Eateries in Thiruvananthapuram put their spin on idlis

Discover the idli revolution in Thiruvananthapuram with unique flavours and varieties at popular eateries like Suda Suda Idli, Modak Food, Chaikaari and so on.

Growing up, Athira J was not a big fan of idlis. “If someone at home said we have idli for breakfast, my whole mood would be spoiled,” she says. However, now, Chaikaari, the eatery she runs with her cousin Arun Kumar BS, sells around 2.5 lakhs idlis a day, through its five outlets in the city. The brand serves varieties such as ghee podi (a lentil-based spice seasoning) idli, kariveppila (curry leaf) podi idli, butter podi idli, ellu (sesame) podi idli, cilantro podi idli and peri peri idli.

Chaikaari is among the several eateries in the city that have rolled out a range of idli varieties. From Ramasseri idli, almost the size of a pancake with its origins in a village in Palakkad district, to different types of idlis, the steamed dish is available in interesting variants, thanks to outlets such as Suda Suda Idli, Modak Food and Podi Idlyum Kattanum, among others in the city.

The idli, once labelled “the most boring thing in the world” by a British historian on X (previously Twitter) in 2020, sent ripples across the internet with Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor backing the rice and lentil-based South Indian breakfast dish. The latter retorted on the platform saying, “Civilisation is hard to acquire: the taste & refinement to appreciate idlis, enjoy cricket, or watch ottamthullal (a dance and poetic performance) is not given to every mortal. Take pity on this poor man, for he may never know what Life can be.”

For actor Venkitesh VP a.k.a Venky, who co-owns Suda Suda Idli located near Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, cooking and serving idlis have a deep family connection. His grandmother, Saraswathy Ammal, used to run an idli shop decades ago, earning her the title Idli Amma in the West Fort area. He considers it fate that now he is running an idli kiosk with his friends Sreeram Krishnaswami, Vignesh G, Arun Kumar B V and Vijay Kumar.

The idea of starting the shop popped up during a discussion with his friends when he returned home to the city following a break from a Telugu movie. “Almost a month after that, we managed to bring our plan to fruition. I love idlis. It is my favourite after porotta and beef,” says Venky.

The outlet serves five idli varieties, including soya idlis (soya chunks cooked in masala folded into the idli batter), flat, thick butter thatte idlis coated with two types of podi and mini podi idlis, fried in ghee, and doused in sambar and chutneys.

Owner of Modak Food, a Kazhakkoottam-based cloud kitchen, Arun Anirudhan, says, “I have always liked idli and found it to be a healthy choice for breakfast.” Formerly working in Bengaluru, he was set to become a foodpreneur, inspired by what he had tasted in Karnataka, ultimately including podi idli, butter idli, ghee idli and so on in his menu.