Andhra Taddinam Vanta

This meal is neither considered a thaali nor is served in a thaali / plate, to be honest. 'Taddinam' in Telugu means a death anniversary and vanta means cooking. The meal I have presented here is what typically cooked on someone's death anniversary in Andhra Brahmin homes and is different than the usual fare. This post is written just from a culinary point of view and is a lengthy one. 😀  I end up calling my mother every year before cooking this meal to recollect what is allowed and what is not in the menu. The idea has been therefore on my mind for years now to post this particular meal to record for my future references. The details what I have provided here are a general glimpse and the ones followed in my family and my husband's side of the family. I would like to stress that the customs change from family to family and everyone in Andhra may not follow the same. The Brahmins in other south Indian states follow different traditions. 

I wasn't sure whether I could pull off cooking at least four regional thaalis before I signed up for this 'Thaalis and Platters' event since I had initially planned more dishes in each thaali than what I ended up cooking. Dasara thaali was the first one I cooked last November and then came December which marks the death anniversaries of my in-laws. They both had passed away within a gap of thirteen days from each other. The anniversaries are performed following the rituals per tradition in India by my husband's brothers while my husband just does the 'tharpanam' at our home. I cook a traditional meal that day and I happened to take pictures this time in case I could not be able to cook an extra meal for this theme. It is another thing that I ended up cooking over a dozen regional thaalis, big and mini ones included for this event. 😌

Taddinam is performed annually after 12 p.m, on the thidhi (date according to the Hindu calendar) the person passed away. Usually the meal is cooked with 'madi' either by the daughters-in-law of the family or a hired cook if there is a large gathering. Breakfast is usually not prepared on this day since the son(s) who perform the rituals and the women who cook the meals do not eat anything other than drinking one or two cups of coffee before the lunch is being served that day. And the sons who perform the ceremony do not eat rice on that night while the daughter-in-law must eat rice for the dinner.

Lunch that day usually ends being served later than usual because of the rituals that do not start until noon. It is first served to the pandits / brahmans and the sons who conducted the ceremony. The people sit on floor on a peetha / the low wooden seating and the food is served on banana leaves, by the daughters-in-law or the ladies of the house. In our homes, the daughter-in-law removes the leaves after they finish eating and she will bury the leaves which brahmans used in a shallow pit and covers it with the dirt so that the leaves are accidentally not stepped on or touched by any animals. She again needs to take a bath after doing that and again a wear a 'madi' saree before serving others or eating lunch.

The above thaali represents a meal cooked in my father's side of the family where four different kinds of curries and four chutneys are mandatory. My husband's side of the family has a custom of cooking only two of each and so I prepare a few dishes less than what is shown here.  

All the side dishes are eaten one by one mixed with rice and ghee while eating everyday meals. In Andhra, we don't use chutneys and curries to perk up the meal. We eat them as courses instead. The meal begins with a chutney. It is mixed with rice and ghee and eaten. Next the curry and rice are mixed and eaten. Next the dal / sambhar rice, rasam rice (if part of the menu) and finally yogurt is mixed with rice and eaten. However if we have this many items people may chose to eat the side dishes they like, mixing with rice and the rest as accompaniments. The food is expected not to be  wasted. 

My menu was the following served with rice, ghee, salt and water. 

Chutneys
Chintapandu allam pachadi - Tamarind ginger chutney
Nuvvu pachadi - Black sesame seeds chutney
Ava pachadi - Spicy yogurt with mustard powder
Mamidikaya pachadi - Instant mango pickle

Dry Curries
Dosakaya koora / Cucumber curry
Goruchikkudukaya koora / Cluster Beans curry
Bendakaya koora / Okra curry
Aratikaya koora / Plantain curry

Dals
Pesarapappu / Salted moong dal
Mamidikaya otti pulusu / A sour and sweet, green mango preparation

Sweet and Snacks
Garelu / Black gram fritters
Rava laddu / Semolina laddu
Biyyam Payasam / Rice and jaggrey kheer

Below is the description of what is allowed and what is not.
The food cooked on this day needs to follow some rules. Everything is prepped and cooked freshly the day of 'taddinam' and nothing is prepared in advance, not even chopping the vegetables. Nothing is bought from outside. All spices are allowed but we end up not using much other than those used in tadka / seasoning. Here's what typically followed in our family circles and usually in most parts.

Grains
Plain rice is cooked using the local south Indian variety which one is accustomed to in everyday cooking. No Basmati rice or any special variety rice is used. No special, spicy rice dishes are cooked. Breads / rotis are not part of the meal obviously.

Legumes / Pappu
Yellow moong dal / pesara pappu is the only allowed legume on this day and is a must. Pigeon peas or yellow lentils (Kandi pappu / Toor dal) which is cooked on a daily basis is strictly not allowed on this particular day.

The cooked moong dal is seasoned just with salt and no tadka / tempering is done. My sister and I used to hate it with a vengeance while growing up. 😖 It is a 'must' on the menu along with otti pulusu. Otti pulusu / theeya pulusu can be loosely translated as a Andhra style sour - sweet stew prepared without adding any dal. The vegetables that usually go in this preparation are eggplants (vankaya), okra (bendakaya) and dosakaya (cucumber). The moongdal and this pulusu pair well. 

No dals with spice powders / pappu / sambhar / charu (rasam) are prepared that day.

 1. Ginger chutney / Allam Pachadi 2. Pulusu / Stew 3. Mango chutney / Mamidikaya pachadi 4. Moong dal / Pesara pappu 5. Sesame seeds chutney / Nuvvu pachadi 6. Ava Pachadi / Mustard flavored yogurt

Chutney / Pachchadi
It depends on family customs and anywhere between 2 to 4 fresh chutneys are prepared. Two chutneys are prepared in my husband's family, three on my mother's side and four in my father's  family. The common ones are listed below but some families may have a few mandatory ones. Some families prepare spicy powders / podi as well. For example, my mother's side of the family always prepare three dishes under this category - vepa putha pachadi (neem flower chutney), chintapandu pachadi (tamarind one) and karappodi (spice powder from Andhra). People tend to cook quicker ones when they need to make four chutneys.

Perugu pachadi which is equivalent to north Indian raita where a roasted or cooked vegetable is added and is on a spicier side is not usually prepared in my side of the family and that's why ava pachadi is made where no vegetable is added and makes a quick fix chutney. However I heard recently my sister in law mentioning that they had made a snake gourd one. 

Some of the chutney options are
Nuvvu pachadi (Black sesame seeds chutney. Many don't prepare it on regular days.) 
Allam pachadi (Ginger chutney)
Chintapandu pachadi (Tamarind chutney)
Dosakaya pachadi (Cucumber chutney)
Mamidikaya pachadi (Mango chutney / Instant pickle)
Ava pachadi (A simple raita with ground mustard seeds)
Nimmakaya karam (Seasoned and spiced lemon juice)

Vegetable Side Dishes / Kooralu 
The number again depends on family customs as mentioned above and anywhere between 2 to 4 vegetable side dishes are prepared.  For example, my father's side of the family always prepare 4 curries whereas two curries go in my mother's and husband's families.
   
The vegetables are neither fried nor cooked in gravy form. Coconut is not used on this day. The vegetables are plainly boiled, tempered and seasoned but don't assume they taste bad. 😉

What I have noticed is that the vegetables used to cook on this day are usually desi or the ones native to India. One 'gadda koora' / root vegetable is a must from the allowed list. Onions and garlic are strictly prohibited and usually is not a part of everyday lunch as well in most of our families and so no one really misses them. Snake gourd / Potlakaya is one vegetable used in my husband's side of the family but not allowed on my side of the family.

Vegetables that are used:
Bitter gourd / Kakarakaya
Okra / Lady finger / Bendakaya
Broad beans / Chikkudu kaya 
Cluster beans / Goru chikkudu
Colocasia / Taro root / Chama gadda
Cucumber / Dosakaya (Both yellow and eating variety)
Eggplants / Vankaya
Elephant Yam / Kandagadda
Green mango / Mamidikaya
Ivy gourd / Tindora / Dondakaya
Plantain /Aratikaya
Yellow pumpkin / Manchi gummadi

The below is the list of vegetables typically not used in the menu. I don't see any reason other than that most of them are not Indian origin ones. Drum stick is not used maybe because no pulusu / sambhar is made that day.

Vegetables that are not used:
Beetroot
Bottle gourd / Sorakaya
Cabbage
Capsicum
Carrot
Cauliflower
Chayote / Chow Chow / Seemonkaya
Drumsticks / Mullakkada / Munagakaya
Garlic / Vellulli
Genasugadda / Sweet Potato
Green peas / Batani
Greens / Aaku kooralu 
Kohlrabi / Knolkhol
Onion / Erragadda
Potato / Aloo
Ridge gourd / Beerakaya
Tomato
White pumpkin / Boodidha gummadi

Snack:
Uraddal vada / garelu is a must and the only snack prepared in most of the homes. The fritters are made with a  ground batter of soaked black gram adding just salt. Either skinned black gram or the whole black gram are used. It is mostly done in the donut shape, with a hole in the middle, which is mandatory in many homes on that day and some don't prefer the shape on regular days.

Sweets / Sweetener:
Traditionally people used to repeat that sweet every year which was prepared on the 12th day after the person has passed but nowadays people prepare the sweets according to their convenience. Some families may not prepare a sweet dish at all. I had made the easiest ones, biyyapu payasam / rice kheer and semolina laddus. The kheer is not garnished with ghee toasted cashews and raisins. Other sweet dishes made on this day may be arise /athirasalu, appalu and my husband's side of the family even prepare fried kudumulu. The choice of sweetener depends upon family customs. Sugar is not used in my father's side of the family and only jaggery is used.

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