August 17th, 2009
Foods of Madras
Beware the auto rickshaw drivers in Madras, now known officially as Chennai. Foreigners get fleeced by these buzzing buggy drivers, so ask a local how much the fare should be and agree to this with the driver. Of course, you can get an air conditioned car, but really. Try not to drive though, as no one pays much attention to road rules.
All that running around makes one hungry, so you’re likely to run into Saravan Bhavan, a well known chain of restaurants serving vegetarian cuisine. It’s best to avoid the street stalls and tap water. Another inexpensive chain is Murugan Idli Kadai, where they make idlis, accompaniments for those idlis, well all things idlis. Fortunately there was one location of the chain near the Hotel Madras where we discovered that idlis aren’t picked up and eaten, but used to absorb other foods like chutneys. The chutney, often coconut based, and is sort of mashed into the idli with the fingers where it picks up the chutney and is then eaten.
The city was founded by the British in 1639 by the East India Company and the spicy curries of the region became very popular with the British colonists there. Madras curry powder can contain cloves, turmeric, allspice, cumin, even cinnamon and cloves. Cool off these spices with yogurt raitas made with mint and or cucumber and sides like rice and naan bread.
St. Thomas the Apostle is thought to be buried here, and even if you’re not a pilgrim, the area is well known for its many temples. Try the Amaravathy restaurant when you get tired of temple viewing, known for its Chinese food and their tandoor oven. On the way, just watch that auto-rickshaw driver. And stick to bottled water.
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