Those staying on spend the morning on a guided visit to a local market. The afternoon cooking Appropriately, the programme ends with witnessing the preparation of a wedding feast, if
session is short but sweet – desserts, of course. possible, or making some specialities served at weddings.
 a thengaithiruvi (a coconut scraper with a serrated tip, used squatting on the floor), an
Highlights of the Programme aruvamanai (a vegetable cutter with a sharp, curved blade, again used on the floor) and so on.

Chettinad Culture and History Creating Menus

Cuisine is intricately linked with context. And in the case of the Chettiar people, their particular, A traditional Chettinad meal is an elaborate affair that consists of no less than seven courses,
fascinating history – of Tamilian traders who made their wealth in South and Southeast Asia each meal a careful balance of flavours, textures and colours. The Bangala’s table reflects this
in the early 20th century, against a backdrop of British-colonised India – made for a diverse, delicate harmony at all meal times and the cooking masterclasses will help you design menus
catholic yet distinctively localised food. that bring into play the guiding principles behind a Chettinad meal – from the simplest to the
most grand, as occasion demands.
Ingredients
Chettinad cuisine shares much with other South Indian cuisines; likewise, the ingredients Serving Saapad
used. The masterclasses introduce you to these common ingredients, such as coconut, The word ‘Saapad’ means, very simply, food. But to do justice to a cuisine as complex and
tamarind, curry leaves and the like, as well as those that are peculiarly Chettinad’s own, such subtle as Chettinad’s demands that as much attention be paid to the serving of food. Saapad
as black sticky rice, star anise and pepper. is traditionally eaten off that most eco-friendly of tableware – a bright green banana leaf!

Local Cooking Techniques

Chettinad cuisine’s distinctive variations are reflected in, for instance, the multiple versions
of sambar and rasam. But even more fascinating are the international influences that the
travelling community absorbed into its cuisine – from Ceylon, Burma, Malaya and further
afield. Local cooking techniques, ingredients and spices applied to these diverse influences
created dishes that are uniquely Chettinad.

Grinding Masalas
Wet- and dry-grinding of spices and other ingredients is a significant part of cooking across
India. Contemporary kitchens have moved to producing these masalas with the help of electric
appliances but the traditional Chettinad kitchen invariably features tools such as an ammi
kal (a flat rectangular stone with a separate cylindrical roller stone, used to grind spices and
masalas). Experience why gourmets believe food tastes best when produced with these.

Use of Local Kitchen Utensils

Other indispensible kitchen tools in the Chettinad kitchen include an aatu kal (a large block
of granite stone with a hollowed-out central bowl and a heavy stone pestle, used to grind rice
and dal batters), an aapam chatti (a small cast-iron wok-shaped vessel used to make aapams),
Your Stay at The Bangala
The heritage home stay at The Bangala offers a pleasant diversion to an elegant past with
its traditional interiors, beautiful gardens and classic banquet hall. This mid-20th-century
bungalow features 25 luxurious air-conditioned bedrooms, each unique and each offering
the perfect combination of modern amenities and old-style comforts. The rooms feature
traditional Athangudi floorings, antique colonial furniture and fascinating objets d’art.
Spacious verandahs and a sprawling lawn invite you to lounge, read and relax – the well-
stocked library, catering to all tastes and featuring an excellent and diverse collection of
cookbooks, further enhances the experience. And wi-fi makes sure you stay connected, even as
you keep the madding crowd at bay, in this oasis of warmth and graciousness.

The Bangala Table Cookbook

The Bangala Table - Flavors and Recipes from Chettinad, co-authored by Meenakshi Meyyappan
and Sumeet Nair, is a feast for the senses. This beautiful volume, consisting of a must-have
collection of 150 vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes and featuring classic Chettinad fare as
well as Raj-era ‘butler cuisine’, is a necessary addition to the discerning home chef’s library.
Gorgeously produced and sumptuously illustrated, this is much more than a cookbook – a
veritable testament to a bygone era, a delight to behold.

“The book originated from the Mecca of Chettinad cuisine – The Bangala in Karaikudi. …
ultimate information for all food lovers.”

Manish Mehrotra, Executive Chef, Indian Accent Restaurant, New Delhi

www.thebangalatable.com
Your Hosts and Instructors
Meenakshi Meyyappan was born in Bangalore but moved with her family when very young
to Colombo in colonial Ceylon. With the outbreak of World War II, she returned to India and
continued her education in Bangalore and in Yercaud, going on to graduate from Queen
Mary’s College, Madras (now Chennai). The daughter of a hospitable family, whose table was
renowned for its superb Chettinad fare, Meenakshi married into the MSMM family, which was
equally renowned for its food. She then lived between Madras, Karaikudi and Malaysia. When
the MSMM family opened The Bangala as Chettinad’s first ‘heritage hotel’, it gave her the
natural opportunity to hone and showcase her flair for hospitality and to present and serve the
best food in Chettinad.
Sumeet Nair, an Economics graduate from Stanford University, has worked in the fashion
industry for 20 years. Living on a small farm with his wife and two children, growing organic
produce and providing a home to rescued animals, he is an ardent supporter and proponent
of artisanal food methods and the preservation of diverse culinary traditions. He has recorded
and adapted each of the 150 recipes in the book The Bangala Table – Flavors and Recipes from
Chettinad to fit the needs of the modern-day home cook. A passionate experimental home
cook who sources ingredients obsessively and cooks everything from scratch, from dashi to
rolling out his own fresh pasta, he is a self-taught gourmet.
Umayal Chettyappan is a senior member of the family that owns and runs The Bangala. She
was educated in Malaysia and India. Always passionate about cooking, she initially dedicated
her talents to serving outstanding food to family and friends. She attended the Catering
Institute, Chennai when the world-famous chef, Mrs Thangam Phillip, was principal. She has
conducted cookery courses in both Chennai and Dindigul, Tamil Nadu for batches of 20-30
participants and has demonstrated Chettinad cooking for the past two years at restaurants in
Chennai during the Madras Week celebrations.
Sivagami Subbiah is a younger member of the family that owns and runs The Bangala.
She graduated from Womens’ Christian College in Chennai. She has conducted cooking
demonstrations of Chettinad cuisine for the chefs and invitees of Oriental cuisines/Wang’s
group in Chennai. She has supervised the preparation of Chettinad meals for groups and at
various Chettinad food festivals. She also caters Chettinad food from home.
Reservations and Information
The Bangala
Devakottai Road, Senjai, Karaikudi 630 001
Tamilnadu, India
Phone +91 4565 220221 / 250221
Email [email protected]
Website www.thebangala.com

Or contact our Chennai Reservation Office:

The Bangala
Chettinad Heritage Hotels P. Ltd.
Phone +91 44 24934851 / 42066790 / 24934912
Telefax +91 44 24934543
Email [email protected]
Website www.thebangala.com

Getting to Karaikudi

By Air
Tiruchirapalli (Trichy) Airport: 90 km / 2 hours by road. Flights from Chennai, Kuala Lumpur,
Singapore, Colombo, Dubai
Madurai Airport: 90 km / 2 hours by road. Flights from Chennai, Colombo, Dubai

By Train
Overnight trains connect Chennai with Karaikudi

By Road
Chennai – Tiruchirapalli (Trichy) – Pudukottai – Karaikudi: 400 km / 6-7 hours
THE BANGALA, Devakottai Road, Senjai,
Karaikudi 630 001. Tel: 04565 - 220221 & 250221