plantain leaf on the table and reels off the menu that he
seems to know by heart vellaiyappam, kathrika bajji, godhumai
dosa, adai aviyal, ghee roast. One is spoilt for choice; but I’ve already
decided on my order. When in Madurai Gopu Iyengars (MGI) Tiffin Centre, it’s
always the vellaiyappam first and the kathrika bajji next.
That’s how the ritual has been for nearly 100 years now.
Popularly known as the ‘moola kadai’ (corner store, due to its location at the
junction of two streets) or ‘kara chutney kadai’ (for its popular green chilli
chutney), Gopu Iyengars rings a bell with anyone from the temple town. To etch a name with only vegetarian fare in the land of
‘kothu parottas’ and ‘kari dosas’ is tough. But MGI has done it without much
ado. Not only has it earned a name, but has also created a brand with the
variety of signature dishes for nearly a century.
An age-old endeavour
When Gopalan Iyengar landed in Madurai as an 18-year-old in
pursuit of greener pastures, he did not know much about the nuances of the food
industry. Penniless, he was left on his own, and a benevolent man took him in
as a waiter in his eatery near Meenakshi Temple. Young Iyengar worked hard, ate and slept in the eatery. His
18 years of hard work paid off when the owner decided to sell the outlet and
found a potential bidder in him. Relentless, Iyengar forged a formidable team
with capable cooks. Day in and day out, he churned out new dishes and
immediately struck a chord with the public.
Some of the signature dishes served at MGI
include vellaiyappam, green chilli chutney, rava pongal,
milk boli, jeera boli, brinjal bajji, Mysore masala dosa,
Mumbai masala dosa, cheese dosa, Mysore-style filter coffee,
Kancheepuram idli, set dosa, vada
curry and puliyodarai. “It took the local crowd by surprise. The
dishes were unique and everyone flocked to the joint for a taste. We have
retained the original menu and the taste,” says Shubha Vijay, the granddaughter
of the founder and joint proprietor of MGI chain of restaurants.
Inspired by reading the story of a rose milk vendor in
Mylapore, Chennai, who was committed to run his small, but thriving family
business against all odds, Vijay decided to take over the mantle from her
father Srinivasan and expand the business in a big way.
Their iconic vellaiyappam and green chilli chutney
continue to delight customers. The timings of the eatery are also distinct. It
is open from 7 am to 11 am and again from 3 pm to 8 pm. “Since our outlet is
very close to the temple, the timing is in sync with the temple’s opening and
closing time. From morning walkers and tourists to temple staff and priests,
everybody has a favourite dish at MGI. Earlier, we used to close by 6.30 pm,
but now we have extended the time,” she says.
Of spices and sweets
The popular green chilli chutney is spicy and has many a
customer scrambling for a glass of water. “Despite that, it enjoys a fan
following. We have also introduced coconut chutney for those who don’t like the
spice,” says Vijay. Curry masala, artificial colours and flavours are a
strict no at this eatery. For those with a sweet tooth, the menu
features kesari, jeera boli, carrot halwa and bun halwa. The adai (made of lentils and rice)
and aviyal (a thick gravy of vegetables and coconut cooked in
seasoned coconut oil and curry leaves) are also crowd favourites.
After taking over, Vijay has given the eatery a brand symbol
and increased its online presence with its website, www.gopuiyengars.com. She
has also opened a branch on Bypass Road in Madurai and introduced catering
services. “We have made arrangements to launch our online business this year.
We have stacked our snack menu with manoharam, adirasam, suryakala,
Tirupathi-style laddoo, kai murukku, thattai,
ribbon pakoda and more, all made with pure coconut oil or ghee. We
have planned to launch door delivery across Madurai, Chennai and Bengaluru.
Preservative-free pickles and ready-to-use instant rice mixes are also
available.”
Among the celebrities who have dined here are former Chief
Minister K Kamaraj, MK Stalin and musicians such as Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan and
Pithukuli Murugadas.
****
Karnataka Maddur is a sleepy town some 80 km from Bengaluru and it was
in April 1917 that its famous vada first appeared in Vegetarian Tiffin Room
(VTR) in Maddur’s only railway station. From then to the present, there have
been generations of foodies who have done road trips from Bengaluru to Mysuru
and stopped at Maddur just to buy the vadas.
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