Village Cooking Channel has now become one of the YouTube channel from South India that boasts of a whopping 10 million subscribers. The quaint countryside of Chinnaveeramangalam at Pudukottai district in Tamil Nadu is grateful to V Subramanian, V Murugesan, V Ayyanar, G Tamilselvan and T Muthumakkam for making their village popular around the globe.
The cooking videos posted by these five brothers and their grandfather M Periyathambi have become a national phenomenon, making them one of the most-watched Indian YouTube channels. To share their happiness, the group recently visited Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin and handed over a cheque of Rs 10 lakh for the state's COVID-19 relief.
Their special recipes and the unique way of greeting in the local Tamil dialect have won millions of hearts. Their welcome phrase ‘Ellarum vango’ (come on everybody) soon became a rage among their subscribers and viewers. Periyathambi is a well-known cook in Chinnaveeramangalam. The idea to film cooking videos with his grandfather had first clicked in the head of Subranamium who is an MPhil holder in Commerce. He shared this idea with his cousins who had been doing odd jobs in the village. They agreed to help as the cousins had dreamed of making money to go abroad. However, it was Periyathambi’s incredible talent for cooking that attracted millions of viewers for their videos.
'Local' channel
People subscribed to the Village Cooking Channel, not just for the recipes but to enjoy the serene beauty of the countryside and their unique lifestyle too. They do not use gas stoves or modern gadgets for cooking; instead, they use makeshift stoves made with blocks of stones, beside the lush green fields. Moreover, they do not use store-bought masala powders in their dishes.
The chilli powder, turmeric powder, and other masala are freshly ground on a traditional grinding stone. The grandfather announces each ingredient, in his unique style, before he adds them into the dish. As Periyathambi isn’t used to cooking for few people, the group cooks in huge cauldrons and vessels.
When the dish is done, the group would sit together and taste the food. After filming the video, the remaining food is supplied to the villagers or donated to the lone old age home here. The group earns around Rs 10 lakh per month from YouTube alone. Besides, they make additional income from Facebook and other social media platforms. The group says they spend around Rs 2 - 3 lakhs per month for purchasing the ingredients and other expenses. The rest of the amount is equally distributed among them.
