Yummy in your tummy for Rs 40

CHENNAI: Amid noisy vehicles and pedestrians along 1st avenue, Mogappair West, a green cart outside the TVS showroom is ‘Veera’s Sambhar Idli’. It’s a beacon of hope for the light-pocketed and famished. Delicious wafts of ghee-sambhar guide us toward to the small mobile cart. Ordering a plate of four idlis for just `40, we find out why the place is already milling with regulars as early as 6 pm.

Started by Jayanthi Rajagopal, a Tamil teacher for the past 30 years, and her brother Annadurai, a builder, Veera’s Sambhar Idli was born out of the siblings’ love food. “We are a joint family with around 16 members. We love cooking, eating and serving others! That’s why when we wanted to start a business, we felt a sambar-idly mobile shop was the best thing to do!” smiles Jayanthi.

They planned the logistics for six months, training the workers, converting a two-bedroom house into a kitchen with grinders and RO water supply, and procuring a food license. Hygiene and taste was given utmost priority, so much so that on their very first day, they took their vessels back empty. “We expected only 10 plates to sell, though we prepared for 75; the rest was to be the whole family’s dinner that night! But it all got over by 10 pm itself,” she laughs.

Jayanthi recalls her first customer, a retired officer living with his wife. “He said he always buys dinner in the hotel nearby, but after eating our idlis and sambhar, he will become a regular here. And he is!” she smiles.

Office-goers, youngsters from hostels nearby, senior citizens — there are many who eat regularly here. “In hotels, they usually add ajinomoto and soda to the batter. But this is homemade food, and the taste is very nice. Even children can eat here, it’s very safe,” says Balu, a regular customer.

Quickly downing a plate of hot idlis with ghee-sambhar, fresh corriander leaves and onions, we ask Jayanthi the secret to their dish. “After grinding, the batter has to be allowed to rise for eight hours, to produce really soft idlis,” she advises.

Fresh batter is ground every day at their kitchen, from 6 am. The rest of the preparations start at 1 pm and goes on till 4 pm, supervised by Annadurai’s wife. The stainless-steel cart was also designed by Annadurai, and the sambhar is kept hot by a steamer fit into it. “Sambhar should never be heated directly, the taste will change,” says Jayanthi.

The idlis are served in eco-friendly disposable bowls, convenient to hold even if it’s hot. “We designed bowls and got these specially made from Shimoga. We didn’t want to serve in aluminium vessels as customers may be apprehensive about hygiene,” explains Annadurai.

Started just four months ago, they now sell at least 800-1000 idlis a day! The pricing is nominal to appeal to a larger base — ` 40 for a plate of four idlis, and ` 25 for two sambhar vadais. They have now expanded to Maduravoyal bridge and Padi, and their aim is to open at least 10 such outlets in the city in the next four months.

Veera’s Sambhar Idli is open from 5-11 pm every day. Located outside the TVS showroom, Mogappair West