Twice a year, my friend S. Anwar invites me over for lunch at his home in Royapettah. Both calls come on the eve of festivals. And rarely do I skip these dates. So on Thursday night, Anwar called to invite me over on the occasion of Ramzan. There are two reasons why I try not to miss this invitation. One, we get to feast on some wonderful biryani that is prepared by traditional cooks specially for the occasion. And served on the ‘elai’, are at least two traditional side-dishes which are unique to this part of the country. Also, the lunch is an occasion to make new...