With many high-profile accused cooling heels in Tihar jail, the air in its kitchen is now filled with the aroma of south Indian cuisine after special training was imparted to the cooks of the prison.
The canteen of Jail number one, four and six now serves both north and south Indian cuisine including dosas, uttappams, idlis, sambhar, coconut chutney among other dishes.
South Indian cuisine first appeared in the list of the canteen menu of Jail number one in February after former Telecom Minister and DMK leader A Raja was lodged there for his alleged role in 2G spectrum allocation scam, sources in the jail said.
The canteen of the prisons earlier served 'cholay bhaturay', 'puri sabzi', 'namkeen', 'samosas', sandwich and tea.
The cook of the DSP of Tamil Nadu Special Police, given the job of securing Tihar jail's outer perimeter, trained the jail inmates, who take care of the canteen in these three prisons to cook south Indian cuisine, the sources said.
When news of Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi's name appeared in the 2G spectrum scam, female inmates of jail number six, responsible for the canteen were immediately trained to cook south Indian food, they said.
The same followed in jail number four where Kalaignar TV Managing Director Sharad Kumar, a close aide of Kanimozhi and a co-conspirator in the 2G spectrum case is lodged at present.
Sources also said that following the introduction of south Indian cuisine inside the three jails, it has also become a favourite with other inmates as well.
Inmates get a maximum of Rs 1,000 per visit, enough to buy coupons for investment in the canteen food.
Tihar prisons provide free of cost meal to inmates three times daily which include rotis, rice, dal and one vegetable dish.
