We were invited to a a small dinner gathering at our friends Padmini and Naresh’s home a while ago and what a spread we were treated to. On this evening Padmini had prepared a traditional south Indian Tamil meal with a wide array of dishes.

On the menu for this evening were three vegetable curries, two lentil soups, a salad, and a chicken dish; all accompanied with some Basmati rice and chapatis. Some of the dishes were made with recipes passed down by Padmini’s Mom and Grandma. This was one amazing spread, all uniquely flavored and all prepared by Padmini. Here is a look at the menu for the evening.

A South Indian Tamil Dinner at Padmini and Naresh’s

Potato and edamame curry
Eggplant and bell pepper curry
Spiced brussel sprouts sauté
Sambhar (spiced lentil and vegetable soup)
Rasam (spiced tomato and lentil broth soup)
Kosumalli – Salad of corn, carrot, cannaleni beans and bell pepper
Chicken Curry – Padmini’s grandmother’s recipe
White rice
Chapatis
Dessert

Lightly seasoned with little chili heat, all these dishes showed off the wonderful vegetable flavors to perfection. I asked Padmini for recipes of some of my favorite dishes of the evening. I will post recipes for the potato and edamame curry, eggplant & pepper curry, and kossumalli (salad).

We had a wonderful time meeting new people and catching up with old friends at this fun dinner gathering.

A special thank you to Padmini and Naresh for having us over for a delightful evening filled with scrumptious food and warm company.