To begin a day with soft, fluffy and piping hot idlis is a warm thought that ensures a thorough sleep the night before itself. The humble idli is an unassuming companion that strikes camaraderie with sambhar, chutneys, stews, chicken curry and more. The inevitable favorite for many is the evergreen combination of idlis topped with sambhar, with chutney on its side and a crispy vada for that regular happy mornings!
The sheer varieties of idlis are astounding! If the long queues in outlets of Bengaluru for Thatte Idlis are a testimony to its fame, then the earnest search for Ramassery Idlis from Palakkad is a corroboration to its flavor. Idli has reinvented itself with innovative spins such as fried idlis, button idlis, podi idlis, tender coconut idlis and much more. But idli has withstood all the experiments on it and endured to be that comfort food that reminds of home for many!
The variety of idli that comes to my mind on this World Idli Day is the Kovil Idli (Temple Idli) of Kanchipuram. It was very early in the morning when we reached Kanchipuram during a day in the month of August. We visited the historic Kanchi Kamakshi Temple as dawn broke and leisurely circumambulated along the ancient walls of the temple that even history could not put a date on.
Ironically, our next stop was the famous Sri Varadaraja Perumal Temple. It was before our visit here that we decided to have our breakfast. We entered a hotel and like all hotels in Kanchipuram, Kovil Idli and Filter Coffee stood out in the menu and posters. History tells that the kovil idli originated in Sri Varadaraja Perumal temple, where it was served to the deity himself. If you would like to taste the authentic kovil idli which is made by the Madapalli chefs in dried Mandharai leaves this is the place you must head to.
Kovil Idli and Filter Coffee imparted a flavour as idyllic as the landscape of Kanchipuram. The idli was unlike anything we have ever tasted. The texture is rough but not once you take a bite. The flavours are everything that goes into the preparation, all the elements of the ingredients can be tasted in this idli. In the backdrop of temples that belong to a bygone era, kovil idli took our taste buds back to those times.
Though Kovil Idli has made inroads to many outlets in cities, the ones in Kanchipuram are uniquely flavorful and the ones in Sri Varadaraja Perumal temple are extraordinary, quite befitting the title of Kanchipuram Idli.