The ubiquitous chaaya kada or tea shop is a favourite hangout spot for Malayalis. Just about every junction in the state has got at least one such shop that serves simmering hot tea or coffee along with ‘kadi’ (snack). But Aanjanam’s Kattan Delight run by Sunil Kumar is not your usual tea shop. It doesn’t serve the usual milk beverages. In fact, you’ll be hard pressed to find anything milky on the menu. Instead you have a choice of more than 35 varieties of black tea and coffee.
“After I returned home from Saudi Arabia, I had to make a living. My father used to sell homemade snacks such as achappam and kuzhalappam. I tried doing that first. But I could not make ends meet. I had to do something different and that’s how I came up with the idea for this tea shop,” says Sunil.
While in Saudi, black tea was Sunil’s favourite drink. “You get great tea over there. I am not fond of milk. But I used to have it often when I was in Saudi because the quality of milk available there, I feel, is much better than the packaged milk you get in Kerala. That’s why I decided to leave out milk-based beverages from the menu. There were many naysayers who questioned the decision. But my friends Vinu Prakash and Vinod Kumar, both techies, asked me to stand firm on my decision. It helped me stand out and make this venture a success,” says Sunil.
Aanjanam’s Kattan Delight sells more than 10 different kinds of green tea. Popular flavours are lemon, ginger and ginger-lemon. Sunil says that people often associate drinking lemon and green tea as a healthy option. “But it can also be had for pleasure. I aim to promote this idea,” says Sunil. He also serves several varieties of black coffee. Sunil’s dry ginger coffee (chukku kaapi) is fiery enough to clear your throat and freshen you up on cold rainy days.
The most popular beverage on the menu, though, is pudina (peppermint) tea. The cooling effect of mint leaves mixed with hot tea is a visual delight and instantly excites your taste buds too.
The shop also sells light snacks and fresh fruit juice. “In the mornings, I stock half-boiled eggs and boiled plantains, especially for morning walkers. Many of them come to the shop after they finish their morning fitness sessions. Some are diabetic and green tea is the best thing for them. Many opt for honey instead of sugar to sweeten the tea,” says Sunil. There are also delicious kozhukattas (sweet dumplings made of rice) available throughout the day and tapioca with spicy chilli chutney.
Sunil runs Aanjanam’s Kattan Delight with his wife, Bindu, whom he claims to be his biggest motivator. “We often experiment with different flavours back home. If successful, we put it on the menu. We are planning to sell an aloe vera flavoured tea with real aloe vera extract rather than the tea bag that we use now. It is still in the development stage,” says Sunil.
Aanjanam’s Kattan Delight has two outlets. One is at Karamana junction and the other is at Poojappura, opposite the Centre for Disability Studies.
