In the current era of the beef ban, the Southern states have stood in solidarity for meat-centric dishes that define much of their culinary culture. However, beef is not the end all, be all of good meat options. For ages jungle fowl, quail, rabbit, and turkey have been staples for South Indian meat eaters.
That’s why I hitched it to Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu’s second tier city with a first rate meat eating culture. I stopped by a local legend of a bhavan and took a seat in the original room where the joint took off in 1971. Back then Hari Bhavanam was run by three employees! Now, there are five locations run by an arsenal of over 900 employees, working hard everyday for the meat lovers of Kovai.
I had barely sat down five seconds before a portly waiter placed a stainless steel tumbler of water on the table and tossed a humongous, two by one foot banana leaf in front of me. He looked at me expectantly, realised I was a noob, and suddenly dipped his hand in my drinking cup, flicking a wide spray of water across my banana leaf. I figured I had better start ordering before I further disappointed the double chinned chap and blurted out, “Rabbit Fry!”
I could have sworn the gent’s eyes twinkled with a flicker of pride when he heard the order—little did I know I had ordered a house favourite. A couple minutes later, a silver plate with a mound of rabbit was brought to the table, bathed in every form of coriander possible (powder and leaves), along with mustard seeds, cumin, green chilies and curry leaves (of course), whilst giving off the pleasant aroma of cinnamon.
I was hooked. The tender meat wasn’t too gamey, even though it was a freshly caught hare. The dish firmly reaffirmed my stance on why rabbit is one of the best meats to eat. Not only does it taste great, but it is high in protein and iron, as well as healthier than chicken, pork, or beef given its low cholesterol levels. The lean meat was so perfect I ordered another rabbit dish, ‘Rabbit 65’, which is basically Chilli Fried Rabbit. It was tasty with a drizzle of lemon and a fresh ring of onion, but could not compare to the Rabbit Fry.
I also wanted to try the Pigeon Fry, however it was not available, which perhaps was a godsend as the lady friend in my life was already rather enraged that I was munching on rabbits. In fact, the controversial meat has been banned before, followed by a move two years later that made it legal again.
If you like to know more about South Indian meat culture, check out this article on the breakdown of South Indian Quail dishes. Also, keep an eye out for why Turkey Masala should be a part of every American expat’s Thanksgiving as well as Hari Bhavanam’s notoriously, tasty Blood Fry.
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