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The marvels of thair sadam

"It is the Tamilians who are crazy about coffee, the Keralites drink tea," he explained.

I was more interested in Seshan's comments on 'thair sadam' (curd rice), one of the most popular food items in the South. Tracing the origin of this delicacy, Seshan pointed out it was an example of making virtue out of a necessity. He told the audience, "You can't prevent curd from getting sour, so people just added salt to it and served it with rice."

Such an explanation, I am afraid, did not do full justice to the great qualities of 'thair sadam'. For centuries, this had been a favourite item in the menu of millions of South Indian homes. Wholesome, bland, tasty and the ideal dish to round off a heavy meal. It is a pity that Seshan did not speak more eloquently on the qualities of this item.

Thair sadam, of course, is made different in different homes. But the best method is by using pazhaiyadu, that is the previous night's rice soaked in water. In the morning, remove the water, add thick, sweet curd and a pinch of salt, and you have one of the culinary wonders of the world. It is a pity that some of the housewives discarded the 'old' rice because they always wanted fresh food. But pazhaiyadu always remained fresh and added to the flavour and taste of the thick, sweet curd.

In the normal menu of an average South Indian home, the curd-rice combination was the last item, following sambar-rice and rasam-rice. These two were tangy items. The tongue burned slightly. But curd rice was there to bring about a soothing effect. Of course, it went one step better if embellished with lime pickle, mango pickle or the famous avakai mango pickle.

For a South Indian no meal was complete without curd and rice. The westerner finished off his meal with a sweet dish, the dessert. In a South Indian feast, one had the dessert in the shape of different types of payasam (kheer). To a satiated diner, there was nothing better than curd rice and pickle. The curd rice was also the most sought-after item on the morning of the day -- after the castor-oil -ordeal. Mother always served the moist leftover rice with particularly rich curds. The agonies of the previous day were quickly forgotten. The world suddenly looked rosy once more.

Thair sadam is also an ideal food while travelling. Along with idli mullagapudi, it was the most sought-after item during long train journeys and even picnics. It was tasty, remained fresh and guaranteed not to cause stomach upsets. Care should be taken that the curd did not become sour. This was done by adding some milk to the rice-curd mixture. Even in this modern age with its emphasis on junk food and instant food, many South Indian families would not give up this delicious mixture. Railway refreshment stalls in most parts of South India, sell thair sadam packets though their quality could not match that of the home-made variety. The Amar Chitra kathas and Jataka tales mentioned that people who started on long journeys even before the days of the train and bus, carried with them this wonderful mixture.

Till recently, I was under the impression that curd rice exerted its influence and charm only in certain parts of India. But some months ago, I was delighted to read a news item, that an American research laboratory had stumbled on the momentous truth about the curd rice being one of the most nutritious and balanced meal in the world. Oh, what a wonderful discovery. Thair sadam which was long-regarded as the poor man's food, had finally won the accolades it richly deserved.

Seshan, like any other typical South Indian, must be in the habit of rounding up his lunch and dinner with curd rice. Perhaps, that is why he is so highly regarded among the intelligentsia. For them, he is the only possible saviour of India. Of course, during his tenure as the chief election commissioner, Seshan often blew hot and cold on many issues and invited the wrath of his colleagues. Those must have been the days when he had to make do with alu paratha and was denied his beloved thair sadam.

One of my boyhood friends, who was a trencherman, often referred to the Hindu epics while waxing eloquent on the qualities of thair sadam. According to him when the devas and asuras churned the ocean, the last item to appear from its depth was not a bowl of amrit but a dish of thair sadam. Fortunately, thanks to divine help, the devas were able to get control of this. Had this wonderful mixture passed on to the hands of the asuras, the history of the world would have been different.

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