For a pocket-friendly meal

The small-time eateries that dot the streets of Madurai are something characteristic of the city. They are typical hole-in-the-wall shops offering a ubiquitous menu at peculiar timings, catering to a regular and vast customer base. They offer a full-course meal for anything a little under or above Rs.50 and yet manage to dish out tasty and filling food. On a hunt for the best and cheap meal in town, we pick four of the joints that stand out

BINGE ON A BUDGET: On the hunt for the cheap and best meal in town

Annapoorani vilas @Keezhavasal

Tucked in an obscure corner on the Keezhavasal junction is this 50-year-old shop that's better known as the 'Pongal kadai' . Started by one enterprising Rajaram who sold just venpongal, sambhar and chutney, the place now sells plates of tomato rice, lemon rice, kesari, sweet pongal and vegetable biryani for Rs.20. “However, our venpongal is still the star item. It's about following the same method of preparation and consistency in taste and quality that helps us sustain in the business,” says Madhusudhanan, the grandson of Rajaram who now runs the joint. The ghee-dripping venpongal is indeed a delight with the pottukadalai chutney and thakkali sambar. Annapoorani Vilas is open from 12 pm to 7 pm.

PTR Tiffin centre @Munichalai

BINGE ON A BUDGET: On the hunt for the cheap and best meal in town

“We started a milk point intially, which later grew into a kiosk selling tea and coffee. Slowly, we introduced tiffin items like idlis and dosas and now we are a full-fledged restaurant offering food all three times a day,” says Thaveethu Raja, one of the partners, who runs the shop at Munichalai. “We have 15 branches across Madurai, selling similar items.” From rice varities, chapathis, dosas, puris, idlis and vadas to the vegetarian thali for lunch, the shop offers a wide range of choices under Rs.50. Even the thali meal costs only Rs.40, complete with appalam and payasam. “Intially when we opened the restaurant two decades ago, we offered plates of variety rice for just Rs.5.”

Nandhini Mess @Race Course

J Pushpalatha and her sisters run this eatery dishing out a full-fledged elai sappadu every afternoon. “We are the cooks, waiters and cashiers here. Our USP is that we cook just the way any woman cooks at home. There are no packed masalas, taste enhancers or colours. It's just plain hand-pounded chilli, coriander, turmeric and pepper that we add,” says Pushpalatha. It's the variety of kozhambus that attracts regulars here. Some people like the bland morkozhambu on Mondays while some relish the tangy spicy vathakozhambu on Thursdays, she observes. “We keep changing the menu to avoid the boredom of the elai sapadu.” The lunch is served for Rs.60 and special items like karandi omlette, egg gravy and vazhaipoo vadai come for a little extra.

Kothai Unavagam @Dr Thangaraj Salai

BINGE ON A BUDGET: On the hunt for the cheap and best meal in town

Just a decade old, Kothai Unvagam enjoys a steady customer base with its attractive lunch package priced competitively at Rs.55. The meal is a wholesome package with three vegetables, sambar and rasam but the highlight are the non-veg gravies. “We call it 'meen sapadu', in which mutton, chicken and fish gravies come as extras,” says R Arun Kumar, who owns the restaurant. “The dishes are entirely cooked at home by my mother and few of her friends and have a homely flavour. We also offer nattukozhi or fish fry separately.” Students of the nearby Law college, office-goers and lawyers from the District Court are regulars to the place.