From Our Farms to Your Feast: Savoring Traditional Deepavali Delights from Tamil Nadu

As Deepavali approaches, the air fills with the aroma of traditional sweets and savories. This year, you can make your celebrations extra special by choosing artisanal treats from Tamil Nadu’s local agro farms. These wholesome delights are made with organic ingredients, heritage rice, A2 ghee, and cold-pressed oils, offering a delicious, maida-free indulgence that’s perfect for festive cravings or thoughtful gifts. Here’s a look at some excellent options:

Dharani Agro Farms, Ramanathapuram

Dharani Agro Farms, located in Kanikarai, Ramanathapuram, has been a hub of activity in recent weeks. Founder Dharani Murugesan, who transformed barren land into a flourishing enterprise 15 years ago, continues to empower local women by providing employment opportunities. Each Deepavali, women from surrounding villages are engaged to meticulously prepare traditional sweets and savories. “We ventured into value-added products, leading to the establishment of Dharani Food Products seven years ago,” shares Murugesan, highlighting that nearly 80% of their raw materials are harvested directly from their own farm.

Throughout the year, Dharani Agro Farms supplies red rice adhirasam and murukku for weddings. During the festive season, their offerings expand to include an exquisite selection of sweets like Mysore pak, jangiri, boondi laddu, paal koa, adhirasam, wheat halwa, dry fruit laddu, and badusha. For savories, popular choices include ribbon pakoda, mixture, murukku, and pepper sev. A commitment to purity means no preservatives or white sugar are used; all items are lovingly prepared with A2 ghee and cold-pressed oils.

Orders can be shipped pan India. Call 9488728194.

Pudhugai Organics, Pudukottai

Ahila Bharathi, CEO of Pudhugai Organics in Pudukottai, is bustling with orders from across the nation this festive season. “We are a collective of 1,364 farmers spanning 54 villages in Pudukottai district, and all our raw materials are sourced from this dedicated network,” explains Ahila. Seasonal women are employed to prepare their range of traditional sweets and savories. This year, they’ve introduced eight varieties of wholesome millet cookies, priced at ₹70 for a 100-gram box. “We use no maida, and nattu sakkarai (country sugar) is our natural sweetening agent,” she proudly states.

For Deepavali, Pudhugai Organics offers a delightful array, including kavuni rice adhirasam, boondi ladoo, thinai manoharam, Madras mixture, murukku, ribbon pakoda, and kara sev. Innovatively, they’ve also created a ready-to-use adhirasam maavu, allowing customers to easily shape and deep-fry their own fresh adhirasams at home. “Our goal was to simplify this traditionally labor-intensive and time-consuming process,” says Ahila. This convenient mix is available in Kavuni Arisi (₹150), Thooyamalli Rice (₹100), and Thinai (₹120) variants.

Orders can be shipped across India. Call 9965593143.

Kamarkat Srini, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai

In 2013, mechanical engineer R Srinivas boldly shifted careers to pursue his passion for wholesome, traditional cuisine. He founded Marabu Suvai in Thiruvanmiyur, specializing in organic and vegan food. Recently rebranded as Kamarkat Srini, his business is renowned for its signature kamarkat – a beloved traditional Tamil Nadu candy made from coconut and jaggery.

Srini upholds traditional methods throughout his food preparation, using cold-pressed groundnut and coconut oils and cooking exclusively in clay pots and cast iron vessels. Ingredients are directly sourced from farms in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, prioritizing heritage rice, organic jaggery, and fresh coconut. All products are proudly vegan.

For Deepavali, Kamarkat Srini presents curated hampers, starting at ₹120 for a 50-gram selection of kamarkat, ladoos, and mixture. Corporate clients can customize orders to include their preferred products. Particularly popular are the heritage rice ladoos, crafted from unique varieties like mappilai samba, kattuyanam, iluppaipoo samba, and black kavuni rice. For classic snacks such as murukku and thattai, he exclusively uses mappilai samba and thooyamalli rice.

Pan India and overseas shipping is provided. Call 7200477403.

Sempulam, T. Nagar, Chennai

Sempulam Sustainable Solutions, an organization dedicated to preserving India’s native and heritage rice varieties while supporting small and marginal farmers, offers a special range of cookies and savory items made with heritage rice for the festive season. Their “Heritage Bites” assortment (₹700) includes traditional rice cookies like butter bites (mullankaima rice), choco delight (black rice), vegan delight (thanga samba), and shortbread (seeraga samba). These cookies are proudly maida-free, gluten-free, and sweetened with jaggery.

Another excellent gifting option is their “Rice Savories Delight,” also priced at ₹700. These savory snacks are baked, vegan, and gluten-free, featuring traditional rice varieties. The combo includes kachori papdi, moringa bites, gongura lavash, nutty aval mixture, and spiced curry leaf biscuits. For those who want a mix, a cookies and savories combo is available for ₹1,100. All products boast a generous shelf life of 90 days.

Pan India delivery is available. Order online at www.sempulam.com/gifting.