Taking a swig on the street

It's not only the Jigarthanda that adds colour and flavour to Madurai's vibrant street food. There are other signature drinks that are equally tasty, healthy and popular with the locals

The Konar Soup Kadai. Photo: A. Shrikumar

By virtue of being a foodie's heaven, Madurai offers an amazing variety of street foods. But somehow the city has become synonymous with the ultra-soft idlis and the ubiquitous Jigarthanda! Look beyond Jigarthanda, is what we say. From the warm and simple Paruthipaal that's comforting on a wintry morning and the cool Pathaneer, a perfect respite on a sweltering afternoon to the famous and all-time favourite Nannari sherbet, Madurai offers a wide range of street-side drinks that characterise the city. And these drinks are peculiar in many aspects, from the taste and presentation to the places that sell them.

 

We are talking of the typically hole-in-the-wall shops tucked in obscure corners of the street or humble pushcarts that are known for the specialised drinks.

For instance, the Ilaneer Sherbet Kadai on the busy Tamil Sangam Road is something that rings a bell with any Maduraiite. The 50-year-old shop has a thatched-roof exterior and is not more than a hovel barely accommodating two people. K Saravanan who now runs the shop sits on a wooden stool from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, supplying hundreds of glasses of the

Ilaneer Sherbet.

 

He digs into mounds of tender coconuts piled inside the shop, picks the best one, drills a hole and drains out the coconut water into a glass. He then scoops out the kernel, grates it to shreds and adds a handful of the soft coconut meat along with few drops of

Nannari Sherbet. “The flavour of

Nannari extract compliments the bland kernel,” says Saravanan, whose grandfather Ramar started the shop. “Once when my grandfather tried mixing tender coconut and

Nannari , he liked the result and started supplying the drink. People found it novel then and that's how we became famous. Though there are quite a few shops that sell

Ilaneer Sherbet, the pride of inventing it and authenticity belongs to us. On any day, Saravanan sells close to 500 glasses or 125 litres of the sherbet that meets the requirement from 250 tender coconuts. “The coconuts come from Theni and each glass of drink is sold for Rs.40,” he says.

 

Opposite the Shopping Complex Periyar Busstand is another shop that's known as a 24/7 milk point, serving chilled rosemilk and steaming hot badampaal . Called as Lakshmi Narayana Paal Nilayam, the age-old shop is a favourite haunt of people returning from second shows in Cinema. “It's like a ritual for many to stop by here for a glass of rosemilk late in the night. The shop is open throughout and it adds character to the place and the drink,” says Senthil Nathan, a regular customer and a resident of Tiruparankundram.

 

Few yards away is the Nainar Juice shop that sells Mappillai juice, a rich drink made from nearly 10 ingredients. Nuts like badam, cashew and pistachio and a variety of fruits along with dates and bits of spices are added in a milk shake. As the name suggests, the drink has a quirky attribute of being an energy drink for the newly wed.

 

If chilled drinks don’t entice you, then head to the Munichalai junction for piping hot Panankarkandu paal . It's common to see swarms of people sipping warm and thickly skimmed milk from steel tumblers. Daily, around 30 litres of milk from Muthumariamman Paal Pannai reaches the Kamuthi Paal Nilayam, a platform shop. “I boil the milk continuously from morning without adding water till the quantity reduces to nearly one third,” says M Radhakrishnan, “after which, a thick layer of malaai is formed.” Masala, Panankarkarndu , pepper and turmeric are the flavours of milk served. “People love it when I top the frothy layer of milk with a sheet of the malaai .”

 

If you are game for something saucy and spicy, hit the Konar Soup Kadai on Anna Nagar Main Road, a two-decade old shop specialising in Aatu kaal, Nattukozhi soups, paya and vegetable soup in the Chettinad style. A L Shanmugam hailing from Ponamaravathy in Pudukottai, worked at a Chettiyar household where he learnt the secret recipe and opened shop later. “I start making the soups at noon every day and let them simmer for a good three hours. Adding a lot of chopped ginger, garlic and powdered pepper makes the soups flavoursome.” The shop is open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Care for a gulp on the go?