title: Chettinad Kitchen: Food and Flavours from South India
author:  Alamelu Vairavan 
description: Alamelu Vairavan, a native of Karaikudi, Chettinad, lives in Wisconsin and makes frequent trips to India. She has co- authored three cookbooks with Dr. Patricia Marquardt: Art of South Indian Cooking(1997), Healthy South Indian Cooking(2001) and Healthy South Indian Cooking-Expanded Edition(2008, 2012). In 2013, she co-authored a new book, titled- Indian Inspired Gluten Free Cooking, with Margaret Peiffer, a Registered Dietitian. She has also contributed recipes to the American Dietetic Association Cookbook: Cooking Healthy Across America(2005). Alamelu's recipes are also featured in the book, Healing Spices, written by Dr. Bharat Aggarwal of the Anderson Cancer Center in Texas.<br><br>A popular culinary instructor, Alamelu has enjoyed teaching the American public easy ways to prepare and enjoy Indian foods. She has also offered wellness and team-building programmes to employees of companies including GE Healthcare, Johnson Controls, and Manpower International. As a featured presenter at the famous Annual Kohler Food and Wine Event in Wisconsin, Alamelu has introduced Chettinad cuisine to the American public. In 2009, Alamelu presented a sold-out workshop on Chettinad cooking at The James Beard Foundation, a prestigious culinary institution in New York. She has also been featured in TV programs, including appearances on the Discovery Channel and PBS.Since 2010, she has hosted her own cooking series, "Healthful Indian Flavors with Alamelu" on Milwaukee Public Television. The program has since been aired over 220 Public Television Stations across the US.
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  INTRODUCTION  
   
    
  The Vysya community commonly called as Komati Chettiars are primarily 
  business men who engage in trade, banking and money lending. The origin of this 
  community traces back to Penugonda town in the west Godavari district of Andhra 
  Pradesh. Relocation to various parts of South India happened during the period of 
  Vijayanagara Empire for commercial reasons. Now vastly spread all over India and 
  major parts of the world, it’s one of the fastest growing communities.Vasavi Kanyaka 
  Parameswari is the kula devatha (community goddess) of Vysyas.  
   
  The Vysya cuisine, is hence a very ancient cuisine and highly influenced by regional 
  produce and evolved with the migration of businessmen to various parts of South India. 
  With a vast variety of exotic breakfast dishes and elaborately prepared meals, the 
  cuisine is said to have some of the finest dishes like Gassalu halwa, Amruthapalam, 
  Perugu upma, Sojji, Pithukupappu pulusu, kalakura thalimpu amongst 