Hot appams at nameless stall of Royapettah

The stall is seen only during the morning rush hour serves where many stop by to grab a quick breakfast on their way to work. 

The familiar aroma of appam and coconut milk hits the busy Venkatachalam Street in Royapettah every morning around 7 am.  cloud-white appams on an iron wok, Muniyamma Vishwanathan, who started the stall 35 years ago, walks in with the air of a supervisor, yelling out orders to the kitchen where Vatsalam and Vanitha — her daughter and daughter-in-law — stand. Pointing to Muniyamma, Vatsalam says, “My mother started this business. I remember tagging along, ever since I was 10 years old. Back then, we used to sell four idlis for ₹1.”

Owing to health issues, Muniyamma stopped the business a few years back, and her family took over — but she is still involved in it. They also had a brief hiatus when the apartment behind the stall was being constructed, into which they moved in eventually. Now, specific roles have been assigned to the family members — while Vanitha cooks from their home kitchen upstairs, Vatsalam and others make hot appams in the temporary facility as Karpagam takes orders and serves the customers.

Many customers carry parcels to work, says Vatsalam. Others — mostly employees at nearby offices — drop in for a quick breakfast. Regular customers also get the luxury of telling them how they want the dishes done. “If people want their eggs half boiled, scrambled or otherwise, we get it done. Some of them also ask for mutta dosa which we prepare according to requirement,” she explains. Other dishes served are: vadacurry (with appam), kurma, dosa, idli, chutney, sambar, omelettes and other egg items.

The stall serves, until 11.30 am — “sometimes it goes on till noon even,” Vatsalam says, as she serves more appams to the “bhaiyya.”
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Thatha and his ten-Rupee meal

A viral video on social media has put the spotlight back on Ramu S, who has been selling simple, home-style meals at his tiffin centre for less than ₹10 for over five decades

At 85, Ramu S is unstoppable. He wakes up early to ensure that his Valli Tiffin Centre near Anna bus stand opens at 7 am sharp. His customers will be waiting to enjoy piping hot idlis, fluffy uttapams, and ghee-laden pongal with coconut or tomato chutney, and sambar for ₹10 each. After 10 am his focus shifts to preparing the afternoon meal consisting of rice, sambar, rasam, butter milk, a poriyal, and pickle. Not less than 300 people drop in daily between noon and 3.30 pm to either take away or sit in the eight-seater food shack and eat the simple and homely meal.

In a city like Madurai with a vibrant food culture, Ramu Servai stands tall with his hole-in-the-wall eatery located in a commercially prime area dotted with fancy hotels and restaurants. It is so because only in his eatery, you get a wholesome afternoon meal just for ₹10.

And Ramu thatha — as he is fondly called — has a heart of gold. He has no intention of making money by selling food to those who cannot afford a good healthy meal a day. “My wife and I started by selling idlis and vadais for ten Paise each in 1965. Then, she started cooking full meals and we had two regular customers. We sold it for ₹1.25 and offered the same for free to the needy,” he says. Soon, their customers swelled in numbers.

The death of his wife in 2015 has shattered thatha. “I promised Puranathammal that I will continue to run the eatery, come what may,” he says with moist eyes. His friend, trained by his wife, cooks the food now and Ramu thatha continues to sell it at the same nominal price. But the promise he made to his wife is not easy to keep. “I don’t buy the ration rice but purchase it in the open market for ₹43 a kilogram,” he says.

“Nowhere else will you get a full and tasty meal for ₹10,” says S Shakthivel from Karur who regularly visits Madurai for work and rarely misses an opportunity to eat here. People who can’t pay ₹10 for the meal are requested to pay at least ₹2. “This way, they respect the food they eat,” says Ramu. Many eat without paying at all, and he usually refrains from charging senior citizens unless they insist on paying. “I only want to see satisfied faces leave my place.” His story has spread wide, prompting well wishers to donate in kind. “Acts like these strengthen my will to keep going,” he asserts and remembers his landlord, who has kept the shop’s rent at ₹500 per month for more than three decades now, with gratitude. “Other shopkeepers around me pay at least ten times more,” he informs us.

His customers are an interesting mix. Medical college hostellers and other students from the vicinity, patients and their attendants, police personnel, and travellers in transit turn up in equal numbers, as do farmers and hordes of petitioners who come to meet the Collector, migrant labourers, loaders and rickshaw pullers, and the homeless.Staff from the Collectorate nearby and other offices regularly drop in for a take away. Many, he says, also offer to pay ₹50 instead of ₹10 for the meal. Despite his difficulties, Ramu refuses to take extra rupee from anyone.

Every day, he gets 30 kilograms of rice, five litres of sambar, four litres of rasam, 2.5 kilograms of vegetables cooked. Ramu thatha spends from his pocket on days there are no donors and if there is a shortage of items. And he distributes extra food among the disadvantaged who line the temple nearby. There is a silent determination and compassion in what he does.The world has begun to take notice of thatha. Several YouTube videos have been made on him but he remains unaffected by the attention.

What affects him is that he has outlived two of his sons and a grandson. And also for the first time in 54 years, he was forced to close his eatery last week. “I had fever and many customers came enquiring,” he says. June 9 was also his wife’s fifth death anniversary. “I renewed my promise to her: That I will continue to sell the cheapest meals possible and serve all without discrimination.”

Knights of the long table

How long? 156 feet. Nestled under a canopy ofmango trees at Hanu Reddy Raghava Farms in Othivakkam, is this unique community dining space

Hanu Reddy Farms to take care of the Othivakkam farmland this mango season, the grandest is a giant tamarind tree, with three swings hanging down its sprawling branches. From its vantage point right at the entrance, the tree stands guard, looking over acres of land. 

Waste to worship

 jackfruit, sapota, red sandal, neem, golden showers, jamun, gulmohar and cashew, 

Want to share a meal here?

  The idea behind the table is community dining. “It is a way to bring people together, with the theme of mango, India’s national fruit,” says Nirupama. Hannu Reddy Mango Tourism is organising The Great Mango Festival, at which people can go fruit picking and on bullock cart rides, shop at sustainable markets, learn pottery and practise yoga. “You can have breakfast at the table, the menu will be mango-based and designed by celebrity chefs. We will also have a live mango ice cream counter,” she says. They have also collaborated with Exoticamp, a travel startup, for setting up tents in the farm to spend the night.

 
The festival will be held at Hanu Reddy Raghava Farms on three weekends: June 9, 16 and 23. Visit www.hanureddymangotourism.com or call Exoticamp at 9487762833

Flavours with tehzeeb

0The Grand Hotel in Hyderabad sustains old world austerity through unique biryani and chai among other favourite dishes

Meander along the Bank Street in Abids, and Grand Hotel is an unmissable sight. With its constant flow of customers, every one of them sporting a full belly, the restaurant is one of the favourite places in Hyderabad’s Old City.

The family-sizedbiryani , costing around Rs. 250, lives up to its portion sizes, easily feeding up to five people — and it’s freshly made in intermittent batches, according to the staff and biryani enthusiasts alike.

A mandatory ritual for many after they have indulged their appetite is to order the in-house chai , which is different from the usual cuppas around the area. Its after-taste is pleasant and, unlike other Irani chais , this variety holds little body but plenty of flavour. The formulation is clearly different, but it still holds true to the makings of a delicious cutting chai.