pongal – Rickshaw Challenge

The Classic Run 2018: Pongal Madness

David — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 13:09:38 +0000

Pongal Day is always a highlight of the Classic Run.

By Day 7, the Classic Run teams had trained, learned to cope with Indian roads, and had their fair share of adventures. Now it was time for something different: a test of how well they could cook (and look) in traditional local style. It’s an event you’ll only find on the Rickshaw Challenge, and we were sure the participants would love it. Here are our favourites photos from the day, with commentary from Princely.

Day 7: Pongal Challenge

Day 7’s activity was kept as a surprise for the participants and only during the daily briefing were things revealed to them. We had planned a Pongal festival in Bremajothi farm at Sayarpuram and for the earlier part of the day we gave a small tour of close-by Tiruchandur and Manapad. As it had been a long day before, all the teams had a chance to relax. Some teams skipped Manapad tour and drove straight to farm, reaching there before 2 pm, about half an hour before the schedule.

All the teams assembled at 2.30 pm at the farm and found the arrangements ready for them. The quiet and natural set-up of the farm did not fail to impress all the teams. Aravind and his wife Gayathri came down at 2:30 pm and by 3 pm all the teams were briefed about the activity. Aravind and Gayathri handed over the dhothi and sarees for the teams, while locals were on-hand to help everyone wear them properly! After they got ready we had a photo session and after that it was time for the competition.

The Pongal event has always been a grand event and it attracts lot of media attention. Finally, after an hour and half the teams lined up for the Pongal competition results. The judging team (pictured above, in tense discussions) had to arrive after that and it took about 6.30 pm to have the results. Team 1, The Tuktators, won the competition for the taste, consistency and presentation.

After that the teams had their dinner given by Aravind and being dark we decided to drive them in convey to the hotel. It all ended up superbly and without a hitch we reached the hotel and the teams made it to the pub to finish their day. Knowing that the next day’s drive was pretty easy all the teams were in super relaxed mood that night. Those who burned the oil late into the night were Team 2 ‘the Hasselhoffs’, Team 4 ‘The Death-Shaw’, Team 6 ‘The Valkyrie of Valhalla’, Team 7 ‘Vibes Spice’ and Team 8 ‘Curry me to the Alter’ are the fantastic bunch. Known for their long night drink parties. they continued the habit in Thoothukudi as well.

Are you crazy enough to come along for the ride? Then join us on the next Rickshaw Challenge. Get a team together and let’s see you at the starting line! If you want to join us in spirit, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagramto keep up with our latest antics.

The Classic Run 2018: The Fun Continues

David — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 16:45:30 +0000

After a day exploring Madurai, it was time to visit Tuticorin.

The Rickshaw Challenge Classic Run began with training in Chennai then a great first few days on the road, but the wasn’t even halfway done! The fifth day of our event was a chance to explore Madurai, the magnificent temple city famous for its colourful gopurams, before on Day Six we travelled to Thoothukudi, Tamilnadu’s gateway to the sea, where a lot of fun lay in store! Here is Princely’s brief report:

Day 5: Rest day at Madurai

The rest day gave one participant a chance to try an authentic Indian barbers…

The beautiful temple city town of Madruai was the place where the teams had their deserved rest after the long night parties. Even though the teams got up late no one missed the chance to visit the Meeneakshi amman temple there.

Day 6: Madurai to Thoothukudi

The short day is piece of cake for all the 15 teams. In fact some of the teams had their best moments in Thoothukudi (also known as Tuticorin), driving around the small town having a lot of fun with the locals. So far the Classic Run is going well and let us has the glimpse of the finish in the next report. Until then you can follow our page for more updates, until then bye from me.

Gourmets’ Delight: Eat ALL the Food in Tamilnadu!

veronika — Wed, 09 Dec 2015 15:29:09 +0000

You’re on an adventure in a new country, running around, taking in all the beauty that the Southern state of India has to offer. Let’s face it: you are bound to get hungry sooner or later! Fortunately, you have come to a great place to satisfy your rumbling belly; the food in Tamilnadu is simply amazing.

Photo by KARTY JazZ

Cooks in Tamilnadu have a wonderful take on cooking and giving food to others – they regard it as a way of helping humanity. They do it out of love and care, something that you’ll notice all throughout your journey in India. The traditional food of Tamilnadu is diverse and includes dishes that are vegetarian and non-vegetarian, so all you carnivores out there can relax – you’ll be able to eat a lot of meat!

The stars of most meals in this region are rice and lentils, accompanied by various vegetables and dairy products. Sometimes, dishes feature both rice and lentils. To bring out the real essence of each meal, Tamilnadu cooks use a large variety of spices like ginger, coriander, curry, chili cloves, coconut, nutmeg and rosewater. To give the food a slight sour tang, Tamil chefs love to utilize tamarind, a legume that also has a lot of positive effects on digestion. Thanks to such a wide array of seasonings, each meal is exquisite and unlike anything you’ve ever tasted – in a good way.

Photo by KARTY JazZ

The magnificent thing about the way food is prepared lies in history – most of the traditional dishes are made and served the same way they were hundreds of years ago. So, you can justify all of your binge eating by saying you’re basically just learning about the history of the region!
The food is usually served on a banana leaf, which is then used to feed the cows – what a great concept!

What are the special Tamil dishes that you should look forward to? Here are our favorites:

Uttapam
Usually made with lentil and rice batter, but it can also be made with bread batter. It looks like a beautifully multicolored thick pancake (and tastes delicious, too.) You can add any number of veggies and spices to it, according to your own taste. It is the perfect breakfast, but you can also eat it for lunch.

Photo by SteveR

Idiyappam
Also called “string hopper,” it takes a long time to prepare. But believe us, it’s worth waiting for! This dish is practically the sibling of all things curry, no matter the base ingredient (fish, chicken, eggs, potatoes.) Idiyappam is usually made of rice flour, water and salt, then pressed through a special device to make the strands extra thin.

Photo by Viewfinder18

Parotta
A typical street food, this flatbread-type dish is served also at large celebrations, like weddings. Its dough is kneaded and formed into thin layers and then spiraled to form a ball. People usually eat it with all types of meat, like chicken or mutton, but you can find veggie varieties, too.

Photo by Charles Haynes

Kari Dosai
A dosa is a fermented pancake, made out of rice and/or lentil batter. Kari Dosai, on the other hand, is a much better version of these crêpes: the chefs take the meat and cook it with the dosa. The result? An amazingly thin and tasty pancake with a twist of flavor from the meat… heavenly!

Photo by Kalaiselvi Murugesan

Pongal
Can be sweet or savoury, but we adore the sweet version! This dish has a lot of history. Each January, the people of Tamilnadu celebrate Pongal. It is a harvest festival where they give thanks for a good year of crops and to the animals that have helped with gathering food for the town. It is mainly during this time that the Pongal dish is made by boiling rice and milk together with a bit of brown sugar. They usually also add cashews or raisins to the mix. Forget macarons and cronuts, Pongal is the new dessert celebrity!

Photo by VSharmilee

Hungry yet? We sure are! With this crash-course in Tamil gastronomy, we’re sure that you’ll have a wonderful time (and a full belly) when travelling India. Bon appetit!