| |
|
 |
|
|
Articles > Magazines > Saveur > Ambika Appalam
|
|
|
Ambika Appalam
- By Shoba Narayan
(This article originally appeared in
September 2002)
|
|
|
|
I must have been ten when I visited Ambika Appalam Depot in Madras, India, for the first time and I still remember it vividly. The redolent aroma of savory spices, freshly baked vegetable puffs, and the earthy fragrance of my favorite snack-- appalams-- greeted me as I entered. Two harried salesmen stood behind the counter, taking orders and wrapping packages with deft speed. At that time, Ambika, as it is known in Madras, was a tiny, nondescript shop, just steps away from the famous Shiva (Kapaleeswar) temple in Mylapore. It is now a bustling enterprise with a large flagship store in Mylapore, and smaller branches all over the city.
Ambika made its name through the quality of its appalams, similar in taste to the ones made by village grandmothers in rural South India. Appalams are blander than pappads, fried wafers popular in North India, and served in Indian restaurants all over the US. Like pappads, appalams are made with urad (lentil) flour, but not much else. Pappads are spiced with pepper, coriander, and chili powder, while appalams just have a dash of cumin. Their blandness offer a comforting counterpoint to the heat and spices of South Indian dishes.
In olden times, village women gathered during the summer to hold appalam parties. They kneaded the urad-dough, patted the appalams, and set them out to dry in the sun, all the while exchanging gossip, jokes and folk songs. These appalam parties would sometimes go on for twenty days, with the women meeting everyday at different homes and making batches of appalams. Nowadays, women in Madras simply go to Ambika to stock up on their weekly supply of appalams, which accompany every meal in a South Indian household.
Even though plain urad-appalams are its bestseller, Ambika also sells appalams flavored with cumin, chili, garlic, pepper and tapioca. In addition, it sells vadams-- fried chips made from rice or tapioca, seasoned with tomato paste, onions, and spices; vathals-- dried vegetables such as okra, beans, green chilies, bitter melon and lotus root; hot pickles made of mango, lime, and tomato; instant mixes for dosas, lemon rice, tamarind rice, and pilafs; and finally, powders made of lentils, coconuts, garlic, mint, and curry leaves. My brother always begs me to bring several packets of Ambika's lentil-powder (paruppu podi), which he mixes with steaming hot rice, a dash of ghee, and what else-- fried appalams-- for a complete, satisfying dinner.
This article originally appeared in
September 2002.
Copyright © 2001 Saveur. All rights reserved. |
|
|
writer :: reporter :: foodie :: mom
