The soul of the hills in a feast

“Did you know that the Badaga community of the Nilgiris cultivates more than 12 varieties of avarai, or legumes, and incorporates them into their daily diet?” asks executive chef Narayanamurti of Sangamithrai, at Feathers Hotel, which is dedicated to celebrating native Tamil cuisine.

A few months ago, the chef and his team travelled across the Nilgiris, Kodaikanal, Yelagiri and Kolli Hills to study the food traditions of the tribal communities in these regions. What began as a research trip evolved into an immersive culinary journey. The team returned not only with new insights into indigenous ingredients and age-old cooking techniques, but also with a deeper appreciation of the nutritional wisdom and ecological sustainability embedded in hyper-local food cultures. Dishes from the region are being showcased at the ongoing food festival here.

T. Gandhi and his daughter G. Renuga, from Solur village in Udhagamandalam, Nilgiris, are presenting traditional Badaga delicacies at the food festival. “We are an agricultural community and therefore our cuisine is predominantly vegetarian. We grow potato, beans, carrots, cabbage, beetroot, knol khol, cauliflower and spinach in our gardens. White butter and ghee are also used extensively, as we raise buffaloes at home,” says Gandhi, who is well known in his community for his culinary skills. Renuga adds that their meals are largely built around locally-sourced ingredients. Erigittu (known as kali in Tamil) is their everyday staple. It is prepared in the morning, packed for lunch along with avara udhakka, a lentil and vegetable gravy, and carried to the fields before they begin their agricultural work.

Erigittu the everyday staple of the Badaga community
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Special Arrangement

In a typical Badaga home, three ovens are built at floor level. One holds a large vessel of drinking water, kept constantly warm, while the other two are used for cooking. This traditional system not only ensures a steady supply of hot water but also helps keep the house warm in the region’s cool climate.

“Whether it is a festival or a special occasion, the sweet dish we prepare is always enneittu,” says Renuga. The dish is made by mixing maida, sugar and ripe banana, shaping the mixture into small balls and deep-frying them in oil. She adds that one of the defining elements of Badaga cuisine is their signature spice blend, hatti mas hudi, which is used in most dishes. The coarse powder is prepared using red chillies, coriander seeds grown on their farms, jeera, pepper, fenugreek, clove, cinnamon and hing, lending the cuisine its distinctive flavour and aroma.

Badaga farmers are known for practising mixed farming, cultivating millets, barley and wheat alongside vegetables such as potato, carrots and cabbage. As a result, their cuisine is deeply rooted in seasonality, with meals centred on locally grown produce. “Every meal includes keerai, or spinach, which is available in abundance. We also consume butter and ghee regularly. Every household will stock gaasu bathulu — potatoes that are washed, sliced, sun-dried and stored. They are later deep-fried and served as a side dish,” says Renuga.

Dinner began with a bowl of piping hot seval murungakeerai soup, an aromatic blend of country chicken and drumstick leaves, gently spiced with pepper and garlic. The comforting broth set the tone for a meal rooted in robust, regional flavours. The starters featured steamed tapioca, neatly diced and lightly seasoned, Solaiyaar dam-fried cutla fish, Valparai idicha kozhi and Valparai mutton chukka. The mutton, soft and tender, was flavoured with ginger-garlic paste, whole red chillies, pepper and fennel. Cooked slowly until succulent and then roasted with spices, the dish delivered a deep, earthy heat characteristic of the region’s cuisine.

Avara udhakka
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Special Arrangement

From the Toda community came otti dur, a traditional staple of the tribe. The dish is prepared by cooking rice or millet in buttermilk with salt, then shaping the mixture into palm-sized balls. It is served with buffalo butter and a spicy garlic chutney, creating a simple yet deeply satisfying combination. Representing the Badagas was erigittu, made with ragi (finger millet) and rice, while Yelagiri contributed ragi roti to the spread. A Badaga-style mutton and potato curry served as the perfect accompaniment, its robust flavours pairing well with the millet-based staples. A surprise element in this segment was the pachai milagu rasam, distinguished by its sharp heat and pronounced garlic flavour, which added a lively, pungent note to the meal.

The dessert spread featured ennaittu, a laddu prepared with thinai (foxtail millet) and jaggery, offering a wholesome, earthy sweetness. Also served was simili urundai, made from peanut granules, rice flour and jaggery, a rustic treat that rounded off the meal on a traditional note.

More than a tasting menu, the festival was a reminder that hill cuisine is shaped by farming, seasonality and sustainability — a cuisine where land, climate and community remain central to every plate. The festival was not merely about indulgence, but about rediscovering hyper-local food traditions, celebrating indigenous knowledge and recognising the nutritional and cultural richness embedded in these regional cuisines.

@Sangamithrai, The Feathers Hotel, Manapakkam. On till March 1, lunch and dinner priced at ₹2250 (veg) and ₹2750 (non vegetarian). For reservations,call: 7358018812

Published – February 26, 2026 02:49 pm IST