Back to the roots
Bangaloreans may love experimenting with different cuisines, but there’s still something to be said for authentic South Indian fare — whether it’s dosas, idlis or vadas, the City’s infatuation with local dishes doesn’t seem to be waning.
‘Sree Krishna Kafe’, a joint located in Koramangala, capitalises on this. Specialising in traditional South Indian cuisine, it still manages to tread that fine line between authenticity and creativity. In fact, its menu includes many dishes which are unique to this restaurant.
Sundarapaiyan, the manager of this restaurant, says that sticking to tradition has served their business well — the eatery has been running successfully for the last ten years.
“We organise our menu into day-wise specials, which people love. They often come repeatedly on the same day each week to have their favourite dishes,” he explains.
The entire experience at the restaurant spells authentic, with food being served on banana leaves and often accompanied by piping hot filter coffee. The menu is vast — the dosa itself comes in many varieties, including podi dosa, masala paper roast, rava dosa and onion dosa. Uthappams are also staple fare here.
In the evenings, the eatery cooks up batches of vada and idli, again with huge variety. “We have malli idli, where small idlis are made and then fried with coriander leaves and masala. Similarly, we have podi idli, which is fried with ghee and gunpowder. Another item on the menu is Kanchipuram idli, which is made with rava and pepper,” says Sundarapaiyan. Vadas also come with morkozhambu, which is a curd-based gravy.
He maintains that ingredients are bought in fresh, and the cooks steer clear of commercial, pre-packaged masalas.
“Everything here is made from scratch,” he says, adding that there are a few ingredients which are never used in his kitchen.
“We ensure that we make hygienic and healthy food, so our cooks never use baking
soda, ajino motto or any kind of artificial colouring. We don’t even add the colouring in dishes like kesari bath,” he says.
He’s also ensured that the cooks in his kitchen know exactly what they’re doing. “They’re all from Tamil Nadu. I personally recruited them. In fact, before hiring them we asked them to cook for us, and selected the employees accordingly. The same cooks have been with us for the last ten years,” he says, proudly.
The eatery serves many other South Indian staples. Green-pea uthappam, and kothu parota — which is a dish made of Kerala parotas, cut into pieces and then sauteed with onions and tomatoes — are other hot favourites.
Those with a sweet tooth can end their meal with kozhukatta, a rice dumpling stuffed with jaggery, or the ever-popular poli.
The eatery will soon be celebrating its tenth anniversary, and Sundarapaiyan says that plans are being made to revamp the entire menu on the occasion. Call 9448111514 for further details.
