We all know how famous the scenic beauty of our beloved Coimbatore city is, but how many of you know that some of the fantastic and healthy food recipes of the Tamilnadu cuisine have originated from our very own Coimbatore?
So all the food and nutrition enthusiasts out there, let’s explore some famous foods from Coimbatore, commonly termed Kongu origin foods. It has earned fans all over the world with its amazing flavors.
If you are looking for a list of tasty food recipes developed here in our kongu region, then you are at the right spot.
Top 6 Famous Traditional Food of Coimbatore
Well, we made it a little bit easier for you by listing some of the mouth-watering and must-try delicacies from Coimbatore that will blow your mind with their blast of native exquisite flavors and are also rich in health.
These are popular delicacies that make Coimbatore a food paradise.
Pallipalayam Chicken
If you ever wonder what the perfect dish to start with while exploring kongunadu cuisine, the obvious choice is pallipalayam chicken. A perfect recipe that makes you fall in love with chicken. I’ve personally seen this dish being an ideal start for many vegetarian people to start this journey in non-veg. The coconut oil added with coconut silvers is the main ingredient for adding flavor blast into your mouth.
Unlike broiler chicken, this is made with free farm chicken, which has high health benefits and is a simple dish with high protein content. Steamed rice with pepper rasam goes handy with this chicken delicacy. This is a phenomenal dish of the Coimbatore region as butter chicken is for Delhi.
Preparation Time
The preparation time is 10-15 mins, and the cooking time is 25- mins.
Ingredients Needed
- Chicken
- Tomato
- Red chili
- Coconut oil
- Turmeric
- Ginger Garlic Paste
- Cumin
Calories
One serving of pallipalayam chicken has 193.1 calories
Arisi Paruppu Satham
Arisi Paruppu satham (or arisiyum paruppum satham) is a Coimbatore delicacy that is simple yet most delicious, which owns the hearts of everyone who tastes it. It is a simple dish made of rice and dal mixed with spices that give mind-blowing flavors to your tongue.
This dish owes its trademark to Coimbatore. It is a very simple rice dish that makes you taste the native flavors of kongu food. This dish will make a fantastic Lunch/ dinner recipe for your appetite when served with hot chips or potato curry.
The best thing is it can be done in a jiffy and tastes amazing. In the case of bisibelabath or sambhar satham, the rice is cooked with dal and mashed well. But here in Arisyu paruppu sadam, the rice is cooked as separate grains.
Hence this is an excellent variety rice item. This food is also suitable for digestion; if you are looking for a healthy dinner, go for it.
Preparation Time
The preparation time is 10-15 mins, and the cooking time is 25 mins.
Ingredients Needed
- Rice
- Tur dal Onion
- Green chill
- Garlic
- Tomato
- Turmeric powder
- Cumin
- Hing
- Curry leaves
- Salt
Calories
This recipe prepares with a half cup of rice will be 180 calories with 43% of carbs, 50 % fat, and 6% of protein.
Kollu Rasam (horse gram) /Kollu Chutney
Kollu rasam / Healthy Horsegram Rasam is a go-to dish for every kongu people who mostly prefer it during cold and cough. And no wonder it serves s the right medicine due to its high protein content.
This is a type of rasam made from Horsegram (aka Kollu in Tamil). Rasam as a recipe is always considered an immune booster. This particular rasam is very much topped the chart of healthy food due to its content.
Kollu rasam and kollu chutney/thovayal are rich in protein and iron. It is also a powerhouse of high antioxidants as it is packed with hemagglutinin. The natural elements present in horse gram elevates the antibodies and autoimmune functions of the body.
Coimbatore people prepare this as a rasam and as a mashed chutney, sometimes based on convenience. This is a very popular kongu style dish that is served along with steamed rice.
Preparation Time
The preparation time for kollu rasam is 10-15 mins.
Ingredients Needed
- Horse Gram Dal
- Tamarind Water
- Tomato
- Cumin
- Turmeric
- Pepper
- Salt
Calories
A bowl of Kollu rasam will have 78 kcal with 11gms carbs, 4 gms protein, and 2 gms Fat.
Wheat Upma
Right after the word Upma, I know for sure you would skip this part right away. Because that is the level of hate we have for upma in our hearts, but wait, let me tell you an exciting upma recipe originated in the kongu region.
With upma being a banned dish in many youngsters’ hearts, the broken wheat upma came to the limelight when diabetics patients got aware of its immense health effect. This wheat upma, unlike the normal one, is a delicious dish and quite a healthy one.
It owes its origin to the Coimbatore region. It is generally sooji ( or rava in Tamil) from wheat extracts mixed with spices and served along with curd in many households. It is also the best breakfast recipe for weight loss.
Preparation Time
The preparation time is 5 mins, and the cooking time is 20 mins.
Ingredients Needed
- Broken Wheat
- Small Onions
- Turmeric
- Jeera
- Oil
- Mustard
- Asafoetida
- Salt
Calories
One serving of Wheat Upma will have 109 kcal comprising 74 calories of carbs, 10 calories of protein, and 25 calories of Fat.
Brown Sugar Adhirasam
The authentic adhirasam is prepared from brown sugar (aka Naatu sakkarai). If you say sweets are the main reasons for health deteriorations, Traditional kongu food has the solution. Unlike other north side recipes, this sweet dish isn’t prepared from white sugar.
Instead, to ensure healthy practice, our kongu ancestors used brown sugar to prepare this mouth-watering recipe. A single piece of adhirasam will be around 25g, and let me warn you, you can’t stop with a single piece.
Preparation Time
The preparation time for this dish is 60 mins approximately.
Ingredients Needed
- Raw Rice
- Natural Brown Sugar ( Nattu Sarkkarai )
- Cardamom Powder
- Sesame Seeds
Calories
A Piece of brown sugar adhirasam will have 84.75 Cal, of which 81 % constitutes carbs and 17% of Fat.
Kattu Keerai Masiyal
If you are among the individuals who run away right the moment hearing the word spinach, then join the club. We all are the same. But our beloved kongu recipe comes up with an alternative of tasty spinach (aka keerai) dish that will help to redeem yourself from the “Green fear.”
Coimbatore region is famous for its Farmland, and one easy herb you can find on every farm is spinach. This dish is prepared by mashing the spinach obtained from farm fields or wetlands and adding spices to make it tasty and healthy.
Every Coimbatorian can easily relate to their childhood memory of trying this popeye spinach recipe and waiting for biceps.
Preparation Time
It will take less than 15 mins to prepare this mashed marvel.
Ingredients Needed
- Keerai
- Cumin
- Red chili
- Garlic
Calories
A bowl of Kaatu keerai masiyal has 200 calories our of which 57% constitutes carbs and 16% of protein.
Final words
Besides its hospitality culture and many scenic attractions, Coimbatore is truly unique because they are these amazing healthy kongu nadu recipes.
Yes, the fixation with Health is natural and quite obsessive. All the dishes, as mentioned earlier, aren’t something from 5Star cuisine but the routine food habits of the peoples of Kovai.
These recipes are finger-licking delicious while also healthy, making the food culture of Kovai an eminent lifestyle attraction. There is a lot more on the plate to Coimbatore’s Food diary that can only be unveiled if you are lucky enough to have a homemade Kongu dish Real soon.
With that being said, let me go and taste the hot arisi paruppu sadham that is waiting for me.