Explore the Taste of South India through Palakara Petti
Diwali season is almost here, and as we gear up to celebrate the festival of lights, we must never forget the contribution that food makes to these celebrations. Is Diwali really complete without Diwali sweets? During this festive season, we survive snacking incessantly on the huge variety of sweets and savoury prepared at home when we take breaks from bursting crackers. One of our memories from childhood would be the busy kitchen in which the preparation of Diwali special sweets and snacks began weeks before the actual festival. But over time, the custom of making these festive-special dishes is dwindling. In situations like this, the iconic Palakarapetti from Oorla comes to your rescue! The Palakarapetti is Oorla’s exclusive product that caters to all your ‘sweet and karam’ cravings. The word ‘Palakaram’ in Tamil refers to an assortment of snacks, especially those made during special occasions. As the name suggests, the Palakarapetti is a combo or box of ten authentic South Indian sweets and snacks. Oorla’s Palakarapetti is a pack of 5 sweets and 5 karams (savoury items) curated with love and effort. Each variety of the South Indian sweets and savoury is brought to you from their authentic place of preparation. At Oorla, we make sure that, along with our Palakarapetti, we give you the gift of nostalgia. This box of flavor and happiness has a high potential of being the favorite Diwali gift pack of all family members.
AUTHENTIC SOUTH INDIAN SWEETS IN THE PALAKARA PETTI
The Palakarapetti is a set of traditional South Indian savoury and sweets in colorful tins and packets. The combo consists of a medley of sweets from different parts of Tamilnadu, including the famous Srivilliputhur Palkova, Tirunelveli Halwa, Karaikudi Athirasam, Coimbatore Ghee Mysorepak, Erode Jangiri and more. These South Indian sweets caress your palettes in different ways with their distinct flavors and textures. While the dominant flavor in Palkova is milky, the Tirunelveli Halwa bathes itself in ghee. The crispy-soft fusion of the Athirasam is a peculiar texture. The Mysorepak softened with ghee and Erode Jangiri are also very different in their taste and character but are equally flavourful and make our Palakarapetti unique.
Srivilliputhur Palkova
Palkova is a milk sweet that is available in the form of cubes or paste. The rich sweet became popular in Srivilliputhur in the early 1920s when Dev Singh, a Rajput, set up the famous Lala Sweet stall near the Andal temple. The milk sweet was created inspired by the Prasadham given at the temple. Palkova then became popular among other sweet stall owners around the temple in Srivilliputhur. The Palkova is made of fat-rich milk simmered with sugar in large cauldrons. The milk sweet has the right amount of sugar to balance the strong flavor of the milk.
Tirunelveli Halwa
Tirunelveli Halwa is a ghee-drenched silky sweet that dissolves in the mouth. Tirunelveli’s famous Halwa is one of the traditional sweets that provide a distinct identity to the town it hails from.
Karaikudi Adhirasam
Adhirasam is one of the most famous Diwali sweets in Tamilnadu. The Karaikudi Adhirasam from Oorla is procured straight from the hands of Karaikudi's Soundaram Aachi, who has been producing traditional sweets and snacks for more than three decades in the cradle of Chettinadu cuisine. Traditionally, Athirasam is made of rice flour and jaggery. Its crispy crust and soft interior add to the distinct sensation of the Adhirasam.
Coimbatore Mysore Pak
The specialty of the Ghee Mysorepak from Coimbatore is its melt-in-mouth character. As the name suggests, this Mysorepak is every ghee-lover's dream. The fragrant ghee pierces through your nostrils even before your taste buds get a feel of it. This ghee sweet enhances the quality of our Palakarapetti with its richness.
Karur Karupatti Coconut Barfi
Finally, the Karur Karupatti Coconut Barfi is another authentic sweet that finds its place in Oorla's Palakarapetti. The palm jaggery dish added coconut with no added preservatives. Among all the sweets in the Palakarapetti, the Coconut Barfi is one sweet with individuality in its preparation, shape, and taste. The five varieties of the South Indian native sweets can be a Diwali sweet pack by themselves, but at Oorla, we go a step ahead to make your festive season complete with Diwali special snacks. This is the other interesting aspect of the Palakarapetti from Oorla.
What’s better than having the native special sweet from the origin?
AUTHENTIC SOUTH INDIAN SNACKS IN THE PALAKARAPETTI
The box of sweets is accompanied by five varieties of savories. The traditional snacks that squeeze themselves in the Palakarapetti are Nagercoil Nendran Chips, Sattur Ribbon Seeval, Madurai Mixture, Chettinadu Thattai Murukku, and Sattur Milagu Sev. These South Indian snacks hold an important place in the Diwali special gift pack. The savoury items in the Palakarapetti are equally significant as the sweets because they help balance the tastes on your palate. The authentic sweets and snacks of Tamilnadu always go together as a combo. The savoury dishes in the Palakarapetti are known to have a crunchy or crispy quality. This contrasts the soft, melt-in-mouth quality of the traditional sweets in the Palakarapetti. Despite having different characteristics, the sweets and the snacks complement each other well. At Oorla, we understand the exact needs of your taste buds and have curated the Palakarapetti with the right amount of sweetness and spice. Despite having the same crunchy texture, savoury snacks differ in their preparation style and flavor. They make use of different ingredients as well. The dryness of the savoury dishes leads to longer storage duration. From Nagercoil, which is at the southern end of Tamilnadu, to Madurai, the food capital of the state, we have procured unique savoury dishes from different towns & cities.
Nagercoil Nendran Chips
The Nagercoil Nendran Chips come from one of Tamilnadu's famous coastal towns, which falls on the Tamilnadu-Kerala border. These banana chips are specifically made of the raw version of a particular variety of plantain popular in the Kerala region. This plantain variety is larger and more fleshy than other kinds. The bananas are thinly sliced and fried in coconut oil until they turn crispy. Unlike the typical Nendran chips, Nagercoil Nendran chips are spicy and crispier. This unique taste will linger on your taste buds for a long time and make you want more. The diversity within the Palakarapetti curated by Oorla always amazes our buyers.
Sattur Milagu Sev
Sattur Milagu Sev is a finger-sized savory dish. It resembles a Murukku but is made of gram flour seasoned with pepper. The recipe of the Sattur Milagu Sev is a century old. The Milagu Sev is a great evening snack to munch on with a cup of coffee or tea or even alongside your hot Sambar Saadham. Oorla’s Milagu Sev is a combination of crunch and softness that melts in your mouth but also explodes with flavors.
Sattur Ribbon Seeval
Another delicacy from the Sattur cuisine also holds an irreplaceable place in the Palakarapetti. As the name suggests, Sattur Ribbon Seeval are thin fried strips of rice and gram flour in the form of pieces of satin ribbon seasoned with pepper and garlic. The specialty of this authentic snack is that the dough is kneaded with a generous amount of butter, which contributes to the softness of the Seeval. This Ribbon Seeval kindles the memory of a South Indian household during festivals. It is one of those Diwali special snacks that are a staple in every Tamil home.
Madurai Mixture
When we talk about the popularity of Ribbon Seeval in Tamilnadu, we must also acknowledge the contribution of the Mixture in our lives. From being the best company for our evening teas to becoming a huge part of the Tamil meme culture in the recent past, Mixture has all the qualities to be the official State Snack of Tamilnadu. The Palakarapetti from Oorla brings Madurai Mixture straight from the food capital of Tamilnadu. The crunch of our Mixture complements your Rasam Saadham or even our Tirunelveli Halwa, which demands a certain fusion of flavor and taste. No Diwali gift pack is complete without the Legendary Mixture, and at Oorla, we respect, follow and love that tradition.
Chettinadu Thattai Murukku
The other component of our Palakarapetti is the Chettinadu Thattai Murukku, a circle-shaped, flat savoury dish that resembles a chip but is a bit thicker. Made with Urad Dal and spiced mildly, the Thattai becomes the favorite of everyone in the family.
Palakarapetti would be incomplete without these delicacies. Our endeavor to bring various flavors, cuisines, and cultures to your homes is possible through our Palakarapetti. Through food, we understand our diversity, rich culture, and history. On days of festivities, what adds to the happiness is the acknowledgment and celebration of this melange of culture.
CUISINES OF PALAKARAPETTI
In our Palakarapetti, we have included dishes from many popular cuisines of South India. As mentioned earlier, it is a confluence of cultures packed in a box.
Chettinadu cuisine is one of Tamilnadu's most popular cooking styles. It originates from the Chettinad region, which includes the districts of Sivagangai, Pudukottai, and Karaikudi. The Chettinadu cuisine is defined by its home-ground masala and its lavish use of rice as a staple food. The traditional sweets and snacks of Chettinadu cuisine are also predominantly made of rice or rice flour. This cuisine is famous for its vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian preparations. The Chettinadu cuisine is now popular across the globe and especially among the South Indian diaspora.
Madurai is known for its food culture. Madurai's street food tradition is frequently spoken of when Tamilnadu cuisine is discussed. The variety of non-vegetarian food items that the food capital provides is fantastic. Madurai is known as Thoongaanagaram (the city that never sleeps), and the food stalls in the city function until midnight, serving a wide range of South Indian delicacies. ‘Konar Mess’ or ‘Konar Kadai’ are sprawled across the city. Konar is a cattle herding, cultivating community in Tamilnadu. A restaurant started by Sundara Konar in the 1940s was referred to as Konar Kadai, which became very popular in the city.
While Karaikudi is known for its Chettinadu cuisine, Nagercoil is known for its Nanjilnadu cuisine. The cuisine of Nagercoil is also influenced by Kerala cuisine as it lies close to the Tamilnadu-Kerala border. The use of coconut and coconut oil in its recipes and authentic sweets and snacks is a distinct feature of the Nagercoil cooking style. The Nanjil cuisine, owing to its origin in the coastal area, has been the home of many fish preparations. Nanjil Nadu’s appreciation for its natural resources is known in its food culture. The importance of red rice in Nanjil cuisine must be mentioned.
Sattur is a town in Virudhunagar district, close to Madurai. Sattur is known for its Cottage industry, including printing presses, matchsticks, and fireworks. Apart from this, Sattur is famous for its regional sweets and snacks. Especially the popular savoury dishes Kara Sev and Milagu Sev are sold in large quantities. The specialty of this Kara Sev is that its recipe is easily a hundred years old. Sev, in Sattur Shanmuganadar’s kitchen, is given its own twist. There are multiple varieties of Sev prepared here.
Srivilliputhur is a town located in the Virudhunagar district. The city is known for its ancient heritage and temples. Thousands of people visit Srivilliputhur as a part of the pilgrimage in South India. The town is believed to be the birthplace of Andal. Srivilliputhur is known for its traditional Tamilnadu vegetarian food varieties that taste like home-cooked food. The availability of milk in this area led to the preparation of the famous sweet, Palkova.
The Palakarapetti from Oorla is curated carefully and with utmost love, with the specialties of these cuisines.
WHY OORLA’S PALAKARAPETTI IS THE IDEAL DIWALI GIFT PACK
After all that you have heard about Oorla, do you need another reason? We will still give you one. As we know, traditionally, Diwali is one festival when families come together and celebrate. It is when the houses are lit with lamps and laughter. Buying a Palakarapetti for Diwali will not only make your festive season wholesome but will also relieve your home chefs of their kitchen duties. The Palakarapetti from Oorla becomes the best companion to everyone celebrating Diwali away from home. If a pack of special sweets from natives cannot spark happiness in people, what can? If your loved one lives away from you and you are looking for the best set of Diwali presents for them, it must be our Palakarapetti because of our worldwide shipping feature. You can now order your favorite traditional sweets online.
Like to order sweets and snacks abroad online? We got your back. Oorla’s worldwide shipping includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, UAE, Australia, Europe, Japan, and many more countries. Yes, free shipping is available for all the countries on your Palakara Petti Order. So this Diwali, with the Palakarapetti from Oorla, you can make your loved one feel close to home despite being away from it.
In your list of gifts for Diwali 2022, we insist that you add our Palakarapetti. Gift Palakarapetti to those friends from whom you expect Biryani, Cake, and Wine. Gift it to your family that misses your presence during the festive season. Palakarapetti is the best gift for anyone because the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach! Also, who doesn’t love it when gifting some special authentic sweets sourced from the origin just takes a few clicks on their device? We at Oorla hope you have a Happy Diwali this year with our specially curated Palakarapetti.
