Erode Amman Mess’s Coimbatore branch stays true to its Kongu roots

Erode Amman Mess serves authentic Kongu non-vegetarian dishes in a bustling atmosphere, with must-try mutton and chicken specialties.

It is a sea of heads inside the recently-opened Erode Amman Mess near Hope College. Even as we enter, a small crowd has gathered at the entrance, waiting to be called inside if a free table comes up. Luckily for us, we have a table to swoop in on and quickly elbow our way past hungry diners. The restaurant, that serves a range of Kongu non-vegetarian staples, is packed through the day.

Erode Amman Mess’s roots can be traced back to a small thatch-roofed eatery in the 1980s in Erode. After 20 years of serving non-vegetarian Kongu fare in the small town, the restaurant branched into Chennai in March 2019. Today, they have seven branches in Tamil Nadu, apart from outlets in Singapore, Dubai, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia. The Coimbatore branch is a homecoming of sorts for the brand that was started on Kongu soil.

At Erode Amman Mess, they take their mutton and chicken sides seriously. In an ocean of spicy, non-vegetarian gravies that taste the same, each of their dishes holds their own. The chicken kaatu varuval, for instance, tastes of a fragrant masala of red chillies and coriander, while the chicken kandhari is a flavourful blend of tender meat tossed with green chillies.

We also try the moru moru chicken, that as the name implies, is crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside. The dish is sure to be a hit among the kids, given that the meat is also boneless. The deep-dried, golden discs make for an ideal starter.

The mutton and chicken biryani, among their must-haves, arrive at the table with a flourish, to be demolished in minutes. Our vote is for the chicken variation; it is mild with a perfect balance of spices, while the mutton biryani has a little too much ghee that overpowers other flavours. While we are at biryani, we pair it with prawn fry, a dish of tawa-fried prawns that come enveloped in a fiery red gravy.

When at Amman Mess, social media tells us not to miss their Japan chicken. The dish – that has nothing to do with Japan – consists of small chunks of chicken simmered in a buttery cashew and cream-based gravy. From what we can see, every table has a plate of Japan chicken, and we too give in to peer pressure.

The dish is said to go with their crispy ghee parottas, and we order a couple of them as well. It arrives sizzling hot and we tear off a piece and have it with a dollop of the creamy chicken. The combination of the sweetish gravy and parotta is to die for, and we also understand why it is one of their most sought-after dishes. Mention must be made that it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, for a non-vegetarian curry with a sweetish profile is not exactly what one would call a Kongu dish.