Simplicity Coimbatore , Delightful thattu idli and more
(Please check the link above for pictures of the food at Salem tiffin house ) I apologise for being way too hungry to bother taking proper pictures myself and also I didn’t have my camera with me !!!
A few weeks ago if you had asked me about ‘idli kadai’ eateries,my mind would have gone blank ! That’s simply because I’m a huge dosai fan and rarely enjoy an idli meal .I don’t know if that was because of any particular reason but most of the lot who grew up with me can live on the dosai.The idli however does not garner as much enthusiasm.
Anyway, recently a few of us ventured out to Anna University to learn about the miyawaki system of tree planting. Visitors are welcomed on Sunday (at 7.30 am) and taken on a short walk to show how the planting of 80,000 trees has had an enormously positive effect on the eco-system. In a short span of 2 years ,the Kalam project undertaken by Siruthuli has led to developing a young urban forest which would have otherwise taken double the time to grow. The initiative is truly remarkable and a huge inspiration for many of us to contribute by doing our bit in any way possible.
So after spending such a productive time outdoors,it was time to pay attention to the start of hunger pangs. While deliberating on the closest eatery to visit,Ranjana Singhal (That’s Y food fame )suggested that we check out a favourite idli kadai of hers. When I hesitatingly confessed that I wasn’t an idli fan ,she agreed to go elsewhere. Thankfully my next question was “do they serve anything else besides idli?” When I heard the words, dosai,vadai,pongal etc etc there was no holding back. We were on our way to Salem Ravichandran Tiffin house, at RS Puram.
Another reason why I was keen to explore Ranjana’s recommendations was because she being a quality conscious restaurateur herself there was little chance of her choice going wrong. She did think it necessary to warn us that it was a modest establishment ,not too big.But we all agreed that many a time it’s these kind of establishments which serve the tastiest local fare. An ardent foodie will refer to it as a “hole-in-the-wall” establishment ,which must be discovered.
A 10 minute drive later we arrived at Salem Ravichandran Tiffin Mess.The place was full (always a good sign). I think the sight of 6 ladies waiting for a table prompted a few good samaritans to quickly vacate their seats for which we were grateful.The staff made haste in cleaning up and all that was left to do was place the order.
The regulars went straight away for the specialty which was the thattu idli .My choice was the roast rava dosai. We all collectively accepted the offer of a vadai each,which came piping hot to the table. It was perfectly crunchy on the outside with a fluffy interior and we made quick work of it after giving each mouthful a good sambhar dunking!
The thattu idli plates arrived and they looked absolutely scrumptious. Gleaming white, the idli is a lot flatter than the regular idli but has a wonderful spongy texture and just dissolves in the mouth. I took a small piece from one of the other plates and for the first time was in ‘idli heaven’. Naturally my next order was for a thattu idli which I happily devoured. The podi which is essentially a mix of roasted lentils and spices was on point in terms of flavour, texture and seasoning. We couldn’t get enough of it and kept requesting for more.
The rava dosai was equally delicious with a crisp exterior.It was undoubtedly one of the best rava roasts I had eaten but be sure to specify that you want it crispy because the next one that arrived was a bit soft. For anyone who loves a strong aromatic coffee, this is one place where you will not go back disappointed. Hot ,fragrant and frothy, it is filter coffee at it’s best.
This restaurant was started in 1978 by Salem Ravichandran and is now run by his brother Sudhakar who has been managing it since 2011. A man of few words ,he lacked the enthusiasm shown by his staff. For some reason,he displayed little interest in talking about the iconic butter oothapam that his eatery is well known for or even the origin of the podi recipe.
Well ! It also goes to show that one does not necessarily have to be a food enthusiast to run a successful eatery. What the owner lacks in is well made up for by his energetic staff members and cooks who clearly have mastered that art of serving delicious tiffins , typical of this region. The meal is great value for money and they also serve jain fare keeping in mind the large jain community living in the area.
So the next time someone invites me to an idli kadai meal out , the answer will be a resounding yes !!!
Do check out
Salem Ravichandran Tiffin House-2548080 (7:00am- 11:00pm)
No: 45, Venkatasamy Rd W,
Near Green Trends,
R.S. Puram,
Coimbatore
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