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Goodies for the foodies

at Only Appam is a good alternative to junk food

PHOTO: G. MOORTHY

YUMMY Delectable aappam in the making

At a time when noodles and manchurians, pizzas and burgers, alien to our culture, are considered to be the way of enjoying life, one may think it is a risky proposition to experiment with Indian dishes.

South Indian equivalents

But it is not so with homemaker, V. Lakshmi, who boldly decided to decorate her platter with traditional and healthy south Indian equivalents to food items otherwise termed `junk'. And this led to the birth of `Only Appam', an eating joint, located on the Ajmal Khan Road near the All India Radio Office, that offers pure vegetarian dish.

Lakshmi is no stranger to the hospitality industry. Her family owns restaurants in Singapore, Bangalore and on Town Hall Road in Madurai, besides a bakery on the busy West Veli Street near Periyar Bus Stand.

"Active to the core, my mother did not want to sit idle. She wished to do something that reflects our culture and also caters to the needs of the people," says her son V. Balasundaram, owner of the bakery.

Though named `Only Appam', it also offers `puttu', `kozhukattai', `idiyappam' and `paniyaram', all prepared in traditional method for food lovers to savour.

"Aappam is our speciality food. The marinated mix of rice, gram, tender coconut water and fenugreek is grinded to paste, which has to be stored for minimum of five hours to turn sour. Then it is neatly spread on the special vessel and cooked. The ready-to-serve aappam tastes better with sweet coconut milk cooked with cardamom," opines Mrs. Lakshmi.

The array of side dishes with aappam is inviting too. From sweet coconut milk to coconut and mint chutnies, everything feels yummy inside the mouth.

Only Appam has another name too — `Slow Food'. Is it a deliberate attempt to counter fast food restaurants? "Not really. Though these south Indian varieties are our answers to Chinese junk food, our dish is healthier. Besides, these are made-to-order. One may have to wait for a few minutes more than what they are used to in other joints. But it is worth the wait," assures a confidence oozing Mr. Balasundaram.

Kozhukattai, a dish you get only at home is available here. It comes in both the tastes — sweet and pungent.

The sweet kozhukattai is prepared with rice flour, dry ginger and jaggery. It also has gingelly seeds strewn all over.

"The visitors like it, for its traditional flavour and colour. The one with pungent taste also goes well with the public. For they feel at home," says supervisor S. Arunachalam.

"The good thing about our group of restaurants is that we wanted to provide opportunities to students who wish to earn while learning," informs Mr. Balasundaram.

R. Rawlin, a clinical psychologist, who has eaten the food here, comments: "It is good that such a joint has come up, especially when health-conscious people are increasingly looking for low cholesterol food. If you want to get better things in life, you have to wait. Probably, this is the concept behind slow food."

With limited staff the restaurant finds it extremely difficult to satisfy customers' need. "We are yet to gauge the real feel and our customer base. Once we get that, things will fall into place," promises Mr. Balasundaram.

With summer round the corner, the owners plan to introduce millets and ragi porridge with yet another specially prepared side dish.

Within three months `Only Appam' has garnered good support from its customers. For further details and orders dial 0452-2530633.

T.SARAVANAN

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