Siripuram is gaining fame as the ‘happening’ place in the city with its mushrooming cafés and restaurants. And one of the eateries that is garnering votes is Kerala Delicacies.
It all began as an enterprise running from a food truck last year, stationed at Seethammadhara. An overwhelming response to the food truck encouraged the owners to open a regular outlet on Waltair Main Road. A bright green board that says ‘Kerala Delicacies’ greets you. Open only during the evening hours (from 6.30 pm to 10 pm), the restaurant serves two staples — appam and idiyappam. One can team this up with vegetarian or a non-vegetarian stew.
While it is mostly a takeaway outlet, there are a few stools and tables for customers who wish to eat the hot appams and idiyappam right there.
I begin with the light appams, fluffy in the centre and crispy at the edges. Chef Kondal Rao is a treat to watch as he pours the fermented rice and coconut batter into the ballcake pans and scoops out the delicious appams and serves them.
I have the appam with the chicken stew and kadala curry, a spicy gravy made from Bengal gram. The creamy stew has a peppery flavour and is a perfect foil to the bland appams.
I move to the piping hot idiyappam or string hoppers. Made from rice flour that is pressed into noodles, these are a staple in most Malayali households. They too are served with stew and curry. Additionally, the idiyappams which are garnished with grated coconut, are also served with diluted and sweetened coconut milk.
The home-style cooked appams and idiyappams make Kerala Delicacies special. And the bonus is that the food is also light and healthy.
