CHIEF CHEF- NAMAKKAL SRINIVASAN

CHIEF CHEF- NAMAKKAL SRINIVASAN



(I remember Namakkal Srinivasan- He was the Master Chef during my marriage. His name was so popular in ester years that marriage without Namakkal was only ordinary marriage. Rich People sought after him for any function. He made Food Preparation and Catering as Art)


To day the Madras Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology is training
Youngsters for degree in that course. Star Hotels employ these people with fat salary. Some People start their own Fast Food Chain. There is heavy demand for these people through out the world.


My mind goes back to 40s and 50s. Among the Chefs in those times Namakkal was
standing as towering personality. He was an Institution himself. People who worked
under him became famous Cooks and there were many such people who are still living to
day to cherish his memory. Before India obtained Independence and some time after also Oriental Culture, Fine Arts and many other fields were given boost and nurtured by Kings, Mirasdars, Rich People, Madathipathis, and Temples. Occasion like Marriages and Temple functions became showpiece for them to maintain their stature among them. Tanjore and Trichy Districts in Tamil Nadu are famous in this respect.


In all these houses- Namakkal was well known and patronized. What was the secret
behind his success? - I enquired many people who were intimately connected with him.
Namakkal style was carved out for each occasion. Here is an example.

In those days marriage was conducted for 5 –days. Guests will be treated with feast of food, music and dance and also fire-works. If Namakkal was the Chief Chef invariably Ariyakudi would be the Singer; T.N.Rajarathnam Pillai on Nadaswaram and Kumari Kamala was the Dancer.


Here is the Namakkal menu for each day. On all the 4-days one sweet, Idli, Vadai and Pongal would be the breakfast. Noon meals would comprise of Sambar, 2- Kari, one kootu, one Pachadi, Chips, Rasam, Applam, Payasam, one sweet and Curd bath.
Each day Sambar, Rasam, Kari, Sweet and Payasam will be different. Planning for the items would be done meticulously by Namkkal 15-days before the marriage.


Only the best of Vegetables, Rice, Ghee, Milk would be selected under personal
supervision of Namkkal. Namakkal would have his own team of Assistants and Caterer
who knew the Guests’ taste and for all of them their appreciation was more important
than the amount they get. A Question may be asked why this field is given attention when people are crazy over Information Technology and Computer Science. Time is changing and so also is the attitudes and preferences. Cooking and Catering Technology has become a privileged sector to day.

It is a 3-year course today. Namakkal hate the word contract. He considered that Food and Catering is an art and should be treated as such. But today this is vanishing; people want to give contracts and never bothered about taste or quality.


Analysis:

Even before the M.I.F.C. Institute was established to train Master Chefs, Namakkal was the institution himself- there are hundreds of person trained by him spread over Tamil Nadu, Andhra and Karnataka. Food and Catering Technology has been given an honored place in our academic curriculum.


· Simplicity of approach.
· Perfection in work.
· Willing to share the experience.
· Patronized by Society.

R.Jagannathan.