If you know me personally, you would know that I tend to dislike Idlis and prefer Dosas to it any day… However, over the past few months, an exception to that has been found as I find myself being able to enjoy the same from one place… This place is the not so known small eatery in Kazhakuttom, located opposite to the local bus stop, called Hotel Annapoorna… My dad started getting their Idlis and Vadas once in a while for breakfast when he goes for his morning walk as that is a place that gets open early in the morning and hence, ideal considering his schedule for the times my mom is not well enough to cook in the morning…
If you are there early, like shortly after 6:30am, then the only choice in their menu is the Idlis and Vadas… Rest of the menu like Dosas, Uthappams, Pongal, etc usually get ready only much later… So, today was one of the days my dad got the parcel from the place… The Idlis and Vadas came with a generous portion of Sambhar and along with it, two Chutneys, one being of coconut and the other mostly made with onions…
First of all there is nothing special about the Idlis and the Vadas here… Only difference I could find is that sometimes the Idlis tend to taste with a slightly lesser sour component… The real stars are the Sambhar and especially the Chutneys…
The Sambhar of theirs is made with Pumpkin puree and has very little to no lentils in it… I guess its a cheaper alternative as this is indeed a low budget eatery… It also has Carrots, Onions and more pumpkin as pieces along with coriander and curry leaves… However, the taste is simply awesome… The masala is key here and its not spicy nor bland but incredibly flavourful that I could drink that Sambhar as a soup any day… I usually tend to mash the Idlis with the Sambhar and then have it with the Chutneys…
Now coming to the chutneys, I must say that the ones I get from this place is the very reason I ask my dad, when given the choice, to go there when getting breakfast like this… The coconut chutney is clearly freshly made with shallots, green-chillies, curry leaves, etc and the taste is so good that I can eat it everyday… It is indeed my favourite because the balance of flavours of its ingredients is just perfect for me, the level of which I am yet to see anywhere else, where its mostly watered down or they don’t get it right… The red chutney is made with caramelised onions and there is some coconut as a binder as well… Its a spicy chutney with their use of the red chilly (powdered I guess) in it… Speaking from personal experience, this is a tricky chutney to pull because the amount of caramelisation in the onions have to be perfect… Otherwise, the taste gets affected…
So, the chutneys and the sambhar together make a great combo with the Idlies and Vadas that the whole platter becomes a very delightful start to the day and considering that they open so early, it is indeed a great option for people living nearby to get breakfast before going to work… 🙂
