Until very recently, one would think twice before buying food from a roadside shack. However, the fear of catching a tummy bug seems to be a thing of the past, or at least so it would seem, with the mushrooming of thattukadas at almost every nook and corner of the city. These roadside eateries — either make-shift shacks or fully equipped mobile vans — pop up as soon as the sun goes down.
These roadside attractions have now suddenly become decent and acceptable for anyone who wants to grab a quick bite. Youngsters, couples and even families can be seen enjoying the sumptuous food that these places turn out. The variety too seems to be laid on. Chicken in various forms takes the first place with delicacies like chicken thoran, perattu, masala, and even liver fry. Beef fry or beef ularthiyathu are the other delicacies that go down well with everyone. A single scoop with a few hot thattu dosas, or the tava-hot parrotas seem to be on the top of the list. More recently, hot and steaming puttu is also available in brown and white shades!
For those who want to avoid chicken, there is always something from the ocean. The spread usually includes an array of items like fish curry, fish fry with a generous sprinkling of onions and on some days, depending on the catch, smaller fish like natholi (anchovy) may also feature on the menu. For the pure vegetarians, there is always the thattu dosa served with chammanthi, sambar, kuruma, tomato curry and red-hot chilli sauce. Occasionally, if you are lucky enough, you may chance upon a rasa vada too.
Another hot favourite among the crowd, irrespective of age seems to be the egg omelette, you can either have a single or a double omelette made by cracking a couple of eggs into a steel glass containing chopped onions and chillies. Mix this vigorously with a loud clatter, and your omelette is ready to hit the pan. In minutes, your sizzling hot omelette is ready. Simply eggcellent!
All items are priced to suit a clientele which includes people from all walks of life. Daily labourers returning after a tiring day and students who are fed up and sick of their regular hostel food are seen frequenting the place in the early evening. Homemakers who have decided to shut down the kitchen for the weekend, travellers who can’t resist the aroma as they drive by, and of course, a good number who prefer just to take a parcel home comprise of the quaint crowd that visits these places.
If you haven’t tried one of these joints and would like to work up an appetite, all you have to do is to drive around the city where you will soon fall prey to that distinct aroma that emanates only from a thattukada. (The writer is Publication Officer at the Centre for Development Studies)
