Experince the Sangam Saga at Naachiyaar's Kitchen

2,089 dishes in 50 hours. That’s what this chef in line for a Guinness can do.  For Naachiyaar Kitchen, though, he spent two years just on research.
Experince the Sangam Saga at Naachiyaar's Kitchen

Having been in this profession for 12 years and having worked with the late Chef Jacob Sahaya Kumar Aruni, known for his show Aaha Ena Rusi, consultant Chef Ram Prakash makes sure that the legacy of the traditional Tamil way of cooking is kept alive. 

Kulithalai Vazhaipoo
Kulithalai Vazhaipoo

Specialising in cuisines of the Sangam era, he brings to your table a taste of Kongu, Pandiya, Nanjil and Chettinadu varieties picked from different parts of Tamil Nadu at the week-old Naachiyaar Kitchen, owned by Arivukkodi Naveen. The 65-seater restaurant at T Nagar gets its name from Velu Naachiyaar, a freedom fighter, and the name commonly represents powerful women.

Sutta Kari Tawa
Sutta Kari Tawa


The menu is a reflection of the authentic Tamil recipes that he has gathered over the years, especially in the way each dish is named, either from its place of origin or the spices used. “I travelled to different villages in Tamil Nadu to learn and collect these recipes. It took me almost two years, and there was a lot of research done before naming these dishes,” says the 32-year-old Chef Ram Prakash.


The diverse choices of dishes that he serves up on a platter can seem overwhelming. When you take a bite of the Aranmanai Kozhi, you realise what the chef is trying to say when he speaks about nativity, and stories behind every dish. The chicken is marinated, coated with peanuts, deep fried and again plated with nuts, giving you a glimpse of erstwhile courtly methods of cooking. To add more flavours, every dish is accompanied by three chutneys — onion-tomato, mint-coriander and one based in curd-garlic. 

Mungil Biriyani
Mungil Biriyani


Try the smoky, piping hot Mungil (bamboo) Biriyani for dramatic presentation and unique flavour. The rice is dum-cooked with coconut milk extract inside a bamboo shoot on a charcoal. The biryani is served wrapped in a piece of bamboo shoot, and the aroma instantly wafts over. The Uppu Kari Soru is another of their popular dishes, prepared using seeraga samba rice with a bit of a bite. The rice is steamed and mixed with mutton kheema, adding to the dish’s tangy taste profile.

Aranmanai Kozhi
Aranmanai Kozhi


Finally, when you’re done for the day, a short and crisp list of four desserts is presented. But it is the pancake-like Mambalam Dosai, a blend of mango pulp, dosa batter, sukku (dried ginger powder) and cardamom, served with mango syrup, that stands out from the rest. The chef is currently hosting a live show called Azhaikalam Samaikalam on the Puthuyugam channel, and is also planning a pop-up food festival, apart from one-day cooking workshops.


Meal for two `400. Details: 9003588999

Related Stories

No stories found.
Indulgexpress
www.indulgexpress.com