Iddali –Sambar-Chutni-Vadai Dearfriends,
When Iwas going to have my morning Tiffin today, Iddali and hot sambar was kept readyfor side dish on the dining table. When I peeped in to kitchen, I found gingercut was kept for some dish. Liking ginger in preference to Sambar, I had thefirst two iddalies with ginger added with little salt and coconut oil used oncefor frying. Last iddali I took with sambar, which I could not relish much inpreference to ginger mix. In mystudent days I had iddali with chutni in my home. Sambar was a dish along withmeals. Probably it could be as per my late father’s desire to have chutni. Ifchutni was under preparation, I used to have cut green chilly added with saltand coconut oil, once used for frying. It gave me more taste. When I came toChennai, iddali sambar was a common tiffin item in hotels. Some nostalgicthinking in to Iddali- vadai- chutni -sambar. A time pass posting. Gopalakrishnan29-11-2023. 1. Iddali- Sambar When Icame to Chennai on employment, my late eldest brother working in Railwayarranged accommodation in a hotel where he was working for some time. The ownerpleasingly asked to me to stay with cashier in his room and can have tiffinmorning and evening meals with the preparations made for staff. I was given aconsolidated bill in the month end which I paid from my stipend. At that time meals was not served there. Thecoffee cook will prepare coffee decoction by 4.30 AM and tiffin cook will makeready sambar and iddalies by 5 AM. Vadai will not be ready. Chutni will beunder preparation. On thosedays hotels were opened early morning 5 AM. Even before the opening ofdoor, customers, mostly workers will be waiting to enter. Over two iddalies hotsambar, (more liquid type) will be poured using a cup so that iddali will beimmersed in sambar. Often many will be asking for more iddalies and sambar.Without any hesitation sambarwas poured. The sambar prepared will be exhausted by even 9 AM. Whenmeals started, again sambar was prepared, afresh, more thick with differenttaste. Vadai andchutni will be ready only by 6.30 AM. On those days only Medu vadai prepared inthe morning. Chutni was added with more peanuts (Pottukadalai) and less grated coconut.Rare hotels had tasty sambar and 100% coconut chutni. Nowalmost all restaurants open by 6.30 or 7 AM. Only tea stalls opened in the earlymornings. When the restaurant opens, chutni and hot vadai are also ready. Thepractice of iddali sambar continued in hotels for long time. 2 Addition- Iddali Mulagapoti, Ghee/oil Somemore developed restaurants started to provide Iddali Mulagapoti and ghee/ oil.While I was in Salem on training, one restaurant was famous for theirMulagapoti- ghee. There iddali was prepared very thin and smaller in size. Butheavily crowded. 3. 100% coconut chutni Fromlate 1964, even now Ratna café in Triplicane is famous for their 100% coconutchutni. Their sambar is also very special, very hot sambar is served. Chutniwas/is served once, if desired additional, charging was done. Even for sambarsome restriction was/is there. Anotherrestaurant served coconut chutni on those days was Sree Rambhavan in Thambuchetti street. It was a busy restaurant on those days. It functions more aslodging now. Old glory has gone.(Google search result) 4. Special chutnies. Nowfor the last 2 or three decades hotels serve iddali with sambar, chutni,special chutnies of corrinader leaves and onion. Some major restaurants serveiddali mulakaipodi also added with gingly oil. Nowadays no restriction, since pricing is made high. 5. Medu vadai. Normalmeduvadai using urdu dhal is served. Depending on restaurant cost nowadays varyfrom Rs. 30 to 40-00 per piece. 6. Meduvadai with iddali and dosai. At onetime the trend was even without asking meduvadai was added with iddali order.Similarly with any type of dosai. It was to boost sales. Now such trend is notthere. If we asked to take meduvadai, it was done with much hesitation. 7. Restaurant famous for sambar. In Coimbatorethe Annapoorna restaurantis famous for their sambar. I was working was AE there during 1979’s. There most customers eat iddali with sambar.Serving is done pouring sambarover iddali. (I have searched Google again for the correct information) 8 Adyar Aanada bhavan Withlot of branches, quality tiffin is available in Adyar Aanada bhavan branches inChennai. Somewhat Flat iddali is served. 8. Iddali batter. Now inChennai, iddali batter either packed or ready made in loose packs or on thespot ground and mixed are available in shops/ exclusive batter shop. 95% aregood quality. Earlier separate iddali and Dosai batter were available. Now thepacks are iddali and dosai batter. 9. Homes. Mosthomes have either iddali/ pongal/ dosa now as morning tiffin. Mulagai poti isalways available. Chutni and sambar, vadai are mostly prepared when guests arethere. Or limited to either chutni or sambar. Vadya vrindam uppuma and noodles are also there. Forvariety some smash chilly and onion and add salt and oil as side dish withiddali/ dosai. Or some like me eat addinAg ginger, salt and oil mix. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1171570115.5675081.1701248133055%40mail.yahoo.com.
