Steaming 'idlis' on a platter

Ask anyone residing in the area and they will agree. Owned by Uma and Krishnan, a mother-son duo, this eatery is open for a few hours in the morning and evening and serves only idlis and chutney. Says Krishnan, “We never planned to serve other items as we wanted to maintain the quality of the idli. By trying out other things, we felt it would be difficult to do so.”

A plate of four idlis is priced at Rs 20 while a single idli costs Rs 5. And many of the customers swear by them! Shardul, a software engineer, says the only reason he hasn’t moved out of the area is because of this eatery. “When I first moved to this place, I was put off by the bad roads and had made up my mind to shift. But then, I came across this idli joint and since then, I am hooked to it,” he adds.

While the batter is made a day before and left to ferment, the idlis are cooked and served fresh. They are so popular that some people can easily polish off six to ten idlis in one sitting. “I think the secret is that they don’t put any soda in their idlis. The minute you put them in your mouth, they just melt,” says Ankit, an employee of HAL.

The coconut chutney is another crowd-puller. Krishnan says many come in asking for the chutney alone but according to their policy, they cannot serve the chutney without the idlis. Made in a traditional manner without any onion and garlic, the chutney may be a bit spicy, nevertheless, it is a great accompaniment.

“Not only are we big fans of the idlis but every time we have relatives visiting us from Kerala, we get them here. They too make it a point to eat one meal here before they leave,” says Shobha Suresh, a teacher.

Open from 6.30 am to 11.30 am and 6.30 pm to 9.30 pm, ‘Iyer’ is located at Kuvempu Road, Vignana Nagar, New Thippasandra. For details, call 9740657406.