Chennai’s kulambu kadais | Popular spots for affordable, home-style gravies
The Hindu
The emerging trend of neighbourhood kulambu kadais in Chennai offering homemade gravies and side dishes have become widely popular post-pandemic in the city.
Post the pandemic, a trend seems to have emerged in the city, where every neighbourhood has a kulambu kadai, selling competitively priced homemade gravies and side dishes. They cater to young couples who work from home, bachelors, and elders who prefer to cook minimally. The customers prefer these gravies, prepared in home-style kitchens, to ordering from hotels. We try some of these push carts and stalls that make meal planning easier.
N. Kalyanasundaram, used to be known as ‘sundal mama’ at Bakthavatsalam Street, near Ayodhya Mandapam in West Mambalam. Now, he’s better known as kulambu mama, and his work begins as early as 7.30 am so that customers can pick up the food and pack it in school and office lunch boxes.
Having gained experience from the catering business he ran for over two decades, he began selling kulambu (gravy), rasam, kootu (stew) and poriyal (stir fry) from a push cart. “Mess culture might be thriving but with changing lifestyles, many young couples who have toddlers and senior citizens at home, prefer to pick up gravies and side dishes so they can cook less at home,” says Kalyanasundaram.
He keeps his stainless pushcart appealingly clean, and has a kitchen nearby where food is prepared. Kalyanasundaram is popular because of the range he offers everyday; two types of sambar, one puli kulambu, two types of rasam, two types of kootu, and usually three or four vegetables (stir fry and roast).
“My menu enables my customers to choose what they prefer to eat. During the weekends and holidays, I prepare aviyal, potato or colocasia roast, and milagu (pepper) kulambu. All gravies are priced at ₹30 for 200 ml and vegetables are priced at ₹40 for 200 grams,” he says.
“During the pandemic, most families were dependent on hotels in the neighborhood. Gradually, home kitchens became popular and this trend of gravy shops is became popular with people who want to avoid commercially prepared food” says Srinivasan. S, an SAP consultant and a bachelor, who sources gravies twice a week and stocks his fridge with rasam and puli kulambu. Like all the other clients, he pairs them with rice cooked at home.
Contact 93447 32640. Customers are encouraged to bring their own containers.