Wed Jan 07 08:46:44 UTC 2026: # Nagarathar Culinary Heritage Showcased in Chennai Feast

The Story:
A rare opportunity to experience the traditional Nagarathar “virundhu” (feast) is being offered in Chennai through a collaboration between Chef Goku and Vishalla Vairavan, a cookery expert and cookbook author. The first edition of this culinary event celebrates the cuisine of the Nagarathar community, also known as Nattukottai Chettiars, a Tamil community from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu, India. The feast highlights the community’s trading legacy and the influence of Southeast Asian flavors on its food.

Key Points:

  • The Nagarathar virundhu will feature traditional dishes cooked with ingredients like coconut milk, kalpaasi, karupatti, kavuni (black) rice, and star anise.
  • The meal will be served on a fresh banana leaf in a time-honored sequence.
  • The menu includes both non-vegetarian (mutton uppu kari, meen kulambu, eraal masala, kozhi milagu kari) and vegetarian options (masala cheeyam, palakka kola, thayir keerai, vellai poondu sadham, pacha milagu kulambu, vathal kulambu, thogayal, kootu and poriyals).
  • Desserts include carrot payasam and aadi kummayam, traditional festive sweets.
  • The event will be held at Vishalla Vairavan’s residence in Adyar on January 11, 2026, with slots at 12 pm, 1 pm, and 2 pm.
  • The price is ₹1200 for vegetarian and ₹2000 for non-vegetarian meals, with pre-booking available at 98410 74777.

Key Takeaways:

  • The event promotes and preserves the unique culinary traditions of the Nagarathar community.
  • The collaboration between Chef Goku and Vishalla Vairavan highlights the importance of expertise in showcasing authentic cuisine.
  • The event reflects a growing interest in traditional and slow-food movements.

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