Copper, silk organza, lentils, rices, tamarind seeds, black pepper, fenugreek, cumin, black mustard seeds, palm sugar
18 x 24 x 1 in
I asked my mother, Ganga Srinivas, to write out her perspective on what defines Tamil cooking. She responded by drawing this map. Amma visualized the essential ingredients of பால் (pAl/milk), அரிசி (arici/uncooked rice), and பருப்பு (paruppu/lentils) as three spirals, with the important preparations of these ingredients listed along the curves. The spirals converge on the most fundamental meal of சாதம், பருப்பு, and நெய் (catam, puruppu, and ney/rice with lentils and clarified butter).