Tuck into idlis and dosas at Matunga’s Ayyappan Idli Centre, among the few remaining bastions in what was once home to a thriving South Indian culture
Tomato Onion Uthappam. Pic/ Shraddha Uchil
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Once upon a time, walking through Matunga was like being transported to a South Indian town, complete with mamis wearing jasmine in their hair, and groups of temple-goers happily chattering in Tamil. Today, cosmopolitan Mumbai has taken over, and only a few thoroughly traditional pockets remain.
In one such pocket, located adjacent to two temples, is Ayyappan Idli Centre, a nondescript yet immensely popular joint. The sheer number of items on its menu is astounding. Idlis, vadas, uthappams, and countless varieties of dosas (including new-fangled creations like Schezwan Masala Dosa and Dilkhush Dosa) — you name it, they make it. Like many other success stories, this buzzing eatery, too, has humble beginnings.
Pineapple Sheera
Idli stall to empire
It was around 40 years ago that Panju Swamy's father decided to start selling idlis — made by his wife at their Dharavi shanty — at the very corner where Ayyappan now stands. "He would sell parcels of idli and chutney. Once I took over, I introduced simple dosas and sambhar to the menu," says the soft-spoken Swamy. But it was his son, who joined him in the mid-1990s, who over time introduced the dozens of variations that now grace the menu.
Caught amidst a rush of extended arms reaching out for their food-laden plates, we manage to place our order. The Tomato Onion Uthappam (Rs. 50) arrives piping hot, served with a side of sambhar and two types of chutneys. A sprinkling of semolina on top adds crunch to the soft uthappam, with chunks of tomato and onion providing bursts of tang and sweetness. Meanwhile, the Sada Dosa (Rs. 40), which is apt for a warm summer night, is crisped to perfection and folded into a dramatic cone before being served to us.
A server holds a Sada Dosa.
Adapt or die
We're wondering aloud how many dosas they must sell every day when Ajit, a server at the stall, hears us and chips in, "The boys in the kitchen are constantly churning out batter and cooking. It's tough to keep count when there are orders every few seconds."
Also tough to figure out is who actually makes up the clientele. "Strangely enough, it's not South Indians, but Gujaratis. And because of this, we have a section of the menu dedicated to Jain items. Even the sambhar and chutney we normally serve is of the Jain variety." We respond with a look of incredulousness, because we had devoured the sambhar without even realising that it was missing the mild, sweet-pungent flavour of the otherwise indispensable Madras onion.
Dosas being made at Ayyapan Idli Centre. Pic/ Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Done with our meal, our eyes start scanning the menu for dessert. We're disappointed when we see there's just one non-savoury item sitting proud on the sprawling list — Pineapple Sheera (Rs. 30). We order one to share, and immediately realise why Ayyappan hasn't felt the need to introduce any more sweet dishes. The sheera, like everything else, is served hot, and the semolina has been worked to a consistency of melting butter, smooth and velvety. It's as good, if not better, than the one served at the nearby Ramashraya, which we are partial to.
It's dark by now, for Ayyappan Idli Centre, the evening is still young. With the sweetness of the sheera resting on our tongues, we take our leave, while an idli-loving mama takes our spot.
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