Lip Smacking 'Iyengar Cuisine'

On my last day in Bangalore, my good friend Naveen called me over for his daughter Siri's first birthday celebration. Naveen is a Tamilian and the function was in a typical Tamilian fashion - with Karnatic music and then vegetarian Tamilian lunch.

I want to describe the 'Tamilian Thali' - since it was hands down the best food I ate in my entire stay at Bangalore. Later I learnt from Naveen, that it's called 'Iyengar Cuisine'.

We were served a Banana Leaf - which is our "thali", we wipe it clean with water. Then the servings started - first the salads and these were healthy, delicious salads, some raw with some spices added and some lightly cooked. Then, we had a series of rice servings. Unlike in a North Indian or West Indian cuisine, there is no roti/chapati servings. Each rice serving came with a different curry which has a typical Tamilian name (which I am not be able to recall right now) - and each one of those curries were very delicious. The final rice servings came with sambhar and then with rasam. And then three different kinds of desserts - all scrumptious.

Thanks, Naveen. I would have given an arm and a leg for food like this!!!