Thayir Sadam

The most sacred and beloved preparation in Tamil Brahmin cuisine — soft-cooked short-grain rice mixed thoroughly with full-fat yogurt, seasoned with salt, and tempered with mustard seeds, dried red chilli, fresh green chilli, grated ginger, curry leaves, pomegranate seeds, and a drizzle of sesame oil. The rice must be soft enough to absorb the yogurt completely while the yogurt keeps the preparation cool and lightly tangy. Eaten at the end of every South Indian meal as a palate-cooling finish, and — crucially — carried in a small brass container or banana leaf packet on every journey, temple visit, and auspicious occasion. The offering of thayir sadam to a guest is considered an act of profound hospitality; no Tamil Brahmin would send a family member on a long journey without it.