Bowlfuls of Bliss

A tribute in design to the bowlfuls and platefuls of utter bliss from around the world with content that symbolises… well, contentment (!) i.e., Thayir Sadham! 

Why did we decide to celebrate curd rice aka Thayir Saadham? 

It was another of namma Chennai’s sweltering summers. There didn’t seem to be any respite from the blazing sun and humidity. Thoughts went to comfort foods that could be cooling and soothing. Curd rice appeared on the top of the list. It is a staple in many a South Indian household. Thayir Sadham features on the everyday lunch plate and is commonly had at the end of the meal as the final course. 

Traditionally, curd rice is had at the end of the meal to provide a soothing and filling ending to an otherwise spicy menu. Often, the first course would be sambar and rice with a vegetable preparation or two, the second course would be rasam and rice, and the third one would be yoghurt and rice.

However, we are a bundle of contradictions. If there is curd rice to cool our stomachs after the melange of spices of sambar, rasam and other chilli infused food, we also need a side dish to it. So, what can we have along with our curd rice that will offset the bland taste of yoghurt? Enter spicy accompaniments like pickles, thuvayal, dried and salted chillies, etc. These are considered to be the best sides to curd rice. The bland offsets the spice and further spice offsets the bland. Go figure. But then, curd rice is often the only course eaten in some households to give a break to the stomach and the cook as it is wholesome and easy to prepare.

Curd rice is also cited as a remedial food. Acidity, or indigestion, or recovery from food poisoning warrants curd rice. It’s an easy food to digest and and yoghurt has anti bacterial properties too.

An article on Thayir Sadham can be rather endless and so, we will cut to the chase here and share that our ‘Keep Calm and Eat Thayir Sadham’ has struck a chord with many a heart. In fact, Mr. Anand Mahindra, Chariman of the Mahindra Group has tweeted more than once on this subject, adding a photo of Chennaigaga’s Thayir Sadham T-shirt.

We continue to gather more Thayir Sadham fans and here’s a video for you that is a tribute to this cozy comfort food. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFzdMoCcdIs