Turn into the narrow and crowded Kalingarayan Street at Ram Nagar and take a right turn into door number 10. The small driveway and parking lot leads up to the newly renovated restaurant, Sree Vidya Meals room. The cheery yellow wall sets off the monochromatic checkered flooring. The décor and interiors suggest a more urban aesthetic feel in contrast to the fare which aims at highlighting traditional Tamil country cuisine.
Turn into the narrow and crowded Kalingarayan Street at Ram Nagar and take a right turn into door number 10. The small driveway and parking lot leads up to the newly renovated restaurant, Sree Vidya Meals room. The cheery yellow wall sets off the monochromatic checkered flooring. The décor and interiors suggest a more urban aesthetic feel in contrast to the fare which aims at highlighting traditional Tamil country cuisine.
I, for one, am all for a clean, neat and well-lit dining room. When the owner's dynamics for both city living and rural dwelling come together to create a welcoming space, it makes for a pleasant ambience. The restaurant logo consists of a small green leaf with the stalk ricocheting out to form a V . In choosing the green leaf as the centre of their logo, the owner Lakshmi Priya and her team are acknowledging their gratitude to the farming community, sustainable agricultural practices and the commitment to use fresh, pesticide-free ingredients.
Priya as her patrons know her is no stranger to the restaurant business. Despite owning and managing several eateries specialising in non-vegetarian food, Priya has always been a vegetarian at heart. For the longest time, she has nurtured a dream to open a vegetarian establishment to serve (I wouldn’t say simple) homely fare which she grew up eating at the hands of her grandmothers.
All of us are aware that the repertoire of vegetarian dishes in India is vast. Each region has countless recipes passed down from one generation to another and also varies from that of another family’s cache of recipes. Tamil cuisine too has an enviable array of dishes consisting of seasonal vegetables, foraged greens, lentils, grains and spices. When chatting with Priya, we spoke about the need to educate people on the huge variety of rice grains alone in this part of the country. Hailing from an agricultural background herself, she echoes the sentiment.
In addition to the daily meals served at Sree Vidya Meals Room, they also offer a selection of rice dishes. While initially the choices were between the more commonly-known arisi paruppu saadham, puli saadham , thayir saadham etc., the variety has widened to include chutney saadham, kozhambhu saadham, podi saadham and more. The idea behind this is that a lot of the customers who order take aways are looking to simplify their meals at lunchtime. So one saadham and one poriyal fits that brief perfectly. The chutney saadham is a unique dish, popular in the kitchens of the Gounder community.
The set meals include podi, thokku, sambhar, puli kozhambhu, poriyal, chutney, keerai, paruppu, rasam, appalam, curd, pickle and a sweet. The podi comes rolled in a ball and this podi urandai is certainly the highlight of this meal. Priya prides herself on this recipe and it has won her many compliments from the diners. The idea is to mash the urandai into the rice along with some ghee or nallennai and start the meal with it but I would recommend that you set aside some to eat at the end of the meal or ask for another helping, if the stomach allows it!
The vegetables or greens used in the different dishes vary every day. A host of gourds are used as well as the different country beans and rain-fed greens. Hailing from an agricultural background, Priya's menus pay a lot of attention to the native ingredients. Her trusted cook Mani has been a trusted member of the household for over four decades and is happy working alongside her in the kitchen. The taste is similar to a meal cooked at home at the hands of a family member. Just like how sometimes, we at home might get the seasoning a little wrong in a poriyal or kootu, it does also happen here at Sree Vidya Meals Room. Strangely enough, the mind accepts this little oversight just as we do at home. While consistency in taste may be a shortcoming, the quality of the food and standards of hygiene are to be commended.
The puli saadham is most appetising in its golden hue, having been tossed through with their own inhouse tamarind blend. It is a harmonious amalgamation of flavours comprising the sour of the tamarind, the spice of the dried red chillies and the sweet hum of the jaggery. The crunchy peanuts add texture to the finished rice dish which is quite a treat.
The payasam is a bit too thin for my liking. Priya recommends her special rose milk. Many of the women in my family are huge rose milk addicts and the tall, cold, pink glass was downed in a trice!
The meal is extremely filling and very satisfying. Priya's daughter Harshini is equally passionate about this venture and plays a vital role in managing their farm. They also sell bottles of thokku or seasonal sun dried crisps (vadagam) at a table placed near the door. You can always enquire with the staff if you want to take any condiment back home.
Very often we get texts from visitors asking where they can find authentic Tamil food. At Sree Vidya Meals Room, the food is devoid of excess oil or spice and is chock-full of the flavours of home. That’s just what the white board out in front promises!
Sree Vidya Meals Room - Phone- 2238444 ,8220010913
#10 Kalingarayan street,
Ram Nagar,
Coimbatore-641009.
Lunch 12 noon- 3:00 pm
They have recently started a simple dinner service which commences at 6:45 pm.
Meal for 1 -Rs.110/- Flavoured rice is extra.
Some Exclusive photo's From Sree Vidya Meals Room :
