Food trail at Chennai’s sabhas
Food trail at Chennai’s sabhas
We pick the hot favourites at the sabha canteens this music season...
The famous Margazhi music season is not just about music and dance... it's also about food! Yes, that's right. Even as a Bombay Jayashree toils hard on her Thodis and Hamsadvanis inside a sabha, the buzz at the canteen outside is as loud as the musical fervour inside. Rasikas and non-rasikas throng the stalls put up near the sabhas for its yummy food and snacks. While the elai saapadu (full meals) is tried out by even office-goers, the evenings are a highlight even as the listeners indulge in snacks and dinner.
The trend this Margazhi season was also to appease non-Chennaiites. For, a couple of sabhas also have paneer-based dishes and spring rolls to interest youngsters. Just like in music, where collaborations are the order of the day, in food too, there seems to be space for experimentation as was the case with items like paruppu usili kozhukattai and mixed veg bhajji. "I make sure I take along a few friends too so that we can share," says M Ramesh, a sabha regular. But for some, it's fancy items like mor kali and keera vadai that still hold sway. S M Vilasini, a singer, says, "I love the keera vadai in the sabhas — it's very different from the vadai we normally eat!" Surely, this is the season not just for music and dance, but lots of good food too!
Andra Pesarattu - price: ` 60
A crispy offering, the pesarattu looks super yummy when folded. And when the taste unfolds, quite literally, it proves to be quite a filling snack. If you're hungry, you should go for it!
Kalkandu Bath - price: ` 25
One of the highlights of the season, so to say, this can make you forget all your diet charts and indulge... quite liberally. Its saccharine nature, broken only due to the couple of grapes and cashew nuts that add a different flavour to it, is one to savour.
Coffee - price: ` 20
Nothing - we repeat, nothing - beats the taste of hot, piping filter kaapi. And the ones in most of the sabha canteens are right up there when it comes to brewing it perfectly. If you aren't into sweets, then kaapi is the way to go!
Adai - price: ` 50
This offering from Gnanambiga Caterers at Vani Mahal is much sought-after with rasikas during the season. For, it has a 'home-like taste', according to its chef, and that, combined with the samhar and chutney, makes it an irresistible combination.
Variety Rice - price: ` 60
If you are looking for a break from tiffen items, then, the variety rice at Narada Gana Sabha might be a good pick. This is quite filling and many rasikas looking for a full meal indulge in the variety rice items on offer.
Podi Dosai - price: ` 40
This one's supplied at many sabhas, and is a hot favourite. The one from Sri Jayaraghavendhra Caterers at Sri Rama Rao Kalyana Mantap has a lot of podi on the dosa, as it should be, and is aptly supplemented with sambhar and chutney that make it irresistible.
Keera Vadai - price: ` 30
Plain vadais will be forgotten if you munch this one. A smattering of keerai along with the essential crispiness that symbolises the vadai, this one can be used as a 'starter' before you embark on your culinary journey.
Elaneer Idly - price: ` 65
Idly can be of different types; the kancheepuram idly, the spicier cousin, being an example of a rare improvisation on the simple tiffen item. We came across a uniquely-named Elaneer Idly this season at Parthasarathy Swami Sabha.
Kasi Halwa - price: ` 25
It might not look too tempting because of its colour, but the kasi halwa — which possesses an overdose of ghee and all things sweet — is a perfect way to end your meal. The quintessential dessert to finish your evening food course, this is also a hot favourite among musicians.
The famous Margazhi music season is not just about music and dance... it's also about food! Yes, that's right. Even as a Bombay Jayashree toils hard on her Thodis and Hamsadvanis inside a sabha, the buzz at the canteen outside is as loud as the musical fervour inside. Rasikas and non-rasikas throng the stalls put up near the sabhas for its yummy food and snacks. While the elai saapadu (full meals) is tried out by even office-goers, the evenings are a highlight even as the listeners indulge in snacks and dinner.
The trend this Margazhi season was also to appease non-Chennaiites. For, a couple of sabhas also have paneer-based dishes and spring rolls to interest youngsters. Just like in music, where collaborations are the order of the day, in food too, there seems to be space for experimentation as was the case with items like paruppu usili kozhukattai and mixed veg bhajji. "I make sure I take along a few friends too so that we can share," says M Ramesh, a sabha regular. But for some, it's fancy items like mor kali and keera vadai that still hold sway. S M Vilasini, a singer, says, "I love the keera vadai in the sabhas — it's very different from the vadai we normally eat!" Surely, this is the season not just for music and dance, but lots of good food too!
Andra Pesarattu - price: ` 60
A crispy offering, the pesarattu looks super yummy when folded. And when the taste unfolds, quite literally, it proves to be quite a filling snack. If you're hungry, you should go for it!
Kalkandu Bath - price: ` 25
One of the highlights of the season, so to say, this can make you forget all your diet charts and indulge... quite liberally. Its saccharine nature, broken only due to the couple of grapes and cashew nuts that add a different flavour to it, is one to savour.
Coffee - price: ` 20
Nothing - we repeat, nothing - beats the taste of hot, piping filter kaapi. And the ones in most of the sabha canteens are right up there when it comes to brewing it perfectly. If you aren't into sweets, then kaapi is the way to go!
Adai - price: ` 50
This offering from Gnanambiga Caterers at Vani Mahal is much sought-after with rasikas during the season. For, it has a 'home-like taste', according to its chef, and that, combined with the samhar and chutney, makes it an irresistible combination.
Variety Rice - price: ` 60
If you are looking for a break from tiffen items, then, the variety rice at Narada Gana Sabha might be a good pick. This is quite filling and many rasikas looking for a full meal indulge in the variety rice items on offer.
Podi Dosai - price: ` 40
This one's supplied at many sabhas, and is a hot favourite. The one from Sri Jayaraghavendhra Caterers at Sri Rama Rao Kalyana Mantap has a lot of podi on the dosa, as it should be, and is aptly supplemented with sambhar and chutney that make it irresistible.
Keera Vadai - price: ` 30
Plain vadais will be forgotten if you munch this one. A smattering of keerai along with the essential crispiness that symbolises the vadai, this one can be used as a 'starter' before you embark on your culinary journey.
Elaneer Idly - price: ` 65
Idly can be of different types; the kancheepuram idly, the spicier cousin, being an example of a rare improvisation on the simple tiffen item. We came across a uniquely-named Elaneer Idly this season at Parthasarathy Swami Sabha.
Kasi Halwa - price: ` 25
It might not look too tempting because of its colour, but the kasi halwa — which possesses an overdose of ghee and all things sweet — is a perfect way to end your meal. The quintessential dessert to finish your evening food course, this is also a hot favourite among musicians.
Share your views
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment