Have you ever wondered if the food you’re enjoying today has its roots in ancient times?
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to dine like royalty from centuries ago?
From the opulent feasts of kings to the humble meals of everyday folks, our culinary heritage runs deep, shaped by centuries of tradition and innovation. Royal cuisine, in particular, offers a tantalizing glimpse into the lavish dining experiences of bygone eras, where food wasn’t just sustenance but a symbol of wealth, power, and sophistication. Ancient cookbooks penned by royalty provide a unique window into this world, preserving the flavors and techniques of the past for future generations to savor. One such treasure trove is the Soopa Shastra, written by King Mangarasa III of Karnataka in the 15th to 16th century. This medieval cookbook is a testament to the rich culinary traditions of Karnataka, offering a diverse array of vegetarian recipes that continue to inspire and delight modern palates. From different recipes of bath (rice) to the unique version of idli, these dishes have been passed down through generations and continue to make their way into modern kitchens. Despite their royal origins, these recipes are surprisingly adaptable, blending old-world charm with contemporary cooking techniques.
Let’s embark on a culinary journey through time, exploring the fascinating evolution of royal cuisine and the enduring legacy of ancient cookbooks like the Soopa Shastra.
Soopa Shastra
(Source: Deccan Herald)
Soopa Shastra of Mangarasa III
The Soopa Shastra is written by king Mangarasa III of Chengalva dynasty, Kallahalli. It is one of the earliest works dedicated entirely to South Indian cookery. Mangarasa III, as a follower of Jainism focused exclusively on vegetarianism. This ancient cookbook is written in vardhaka shatpadi, a metrical form which uses six lines per verse. The Soopa Shastra is organized into six chapters with a total of 358 verses. Mangarasa III begins the text by emphasizing that food nourishes the body and highlights nine parts of plants – trees, shrubs, grass, creeper, tuber, stalk, leaf, flower, and fruit – as essential for a healthy vegetarian diet. The cookbook is divided into six chapters that cover rice dishes, curries, drinks, breads and snacks, and recipes with jackfruit, eggplant and bamboo shoots. The book describes ingredients and cooking methods in great detail, including the types of utensils and ovens needed.
The first chapter outlines the preparation of thirty-five breads, sweets, and snacks, many of which have become obsolete. The second chapter covers various soft drinks that are salty, sour, or sweet. The third chapter details nine types of payasa (puddings), eight types of cooked rice, and twenty-four types of mixed rice dishes. Recipes for twenty dishes with eggplant, sixteen with jackfruit, and twenty-five with raw bananas (plantains) and banana flowers are included in the remaining chapters. The last chapter features recipes using bamboo shoots and myrobalan or gooseberry.
The cooking processes mentioned in the Soopa Shastra are quite elaborate and labor-intensive. Although Mangarasa III was a Jain, which usually means avoiding garlic, onion, and root vegetables, some of his recipes include these ingredients. One interesting method described is the use of a tandoor-like oven for baking. Additionally, the cookbook features unusual spice combinations and the innovative use of khoya (thickened milk), paneer (fresh cheese), and milk in both sweet and savory dishes – a rarity in South Indian cooking, where yogurt is more commonly used.
Mangarasa III mentions that his Soopa Shastra is a humble presentation of what he learned from ancient Sanskrit works. He also notes that he experimented with these recipes due to his love for cooking and carefully composed these verses so that women with refined tastes could prepare these dishes.
Contemporary Adaptations of Ancient Recipes
Have you ever wondered about the origins of the simple idli, now paired with sambar and chutney that we all love as a complete comfort food?
It’s fascinating to think that this humble dish was once prepared in an elaborate way during medieval times. According to K.T. Achaya, the first mention of idli dates back to 920 AD in the Kannada work Vaddaradhane by Sivakotiacharya. Back then, and even in texts like Manasollasa and Lokopakara, they talked about steaming a thick, fermented batter of urad dal mixed with the clear liquid from yogurt, spiced with asafetida, cumin, coriander, and black pepper. Interestingly, they didn’t specify if it was fried or steamed.
King Mangarasa’s recipe for iddalige takes it a notch higher. Instead of just steam-cooking a fermented batter of rice and urad dal, his version includes several additional steps. He soaked and ground urad dal and parboiled rice separately, mixed them together with salt, tamarind liquid, asafoetida, cumin seeds, and crushed ginger. This is quite similar to the Kanchipuram idli still offered at the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kanchipuram, except for the tamarind water.
Once this spiced and fermented batter was steam-cooked, the steamed idlis were broken into pieces and mixed with ghee, pepper, onion, cardamom leaves, and edible camphor. These spiced idli pieces were then encased in wheat dough cups, flattened into vada shapes, and deep-fried in ghee. Sounds a bit like a gourmet version of idli, right?
Fast forward to today, and we see new innovations like the spot idli of Hyderabad and sandwich idli recipes that might just have drawn inspiration from these elaborate medieval methods. So, the next time you enjoy your simple idli with sambar and chutney, remember its rich history and the royal twists it might have had back in the day.
Idli with Sambar and Chutney
(Source: Google)
Similarly, Karnataka’s delicious mixed rice dishes – tamarind rice, lemon rice, Vangi bath, mustard rice, curd rice, and more are staple in every household. Did you know these recipes are also mentioned in our ancient cookbook, Soopa Shastra?
It’s true! Mangarasa’s tamarind rice recipe combines cooked fragrant rice with a mix of sweet oil and tamarind juice, heated with asafoetida. After the rice cools, it is mixed with this flavorful blend, along with garlic, parched black gram powder, salt, and dried ginger powder. This dish is still popular today with little changes and is often called Puliyogare, Pulihora, Puliyodarai, etc. Contemporary adaptations of ancient recipes often involve tweaking ingredients or methods to suit modern conveniences, but the essence of these traditional dishes remains unchanged.
Tamarind Rice Or Puliogare (Source: Google)
Lemon Rice (Source: Google)
The resurgence of interest in ancient cookbooks like the Soopa Shastra highlights the enduring appeal of culinary heritage. Royal cuisine revival has become a fascinating trend, as contemporary chefs and home cooks alike seek to rediscover and adapt these ancient recipes for today’s tables. Traditional recipes from this ancient cookbook are being brought back to life, with modern chefs incorporating their culinary heritage into contemporary cooking. As we explore these recipes, we not only honor the culinary legacy of kings but also enrich our own cooking practices. Whether it’s a complex dish like buttermilk soup or a simple, flavorful tamarind rice, the wisdom contained in these ancient texts continues to resonate with traditional recipes for modern chefs.
By embracing the culinary insights of the past, we can bring a touch of royal sophistication to our own kitchens. The King’s food for modern tables offers a unique blend of history and flavor, making each meal a celebration of our rich and diverse heritage. So, the next time you prepare a dish, remember that you might just be continuing a tradition that dates back centuries, bridging the gap between ancient culinary wisdom and contemporary cuisine.
Bibliography
- https://storyofkannada.blogspot.com/2019/04/soopa-shastra-did-soup-flow-from.html?m=1
- https://peppertrail.com/soopa-shastra-of-mangarasa-culinary-traditions-of-medieval-karnataka-1508-a-d/
- https://peppertrail.com/soopa-shastra-of-mangarasa-part-ii-recipes-for-sweet-and-savory-breads-and-snacks/
- https://peppertrail.com/soopa-shastra-part-iii-panakadhyaya-and-rice-dishes/
- https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/the-king-who-loved-to-cook-797990.html
- Khagen Basumatary, Vinit Kumar Sharma, Mallika. Ancient Culinary Science (Soopa Shastra): Its Usefulness in Today’s Era in Health Point of View. AYUSHDHARA, 2022;9(2):74-84.
