Midnight masala

Beyond the glitzy environs of restaurants and hotels, is a thriving food universe that serves food close to people’s hearts. These quick and affordable street-side eateries, serving homely food, mostly through 
the night, are often the soul of a city. TNIE’s Mahima Anna Jacob takes a tour of Kochi’s late-night eateries, digging into some of their signature dishes. 

Puttu and beef at Shibu’s Puttu Kada, Kumbalam
The aroma of puttu and beef reaches you before you enter the puttu kada. Started in 1960 by Joseph, who is fondly called Ousepachen, the evergreen, modest eatery is known for its picturesque ambience. Set beside a freshwater lake, people flock in even from Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode to get a taste of the ultimate combination of puttu and beef curry. “I took over the shop in the 90s, but my wife and I have made sure that we follow the recipes set by my father, and people keep coming back for the same flavour. Earlier, people had to depend on the boat service to reach here, now with the highway, it has become more accessible,” says Shibu. Other than puttu and beef, the puttu kada also boasts chicken and mutton combinations. Along with this kappa, appam, chapathi, beef and meen curry also have takers. “We don’t source puttu podi from outside. Raw rice is powdered at home,” says the 50-year-old.

Bread-omelette at Habib’s thattukada
For late-night bread-omelette cravings, head to Habib’s thattukada at Palarivattom junction where you can indulge in bread-omelette with horlicks and boost. The neatly-kept station also serves cutlets, elanji (a traditional crepe) and masala bonda. Habib who used to drive an auto-rickshaw entered the food business around eight years ago. “My wife Fousia and I run this together. We make snacks such as cutlet and elanji at our home itself, it’s a joint effort,” says Habib. The 56-year-old opens shop at 10pm and winds up by 6am. His regular customers include youngsters and auto drivers. The crispy brown bread-omelette loaded with tomato, onion and chilli is not the only reason why people come from afar to eat. Habib’s swag while preparing the omelette is the main attraction. He flips the omelette in the air with the pan and that too with a casual smile. No matter how crowded it gets, Habib’s one-man army doesn’t keep people waiting.

Appam and boti at Sabu’s Thattukada
Serving good food to people had always been a dream for Sabu S. For the past four and a half years, the 40-year-old has been serving a variety of dishes at his thattukada near IMA Hall in Kaloor.  “I worked as a painter for a long time. Though I loved cooking and serving, I never got the opportunity to follow my passion, so I used to make biryani in houses during weddings all by myself,” says Sabu. At Sabu’s Thattukada, the most sought-after item is the ‘nice appam’ and chicken fry. “In place of appams I used to serve dosas at first. For a change, I introduced the appam and it clicked. Now we don’t serve dosas,” says Sabu.  The appam, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, is often paired with chicken fry. Other than these two, boti fry is a speciality. With the addition of chicken kurma, beef curry, boti roast, pathiri, the menu is not the same every day. Though the shop shuts by 12am, the signature appam and chicken fry tends to sell out sooner. 

Chicken kottala at Manaf’s thattukada
For Manaf Ismail, food is beyond everything. His thattukada in Kadavanthra has been standing tall for the past 25 years. Though Manaf began running the thattukada in the 90s, food piqued his interest when he was just 13 years old. “My journey in food is a funny story. My friends who joined hotels after discontinuing their studies when they were in sixth grade used to boast about the food they used to get in the hotel they worked at. Every day, they used to share their experiences, and their stories motivated me to work in a hotel and leave studies,” says Manaf.

A native of Thrissur, Manaf’s thattukada was a busy spot when he opened a makeshift shop in front of the Ernakulam KSRTC bus stand in the 90s. As he shifted his base to Kadavanthra, the variety of the dishes grew to include popular favourites such as kappa biryani and kothu parotta that are made on the spot. However, the eatery is known for its signature dish, the “chicken kottala”. Freshly fried chicken pieces are mixed with egg bhurji (with sauteed onions, tomatoes, green chilli) and a generous dose of spices. Then a few tablespoons of chicken curry gravy is added to give the dish a thick, roast-like texture. “People who have tasted it once come for it again and again,” says Manaf. Interestingly, there is a tale of “friendship” behind the dish. “Years ago, I had a regular customer who used to come to the bar nearby. Once, he stood beside me and made me prepare this dish for himself. He then asked me to give it a name, and I randomly called it ‘chicken kottala’ , which eventually became a hit. It has been about 20 years. The dish is like a monument of our friendship (laughs).”

Dosa, idli and kalakki omelette at Murugan’s Thattukada
It was just a thattukada when Tamil Nadu native Murugeshwaran set up shop 30 years ago in Ernakulam. Soon, Murugan and the dishes he doled out became popular. His shop near the Kathrikadavu Bridge, came to be known as Murugan’s Thattukada. “Our motto has and will always be to serve good food without any adulteration,” says Murugan.  The crispy hot thattu dosa with mulaku chutney, sambar, and white coconut chutney is lip smacking. Alongside dosa, in a big idli chembu, are soft, fluffy idlis. He serves a special kalakki omelette too, which comes in two versions, with red chillies and with pepper. “The pepper version is half-cooked, whereas the spicy version is made by mixing the mulaku chutney,” says Murugan. His staff Pandiyan prepares the omelettes and dosas in no time.

Mulakitta meen curry and Puttu at Raman Chettante thattukada
No matter how many varieties of cuisines are available in the city, few things can lift the spirits like a good meen curry or a beef fry. ‘Raman Chettante’ thattukada in Panampilly Nagar has been a popular go-to-place for fish curry fans. A family venture that started 25 years ago, the thattukada has been serving its signature combinations – puttu and mulakitta (fiery red) or thenga aracha (coconut-based) meen curry, beef fry, idiyappam, and more. C A Raman, the man behind the modest shop, admits the homeliness of the food is what earns it its regular customers.

“Families and office-goers are our usual customers. Sometimes celebs, too, stop for takeaway. Getting good food at affordable rates in the heart of the city is a boon for many. We don’t use any additives to make our dishes taste good, and this is also one of the several reasons why many keep coming back,” says Raman, who is fondly called Raman chettan. The famed meen curry is thick – usually made with thirutha or chemballi. Made with churned coconut and tamarind, the curry is a great accompaniment for soft, hot puttu. And all credit, apparently, goes to Shobha Raman, Raman chettan’s wife, who makes dishes. The shop opens by 6pm and closes by about 12.30am.

Beyond the glitzy environs of restaurants and hotels, is a thriving food universe that serves food close to people’s hearts. These quick and affordable street-side eateries, serving homely food, mostly through  the night, are often the soul of a city. TNIE’s Mahima Anna Jacob takes a tour of Kochi’s late-night eateries, digging into some of their signature dishes.  Puttu and beef at Shibu’s Puttu Kada, Kumbalam The aroma of puttu and beef reaches you before you enter the puttu kada. Started in 1960 by Joseph, who is fondly called Ousepachen, the evergreen, modest eatery is known for its picturesque ambience. Set beside a freshwater lake, people flock in even from Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode to get a taste of the ultimate combination of puttu and beef curry. “I took over the shop in the 90s, but my wife and I have made sure that we follow the recipes set by my father, and people keep coming back for the same flavour. Earlier, people had to depend on the boat service to reach here, now with the highway, it has become more accessible,” says Shibu. Other than puttu and beef, the puttu kada also boasts chicken and mutton combinations. Along with this kappa, appam, chapathi, beef and meen curry also have takers. “We don’t source puttu podi from outside. Raw rice is powdered at home,” says the 50-year-old. Bread-omelette at Habib’s thattukada For late-night bread-omelette cravings, head to Habib’s thattukada at Palarivattom junction where you can indulge in bread-omelette with horlicks and boost. The neatly-kept station also serves cutlets, elanji (a traditional crepe) and masala bonda. Habib who used to drive an auto-rickshaw entered the food business around eight years ago. “My wife Fousia and I run this together. We make snacks such as cutlet and elanji at our home itself, it’s a joint effort,” says Habib. The 56-year-old opens shop at 10pm and winds up by 6am. His regular customers include youngsters and auto drivers. The crispy brown bread-omelette loaded with tomato, onion and chilli is not the only reason why people come from afar to eat. Habib’s swag while preparing the omelette is the main attraction. He flips the omelette in the air with the pan and that too with a casual smile. No matter how crowded it gets, Habib’s one-man army doesn’t keep people waiting. Appam and boti at Sabu’s Thattukada Serving good food to people had always been a dream for Sabu S. For the past four and a half years, the 40-year-old has been serving a variety of dishes at his thattukada near IMA Hall in Kaloor.  “I worked as a painter for a long time. Though I loved cooking and serving, I never got the opportunity to follow my passion, so I used to make biryani in houses during weddings all by myself,” says Sabu. At Sabu’s Thattukada, the most sought-after item is the ‘nice appam’ and chicken fry. “In place of appams I used to serve dosas at first. For a change, I introduced the appam and it clicked. Now we don’t serve dosas,” says Sabu.  The appam, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, is often paired with chicken fry. Other than these two, boti fry is a speciality. With the addition of chicken kurma, beef curry, boti roast, pathiri, the menu is not the same every day. Though the shop shuts by 12am, the signature appam and chicken fry tends to sell out sooner.  Chicken kottala at Manaf’s thattukada For Manaf Ismail, food is beyond everything. His thattukada in Kadavanthra has been standing tall for the past 25 years. Though Manaf began running the thattukada in the 90s, food piqued his interest when he was just 13 years old. “My journey in food is a funny story. My friends who joined hotels after discontinuing their studies when they were in sixth grade used to boast about the food they used to get in the hotel they worked at. Every day, they used to share their experiences, and their stories motivated me to work in a hotel and leave studies,” says Manaf. A native of Thrissur, Manaf’s thattukada was a busy spot when he opened a makeshift shop in front of the Ernakulam KSRTC bus stand in the 90s. As he shifted his base to Kadavanthra, the variety of the dishes grew to include popular favourites such as kappa biryani and kothu parotta that are made on the spot. However, the eatery is known for its signature dish, the “chicken kottala”. Freshly fried chicken pieces are mixed with egg bhurji (with sauteed onions, tomatoes, green chilli) and a generous dose of spices. Then a few tablespoons of chicken curry gravy is added to give the dish a thick, roast-like texture. “People who have tasted it once come for it again and again,” says Manaf. Interestingly, there is a tale of “friendship” behind the dish. “Years ago, I had a regular customer who used to come to the bar nearby. Once, he stood beside me and made me prepare this dish for himself. He then asked me to give it a name, and I randomly called it ‘chicken kottala’ , which eventually became a hit. It has been about 20 years. The dish is like a monument of our friendship (laughs).” Dosa, idli and kalakki omelette at Murugan’s Thattukada It was just a thattukada when Tamil Nadu native Murugeshwaran set up shop 30 years ago in Ernakulam. Soon, Murugan and the dishes he doled out became popular. His shop near the Kathrikadavu Bridge, came to be known as Murugan’s Thattukada. “Our motto has and will always be to serve good food without any adulteration,” says Murugan.  The crispy hot thattu dosa with mulaku chutney, sambar, and white coconut chutney is lip smacking. Alongside dosa, in a big idli chembu, are soft, fluffy idlis. He serves a special kalakki omelette too, which comes in two versions, with red chillies and with pepper. “The pepper version is half-cooked, whereas the spicy version is made by mixing the mulaku chutney,” says Murugan. His staff Pandiyan prepares the omelettes and dosas in no time. Mulakitta meen curry and Puttu at Raman Chettante thattukada No matter how many varieties of cuisines are available in the city, few things can lift the spirits like a good meen curry or a beef fry. ‘Raman Chettante’ thattukada in Panampilly Nagar has been a popular go-to-place for fish curry fans. A family venture that started 25 years ago, the thattukada has been serving its signature combinations – puttu and mulakitta (fiery red) or thenga aracha (coconut-based) meen curry, beef fry, idiyappam, and more. C A Raman, the man behind the modest shop, admits the homeliness of the food is what earns it its regular customers. “Families and office-goers are our usual customers. Sometimes celebs, too, stop for takeaway. Getting good food at affordable rates in the heart of the city is a boon for many. We don’t use any additives to make our dishes taste good, and this is also one of the several reasons why many keep coming back,” says Raman, who is fondly called Raman chettan. The famed meen curry is thick – usually made with thirutha or chemballi. Made with churned coconut and tamarind, the curry is a great accompaniment for soft, hot puttu. And all credit, apparently, goes to Shobha Raman, Raman chettan’s wife, who makes dishes. The shop opens by 6pm and closes by about 12.30am.