Weddings are a happy occasion and the fans of actors Vignesh Shivan and actress Nayanthara couldn’t agree more, as the power couple tied the knot today in a swanky five star hotel at Mahabalipuram. The wedding was a star studded affair. As South Indian weddings usually start earlier in the day, the wedding ritual for Nayanthara and Vignesh began at 8:10 AM in the morning.
The wedding is being attended by celebrities from the South and Bollywood film industry such as Shah Rukh Khan, Boney Kapoor, Rajinikanth, Atlee, Vijay Sethupathi etc. Food is often so lavish at Indian weddings, that it becomes a hallmark of celebration. The menu from Nayanthara and Vignesh’s wedding has surfaced online too and by the looks of it, guests at the wedding are in for traditional and authentic South Indian delicacies.
The wedding food menu shows more than 20 dishes for the guests including starters, main-course and desserts. There is even an option of getting ice cream from the cart, on the menu. The menu is largely vegetarian and there is a description of what each dish contains, written below the dish’s name. The couple handpicked delicacies from Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Some of the dishes that the guests will be served at this wedding include Paneer Pattani Curry, Paruppu Curry, Avviyal, Mor Kozhambu, (M)icken Chettinad Curry, Urulai Kara Masala, Vazhakkai Varuval, Chena Kezhangu Varuval, Chepa Kezhangu Puli Kozhambu, Kalan Milagu Varuval, Carrot and Beans Poriyal, Kai Porichathu, Ponni Rice, Kathal Biryani, Sambhar Sadham, Curd Rice, Poondu Milagu Rasam, curd and condiments like vegetable raita, vadams and vatthal. Desserts include Badam Halwa, Elaneer Payasam and everyone’s favourite - ice cream.
For the uninitiated, here’s a one line description of some of the dishes that have featured on Nayanthara and Vignesh’s wedding menu:
- Paneer Pattani Curry: A thick gravy of Paneer, coconut, onions, tomato, peas and cashews, that’s similar to the Paneer Peas Kuruma.
- Paruppu Curry: a lentil curry also called as the moong dal curry. Relished during the Onam Sadya too, this dish consists of moong dal made with coconut and other spices.
- Avviyal: This is a curry made with combination of vegetables cooked in coconut paste. One can use any vegetables of their choice.
- Mor Kozhambu: Mor Kozhambu is a curd or buttermilk based curry from the South Indian cuisine and is similar to kadhi from north India.
- (M)icken Chettinad Curry: A classic dish from the Chettinad cuisine, the delicacy consists of chickenmarinated in yogurt, turmeric and a paste of red chillies, kalpasi, coconut, poppy seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, black pepper, ground nuts, onions, garlic and gingelly oil. Speculations are that mock meat is being used at the celebrity wedding and therefore the work ‘micken’ Chettinad features on the menu.
- Urulai Kara Masala: Urulai Kara Masala is a no onion - no garlic, Tamil Brahmin style, stir fry made using potatoes and spices.
- Vazhakkai Varuval: Deep fried raw banana marinated and stir fried with Indian spices
- Chena Kezhangu Varuval: This dish consists of yam fried in Indian spices. The delicacy is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
- Chepa Kezhangu Puli Kozhambu: Thick, tangy and spicy stew with shallots, fried berries and tomatoes.
- Kalan Milagu Varuval: Stir fried mushroom with crushed shallots, ginger, curry leaves with peppercorn.
- Carrot and Beans Poriyal: French beans and carrot tossed with mustard, curry leaves and grated coconut.
The Kollywood star couple got married in an intimate and media free wedding. Did you know that about a month ago, Nayanthara surprised Vignesh by gifting him a new red Ferrari? #Nayanthara has been trending on social media and millions of her followers and fans have been sending congratulatory wishes for the couple on Twitter and Instagram.
The venue of the star’s wedding wasn’t always planned to be Mahabalipuram. In fact, during a press conference held recently, Vignesh confirmed that the wedding was originally planned at Tirupati. However, they had to relocate the venue to Mahabalipuram owing to logistic issues. “We wanted to call our friends and family members, and we can’t take everyone there. So, we have to decide to get married, here, in Mahabalipuram,” Vignesh had said to the media adding that fans would be get to see the first wedding pictures soon after the ceremony today. A while ago, Vignesh shared the first photo of the newly married couple, captioning it, "On a scale of 10... She's Nayan and am the One. With God's grace, the universe, all the blessings of our parents and best of friends, Just Married #Nayanthara."