The Superstar Tasting Menu: A 50-Year Feast with Rajinikanth |
Fifty years of Rajinikanth is more than a filmography; it’s a flavour profile.
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THERE ARE STARS.
There are legends.
And then… there is Rajinikanth — the only man who can walk into a kitchen, glance at a boiling pot, and the sambar will season itself out of pure fear and devotion.
So, for 50 glorious years of the style samrat, we present the only feast worthy of the man who made even drinking tea look like stunt choreography:
A full-course “Rajini ருசி” meal — each dish inspired by a film, a moment, a punchline, and half a century of unmatchable mass.
Strap in. Wear sunglasses.
At this table, even the rasam has attitude.
STARTER | Billa Black Pepper Podi Idli
Rajinikanth’s Billa phase was all swagger and controlled heat — the kind of style that didn’t raise its voice yet filled a room.
These podi idlis tossed with black pepper, curry leaves and hot ghee are exactly that: familiar, confident, and with a quiet punch that arrives a second late.
They’re the kind of idlis that don’t perform for attention… and still get it.
SOUP COURSE | Mullum Malarum Tomato Rasam
Mullum Malarum is often cited as Rajini’s most tender performance — a reminder that his intensity could soften without ever dissolving.
So the second course is a rasam that walks that same tightrope: crushed tomatoes, garlic, pepper, a hint of jaggery, all simmered till the flavours feel like they’ve lived together for years.
A rasam with character, not chaos — the sort you sip slowly because rushing it feels disrespectful.
SMALL PLATE | Baasha Kothu Parotta
There’s nothing subtle about Baasha, and this dish doesn’t attempt decorum either.
A proper kothu parotta with egg, pepper chicken and onions, chopped to a rhythm that could easily be mistaken for background score.
It’s loud, busy, irresistible — the full sensory chaos of a Chennai street corner, and the ideal tribute to a film that redefined what “mass” could be.
HERO DISH | Sivaji Tiffin Thali
If there’s one thing Sivaji taught us, it’s that even a simple idea can be executed with… let’s say, more enthusiasm than strictly necessary.
This course borrows that spirit: a mini tiffin thali with ghee roast dosa, pongal, chutneys, gunpowder potato, and a small sweet hidden in plain sight.
Everything is familiar but turned up half a notch — not reinvented, just… stylishly ironed.
SEAFOOD COURSE | Thalapathi Meen Varuval
Mani Ratnam’s Thalapathi gave us a Rajini who glowed more than he spoke.
This fish fry marinated in red chilli, tamarind and garlic leans into that mood: not fiery, but warm; not aggressive, but unmistakably present.
The edges crisp, the centre stays soft — like a stare held one second longer than necessary.
VEGETARIAN MAIN | Padaiyappa Paal Kozhukattai
Padaiyappa was Rajini at his most proverbial — dispensing life lessons between bouts of elaborate family drama.
This dish works the same way: rice flour dumplings in coconut milk, sweetened lightly and finished with cashews.
It’s simple food, but the kind that arrives with the quiet confidence of someone who knows they’re the crowd favourite.
DESSERT | Kabali Filter Coffee Tiramisu
For the final flourish, a nod to the stylish elder statesman of Kabali.
This tiramisu uses strong filter coffee decoction instead of espresso, and palm jaggery instead of sugar — a dessert that’s modern in shape but unmistakably South Indian in temperament.
A clean finish without the fuss, like that iconic coat flip done with absolute calm.
DIGESTIF | Sukku Coffee Shot
A small, sharp ending: dry ginger coffee with jaggery and pepper, quick enough to cut through a feast, warm enough to leave on a high.
A closing note that doesn’t announce itself — it simply restores order.
Fifty years of Rajinikanth is more than a filmography; it’s a flavour profile.
Warmth, heat, humour, humility and that unmistakable punch of style that no one has ever successfully copied.
A full-course Superstar meal isn’t just food.
It’s cinema.
It’s swagger.
It’s comfort.
It’s celebration.
It’s the taste of five decades of pure, undiluted Rajini.
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| | This is not your regular Sunday biryani. This is Rajinikanth in a pot. |
For the rice
2 cups seeraga samba rice
4 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1 small piece cinnamon
Salt to taste
For the chicken masala
700 g chicken, bone-in
3 tbsp gingelly oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
3 green chillies, slit
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp crushed black pepper
Salt to taste
For the Thalaivar touch
½ cup thick curd
1 tbsp ghee
A handful of mint leaves
A handful of coriander
Juice of ½ a lime
Fried onions (optional but very stylish) |
Rinse the seeraga samba rice until the water runs clear. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil with bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, and salt.
Add the rice and cook until it is about 90% done. Drain the rice and spread it on a plate or tray to stop further cooking. Set aside. Heat gingelly oil in a heavy pan. Add sliced onions and sauté until golden brown. Add ginger–garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell disappears.
Add tomatoes and cook until they soften and the oil begins to separate. Add chicken pieces, turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, crushed black pepper, green chillies, curry leaves, and salt.
Mix well and cook on medium heat until the chicken releases its juices. Stir in thick curd, mint, and coriander. Reduce the heat and cook until the masala thickens and the chicken is almost done. In a heavy-bottomed pot or biryani handi, melt 1 tbsp ghee. Spread a thin layer of rice at the bottom.
Add a portion of the chicken masala. Repeat the layering process, finishing with rice on top. Add a few mint leaves and fried onions over the final layer (optional).
Seal the pot with a tight lid (or foil + lid). Cook on very low heat for 20–25 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Gently fluff the biryani with a fork or flat spoon, mixing the layers lightly. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice. Serve hot with raita, boiled egg, or salna. |
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