Happy tummies

Nei Idly Sambar is named after its speciality dish — big white fluffy idlis, doused in fragrant ghee and soaked in spicy, flavourful sambar. In addition, it also offers four varieties of podi idli (spicy, karvepillai, ellu and poondu) fiery and gleaming with a vibrant orange coat, idli with vadakari, filter kaapi and goli soda. “Since this is a Chennai-based food truck, we wanted the dishes to be quintessentially Chennai. The ghee used is made by Aditya’s aunt. “It’s organic and smells great,” he says. The batter for the idli too is made by her. With plans to add one new dish every month, recipes are being tested out. Uthappam and a few varieties of dosa (ghee, chilli cheese and podi) are in the offing. Among their ambitious plans is something called lava idli.

Nei Idly Sambar is open from 6 pm to 11 pm at Drive ‘n’ Eats, Vasu Street, behind Ega Theatre, Kilpauk. For details call: 9840561061

Alien Stone

Flashes of electric pink light radiate from a hulking black object at Palavakkam Beach. Fear not, it’s just Alien Stone, a food truck that’s been a regular at this spot since October 2018.This truck has all the fast food favourites: golden fries (in seven varieties including mushroom, lime and cheese), burgers, fish fingers and milk shakes. They even make steaks.

On most evenings, their solid assorted burgers, no bun burgers and prawn frizzles draw crowds who surround the food truck, like fans around a rockstar. While customers wait, they can play a game of Speed of Light — an arcade game — that’s built into the side of the vehicle.

The kitchen has three people whipping up the dishes, “We make sure to clear out the stock for the day with some special offers at night, so we get fresh products daily,” he says.

Alien Stone is parked at Karunanidhi Beach Road, Palkalai Nagar, Palavakkam. It is open between 5.30 pm and 11 pm. For details, call: 8939866899

MIDNIGHT MOR

in Thousand Lights leads customers to Rajan, selling chilled buttermilk off his old TVS 50

Tufts of yellow sponge peek out of the torn black seat of a classic green TVS 50 parked on Murugesan Complex Road, Greams Road. Mounted on it is a red plastic pot serving fresh buttermilk, every night between 9 pm and 4 am.

Eighteen years ago, he sold the buttermilk off his TVS 50 for ₹3. Today, the drink costs ₹30 and Chetta employs four people at his shop.

He now sells tea, veg puffs, bun-butter-jam, samosas and veg rolls as well. Chetta also takes catering orders for wedding and parties. “Our USP is that we function during the night”, says D Arvind who has been working at Chetta’s for 13 years. “Even at 2 am in the morning, there are customers flooding in. It is mostly IT workers who come at that hour. Our customers are mainly from Sowcarpet and Nungambakkam, but some come from Ambattur, Avadi, Poonamallee, ECR and Kovalam as well,” he says.

Rajan says that the curd for this buttermilk comes from a dairy farm in Walajabad, Kanchipuram district. “The curd arrives at 4 am and we make around 50 litres of buttermilk at 4 pm everyday.”

With visibility on the Internet, location availability on Google Maps and open options of Google Pay, PhonePe and Paytm for payments, Chetta Buttermilk is customer-friendly. “We hope to tie up with Zomato within a month’s time,” he says.

 

Triplicane Ramadan Walk

Against the fading evening light, the Big (Wallajah) Mosque stands tall in Triplicane and is brimming with people, all decked up. Soon, it will be time to break the fast. And so, we are guided to the right wing of the mosque where a line of women sit on cane mats, their bowls filled with generous amounts ofnombu kanji . We too, are asked to sit and before we know it, we are being served:nombu kanji, vegetable fried rice, onion samosas, rose milk and so on. They don’t heed to our repeated requests to serve less -- “No, it’s okay, please have as much as you can” and move to the next line. Before long, as theazaanresounds in the air, everyone begins feasting.

This is from where the fourth edition of The Park Ramadan walk begins, to discover the iconic places in Triplicane that serveiftardelicacies. “This mosque shows the best example of living in harmony. Many non-Muslims, especially Gujaratis and Sindhis, set up shop during Ramzan. In fact, they make the food and serve too,” says Chef Ashutosh Nerlekar, who curated the walk.

After a one-and-a-half kilometre walk, we reach Fakir Street which houses the famous Basha Halwawala: the board outside declares “no branches” as the empty ‘New Basha Halwawala’ looks on from the opposite side.

Dumka roat is the first dessert in line. Easily the highlight of the walk, this sweet is the perfect combination ofsooji, khoa,ghee and sugar. It has a gooey consistency and the strongly caramelised bits on top taste like toffee. The sweetness is not overpowering, making a second or third serving possible.

It’s time to end the evening with hot badam milk. An old man on a scooter selling attar directs us to a badam milk outlet, called Mani Lassi Shop. The simmering milk fills a steel cauldron up to the brim. A man scoops up the boiling drink in a ladle and pours it diagonally from atop — the action is done to separate the cream from the milk. As people watch, he serves glass after glass of steaming badam milk; with and without a dollop of cream on top, depending on customer preferences. The milk is a soothing respite to an evening of sampling most of Triplicane’s most colourful culinary secrets.

Chai Waale’s piping hot chairman’s special

Chai Waale has an extensive tea menu that ranges from milk, herbal, black to iced tea. An interesting one is chairman’s special, with a strong flavour of lemon, honey, ginger and chat masala that may remind you of a tangy candy.

In addition to tea, the menu also includes samosas, sandwiches, noodles and khakhras. One of the USPs of Chai Waale is the sale of khakhras that comes in nine flavours including pizza, jeera, chocolate and dabeli to mention a few.  If the cost is slightly above ₹ 35, there’s a chance that people may not visit regularly.” 

Among the business circle, Chai Waale is seen as a direct competition to Chai Kings, another popular tea café in the city. Chai Waale has five outlets: in Sowcarpet, Anna Nagar, Mogappair, Purasawalkam and OMR. The branches are open from 6 am to 12 am. For details, call 7010266755.

Traditional sweetes & savouries

Thenkuzhal murukku, Kambu laddu, and kara mixture from Chinthalavadi. These simple treats and a few lines about the village on the banks of the river Cauvery can turn an ordinary festive gift into a mindful one.

This year, we are seeing more people gifting handmade savouries featuring organic ingredients from farms across the State. Chef and TV host, Rakesh Raghunathan, whose karupatti (palm jaggery) Diwali sweets have been in demand for several years, says he is too busy with his recently-launched TV show, Dakshin Diaries, to take orders this time. But he has a few tips for the resourceful.

“There’s Srivilliputhur palkova from the town’s famous Venkateshwara Sweet Stall, Tirunelveli halwa from the city’s Janakiram Hotel, kara sev from Sattur’s Shanmuganadar Mittai Kadai, and Triplicane’s Dum ka Roat at Basha Halwawala,” he shares.

Think local

Every festive season, Ahalya S, founder of sari brand, Kanakavalli, has Tapestry, the event planning service at her Kingsley address, put together a hamper of traditional sweets sourced from the actual towns where they originated.

This Tamil New Year, has handmade kara mixture from Chinthalavadi, and Inippu Seedai (sweet seedai) made with jaggery from Karukathy, near Vellakoil in Tamil Nadu. “In cities, things tend to get curated for a modern palate, which is why I look at promoting handmade, authentic delicacies,” says Ahalya, who sends these boxes out to clients. In the past, she's had Kallakurichi chinna vengayam murukku, Nellai Nei Karupatti Mysore Pak and thaen mittai from Erode for her Diwali hampers. Details: Tapestry Expressions is at Kingsley, Spurtank Road. 07550022300

Go nuts

Palm jaggery, peanuts, sesame, cardamon and dry ginger from farms across Tamil Nadu go into the delectable peanut candy and sesame, multigrain balls at Madurai-based MotherWay.Set up by B Stalin in 2015, the brand processes its ingredients in clay ovens and all the sweets are handmade. This season, opt for the Celebration Sweet Pack (₹700) comprising 50 palm jaggery and groundnut sweet bars, or the Combo Gift Pack (₹400) that includes the bars and sesame balls.

Terra Earthfood, Abhiramapuram 4th st, Alwarpet phone 4208 8800

Terra is a treatfor conscious food lovers.founder meera maran has your back when you’re looking for organic sweets, snacks or gliten-free breads. Though tere is an endless assortment of millet sweets, my favourites are the granola bars and cookies, and the laddoos that come in flavoursb like karupatti, ellu,kuthiravali, and fig and honey, among other. Since everything is home grown, they never fail to impress.

Sorrel Gardens, Muttukadu, ECR phone 99525 03181
Having a miniature garden at home is like having a little pocket dog. You have to do the watering, and the talking  (minus the walking), and these little beauties grow in on time. Hailing from the same family as the bonsai, the Arelia and syngonium plants add the perfect green touch to small spaces, and are your little go-to pixies after arough day. These are also self-sustaining gardens that require zero maintenance.

saba canteens

Mylapore Fine Arts Academy

Highlights: Sevai, sardaar vada, ammini kozhukattai, and kuli paniyaram.Timings: Breakfast: 6am-9amLunch: 11am-2pmTiffin/Dinner: 3pm9 pmAddress: 45, Musiri Subramaniam Road, Kattukoil Garden, Mylapore 21 Dec 2018

chow kootu, kaasi halwa ashoka halwa. appam, kadalai kozhaikattais sardaar vada, mor kali Chow semiya payasam, rasamalai,

A board outside Mylapore Fine Arts Academy announces the day’s menu. radish sambar, and various sweets like and

In the canteen, decorated in maroon and gold, V Mahalingam, an organiser at Mylapore Fine Arts Academy, says “Our caterer is well-renowned”. K Baskaran of Meenambiga Caterers comes from a legacy of culinary giants. His uncles are the famous ‘Gnanambiga’ Jayaraman, and ‘Arusuvai’ Natarajan. As for Baskaran himself, he has been in the catering field for more than 10 years.

“We generally do a traditional (₹170) and change the menu everyday, but our speciality is tiffin,” he says, adding with a grin, “We frequently have to turn down outsiders, but that doesn’t seem to stop them.”

The menu features a range of and including — lemon, tamarind, vegetable and coconut. Make a note to visit the section and try the made with potato and sago. To keep things interesting, they experiment with different styles of cooking. For example the curry and are made Kerala style.

kalyana saapad sevais vada

It’s Marghazi, the season of music and excellent filter coffee. As always the kutcheris spill over into the lively sabha canteens. Drop in any time of day, and watch women draped in vibrant Kanjivarams and diamonds sharing tables with curious backpackers. Or elderly concert veterans explaining the intricacies of a raga to young music students.

Because if it’s December and you live in Chennai, you must sabha hop. Both for the music and the city’s unique sabha canteens. As the wedding season draws to a close, cooks and caterers move into concert venues. This was originally to fuel audiences, but the cheerful atmosphere and fresh, home-style cooking now draw everyone from early morning joggers craving crisp masala dosas to party-hoppers in the mood for a hot Horlicks sundowner.

For seasoned concert goers, this is the time to close down their kitchens, so they can try different canteens and the season’s ever-changing menus. (Most canteens close by January 1, 2019). By the end of week one, which is where we are now, the favourites emerge. Where can you eat a full-fledged kalyana saapad? Which celebrity cooks are featured this year? Who is cooking where? And what should you order?

We have meticulously done the rounds (fuelled by copious amounts of kesari) to bring you this primer. Here is this year’s list of must-visit canteens.

Narada Gana Sabha

Ravi Chandran, a member of Narada Gana Sabha, says he realises that, “Not everybody comes just for the kutcheri. So we ensure that our food is memorable.” For the past three years, Sri Sasthalaya Catering has been cooking at this sabha, popular for it’s large airy pop-up canteen set at the back of the building.

“During Margazhi season, we have a lot of visitors, and if the performer is well-known then our canteen is filled with people, who come in to grab a quick bite or two,” says K Ramesh of Sri Sasthalaya Catering.

The menu here changes everyday. With 50 people to manage the cooking and cleaning duties, the service is quick, polite and efficient. Yet, during weekends, they say they can’t keep up with the demand, as people come pouring out from the hall straight into the canteen after each concert.

To ensure that rasikas don’t miss the opening notes of any concert because of a tardy medhu vada, the staff have thoughtfully arranged separate stations, and ensured there are people manning each counter. “People who want only coffee don’t like to wait too long,” explains Ramesh.

Look out for the special counter which rustles up puttu and appams, served with coconut milk, kurma or kadalai curry. The dosa station serves up more than 10 different dosas. For lunch there’s a mini meal which features, a sweet, a chapati and sabzi along with vegetable biryani, bisibela baath and potato curry, along with appalam, thayir saadam and pickle.

Highlights:Elaneer payasam, khoa jangiri, vazhapoo vadai, idiyappam with coconut milk, Kanchipuram idli

Timings: Breakfast: 6 - 9 a.m. Lunch: 11:30 - 2 p.m. Evening: 3:30 - 11 p.m.

Address: No 314, Ttk Road, Alwarpet

The Music Academy

This year LV Pattappa takes over from Mint Padmanabhan at the Music Academy. Both are celebrated cooks, with well established catering services.

Set under a white canopy, the space looks calm in the morning. Pattappa’s son, Balaji says “Give it half an hour, and you will barely have space to move your chair.” The long tables, bedecked in clean white cloth, have a few lingerers still discussing the morning’s concert over cups of filter coffee. Between a heated debate on the raga and how the artist presented it, plates of upma descend and all talks cease.

At the Music Academy, Pattappa focusses on traditional lunches served on banana leaves (₹ 300). The menu, changes everyday but always features a crowd pleaser, like the seppankizhangu (taro) roast. “People keep asking when they will see that on the menu again, but we like to keep things interesting,” says Balaji.

Curd rice served with puli inji is a hit. Also try their healthy tiffin menu featuring dosas, upma and payasam made with millets and ragi.

“People from neighbouring offices phone and ask for table reservations. I have to remind them it is first-come first-serve basis,” smiles Balaji as customers begin to pour in

Highlights:Artikeerai vadai, nellikai chutney, akkaravadisal and shreeannam which comes dripping in ghee, nuts.

Timings: Morning : 7:30 - 10 a.m Lunch: 11 - 2:30 p.m. Evening: 3:30 -10 p.m.

Address: No.168,TT Krishnamachari Road,Royapettah

Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha

While most sabhas rotate caterers every three years, the Mountbatten Mani Catering Service has retained this venue for the ninth year, making this a consecutive triple of their triple-year contract.

As they host artists from different states, K Srinivasan, who represents the catering service, says they keep the menu diverse. “All the greats want variety,” says Jagan, who supervises the canteen. Some of the most popular dishes here are karupatti paniyaram, thinnai paniyaram, jackfruit payasam, red rice kulaputtu and cashew mysorepak.

Picking up a menu and running his fingers down, as though in evidence, Jagan says, “We have many, many dishes. You will not find this variety even in five-star hotels.”

Backed by a staff of 100, with 30 cooks and 70 helpers, the quality of the food is impressive. There is a live counter and the entire landscape of the tent is based on a theme every year. This year, it is inspired by agriculture. Despite the experimental watermelon rasam, chocolate dosa and apple bajjis, the traditional banana leaf lunch (₹400), comprising at least 17 different dishes, is what this canteen is best known for.

Highlights: Chocolate Dosa, jackfruit payasam, cashew and badam halwa, red rice kulaputtu

Timings: Morning : 7:30- 10:30 a.m. Lunch: 11 - 2 p.m.Evening: 5 - 9 p.m.

Address: Vidya Bharathi, 55, Bheemasena Garden Road, Mylapore