It is noon. I am sweating buckets as I walk down North Mada Street. I am searching for a pakoda shop that is reported to be popular in this neighbourhood.
I find out that Sri Karpagamal Kapali Street Stall at Mathalal Narayanan Street in Mylapore is indeed popular: two-wheelers and cars are parked on either side of the narrow road. People are bunched around the shop. Such crowds for a sweep shop at noontime is unusual. The rush is for onion pakoda, sold only between noon and 1 p.m.
The sweet stall has been here for almost 50 years and S. Munnuswami has been running it for the last four decades. It started by selling pakodas and medu pakodas, and later added a range of snacks and savouries such as mixure, samosa, milk sweets, gulab jamons and mysore pak.
There are six people employed in the shop that starts work at 6 a.m. “By 10 a.m. we are ready for sales. Nearly 25 kilos of pakodas are sold on an average and 10 kilos each of other snacks are prepared,” says Munnuswami, who finds business slightly dull when summer is at its peak.
Many customers swear by the quality of snacks prepared at the shop. Onion pakodas stay fresh for two days if kept in an air-tight container, says a lady waiting for her parcel. K. Sri Raman, a resident of Solaiappan Street and a regular customer, is happy that the store has maintained the same quality for years. The stall is located opposite Shree Jain Prayer Hall and is open till 10 p.m.
Contact them at 9382179755.
