On a Saurashtrian food trail in Madurai

Leaning against the debased chromatic partition of the Vandiyur Maariamman temple theppakulam, I wound into a fluffy keerai vadai from a pushcart nearby. Dusk has acceptable successful in Madurai and thoroughfare nutrient vendors situation the landmark temple vessel successful the city, selling everything from paruthi paal to paruppu poli. But the keerai vadai — made with mullu murungai leaves (Indian coral) — that is served with a sprinkling of weapon powder, is genuinely special. It is mild, nutty, crisp and chewy astatine the aforesaid time, and is among the astir fashionable dishes from the Saurashtra assemblage successful Madurai’s nutrient scene.

Saurashtrians are dispersed crossed respective neighbourhoods successful Madurai, specified arsenic Vandiyur, Nilaiyur, Munichalai, and Avaniyapuram. A bulk of them are successful the nutrient business. From karupatti appam, paruppu poli, puttu, and pongal, Madurai’s Saurashtrians are known for their elemental vegetarian nutrient that is besides casual connected the pocket.

But the people, according to historiographer C Santalingam, arrived successful Madurai to weave silks for royalty. “King Tirumalai Nayak, who ruled the portion from 1623 to 1659, made Madurai his capital,” helium says, adding: “He brought radical from Gujarat’s Saurashtra to Madurai since they were skilled weavers.”

Over the years, erstwhile weaving mislaid its sheen, galore of them took to cooking. “My begetter utilized to weave fabric arsenic good arsenic silk,” says R Bhuvaneshwari from the community, whose household is settled successful Dindigul. “He entered the nutrient concern since weaving wasn’t profitable anymore,” she adds. Their saccharine stop Jilebi Seshaiyer on Sandhai Road was started arsenic a pushcart task successful the 1960s. Bhuvaneshwari says determination are respective Saurashtrians successful her neighbourhood selling puttu, idiyappam and idli astatine their doorstep and connected pushcarts.

MG Vedhavathi is hugely fashionable successful Madurai for karupatti appam and kara paniyaram sold with bladed coconut chutney. A Saurashtrian, her roadside store other the Sourashtra Boys Higher Secondary School connected Kamarajar Salai, that has been astir for 14 years, is known arsenic ‘Akka kadai’ among her customers. She arrives with a ample trough of caramel-coloured batter and alloy boxes filled with food astatine 6.30am, making unrecorded appams, and selling retired by 10.30am. She excessively is from a household of weavers, and took to cooking aft her grandma who sold puttu and appam astatine Villapuram successful the metropolis for 4 decades.

“We are besides known for our creamy venpongal and sakkarai pongal,” says Vedhavathi. What drew them to the nutrient business? “Most of america are bully cooks,” says Vedhavathi’s son-in-law CK Senthil Kumar, who owns a market store successful the city. “Turning to cooking was a earthy prime erstwhile weaving started failing america astir 15 years ago,” explains the 41-year-old.

Their food, mild connected the palate, is the preferred prime for luncheon for galore successful the city. “In immoderate neighbourhoods, 1 tin bargain meals for conscionable ₹20 from sellers connected bicycles,” says Senthil. “They merchantability kulambu and poriyal successful tiny pouches from 11.30am to 2pm.” In Madurai, Senthil points retired that isolated from specified streetside ventures, Saurashtrians besides navigator ample quantities for functions specified arsenic babe showers. “They mostly instrumentality orders and navigator astatine home,” helium says. While radical from the assemblage besides navigator non-vegetarian food, their vegetarian dishes are much sought-after. 

Annapoorani Vilas Pongal Kadai is among the oldest Saurashtrian restaurants successful the city. Located astatine Munichali, the eatery has been successful beingness for implicit 55 years. There is nary escaped table, I enactment to my dismay, arsenic I locomotion successful for luncheon 1 afternoon. AG Jayaram, whose gramps AR Rajaram started the place, is scooping retired dollops of assortment atom from ample alloy containers connected plates for customers.

He sells 7 atom varieties including rootlike pulao, lemon, tamarind, and herb rice, venpongal, saccharine pongal and kesari. The golden-brown tamarind atom is amazingly mild and not excessively tangy, portion the herb atom tastes similar fragrant biryani. The gleaming, heavy brownish rava kesari is sticky, saccharine and drips with ghee. Prices scope from ₹25 to ₹35; a bargain considering the quantity and quality. “The cooking is done by the women successful the family, namely AJ Ganga and AM Hema,” explains Jayaram.

The 500 sq ft abstraction with its woody tables, yellowish walls, bluish woody door, and framed photos of gods connected the walls has an old-world charm, which Jayaram adds to with his poise contempt the surging day crowd.

There are immoderate dishes that Saurashtrians navigator lone astatine home. One specified is the paruthisor, loosely translated arsenic ‘cotton rice‘. Vedhavathi explains that it is cooked for large women to beryllium offered during the valakappu ceremony. “To marque it, we soak fabric seeds to grind and extract milk,” she says, adding: “This is cooked with rice, to which karupatti syrup is added gradually until each the ingredients hindrance well.”

While successful Madurai, Saurashtrians bash not person a unsocial cuisine of sorts, their nutrient represents the tone of the community, and the metropolis itself: simplicity and staying grounded.