If you assume that tea-time snacks, thattudosa, porotta, puttu and their sides are crowd-pullers at roadside eateries, here’s a shock. Even kanji (gruel) has followers!
Especially the masala kanji served at a no-frills place at Chembu Panippura junction, in the beginning of the Kochar Road-Valiyasala stretch. Run by Sudesh Kumar, aka Vijayan to his clients, this eatery has been serving masala kanji for lunch for nearly a 12 months now. Except for a printed piece of paper that asserts ‘masala kanji’, the tiny outlet doesn’t actually have a title. Ask for Vijayannan’s store and masala kanji , loads of individuals will information you.
Despite being spicy, some clients make it spicier with home made mango and lime pickles and sun-dried curd chilli. Crisp pappadavada (lentil flatbread fritter) can also be served with the kanji. Flavourful chukku kappi (dry ginger espresso) is the signature drink right here.
Vijayan is reluctant to disclose the elements that go into the gruel. “I use red rice and it is cooked in water boiled with cumin (jeeraka vellam). Among the ingredients are green gram and biryani masala ,” says Vijayan. As I had the piping sizzling masala kanji, I discovered grated carrot, beans and coriander leaves as effectively.
How it began
It was the pandemic that compelled Vijayan, a lottery vendor, to step into the meals enterprise. “I used to sell homemade idli and dosa batter for some time. After that I sold mashed tapioca and chilli with chukku kappi at this space. One day I made the masala kanji for myself. An autorickshaw driver who stopped by asked if he could also have it. Then, he brought another person with him to have the kanji and that’s how I started making the masala kanji for customers. Eventually, word got around and more people started coming in,” says 60-year-old Vijayan. Food vloggers introduced in additional clients.
Vijayan factors out the kanji must be cooked on low flame and so it’s on the range for 3 to three-and-half hours. “It has to be infused with the flavours of the ingredients. The kanji is ready by 12 noon and usually gets over by 4pm,” he says.
Since there are solely two plastic stools, most clients stand and luxuriate in their kanji. “It feels good when people come from across the city to have my kanji. Some of them are regular customers. I believe that kanji is the healthiest food that one can have. It need not have so many ingredients.”
A bowl of masala kanji prices ₹40. Pappadavada is priced at ₹7 for one and the chukku kaappi ₹10.
The store is closed on Sundays.
Source: www.thehindu.com