Comfort food, Sunday brunch specials, midnight snacks. Idli is more than just a breakfast dish in Chennai. The city’s idli obsession knows no bounds. But there is more than one kind of idli. Perhaps no other city offers the sheer variety of idlis with its myriad forms, textures and flavors. From Madurai-style idlis, to grainy Udupi idlis to coin-sized idlis embedded in Sambar, we’ve got you covered.
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Here are 9 places to eat Idli in Chennai:
1. Podi Idli at Murugan Idli store:
The story of Murugan Idli may have started in Madurai but in Chennai, the brand is widely recognized. It is now a popular stop for tourists from all over India who want to explore Chennai’s diverse culinary scene. The restaurant’s soft, almost sticky Madurai-style idlis is its trademark. They are served with four types of chutneys and sambar. But it is their idli podi mixed with buffalo buttermilk and milaga podi (aka idli powder or gunpowder) that works against it.
Many locations.
This idli is covered with idli powder.
2. Thatte Idli at dining circles:
This restaurant in Abiramapuram is a haven for Chennai people looking for a taste of Bengaluru. It is also one of Chennai’s most famous places for its idli which can be loosely translated into plate-sized idlis, a dish that first became a phenomenon in Tumkur (near Bengaluru). It’s spongy and coated with idli powder. You can also try that idli at ID at the Departures area of Chennai Domestic Airport in case you miss one of the Eating Circles.
CP Ramaswamy Road, Abiramapuram
3. Mini idlis at Saravana Bhavan:
Perhaps Saravana Bhavan made these coin-sized idlis a household phenomenon. You can now buy idli molds that allow you to make them at home. We are still figuring out how Saravana Bhavan reached the magic number of 14 for this dish, now known by the popular name of just 14 idlis. These 14 bite-sized idlis are submerged in buttermilk sambar; it’s almost like idli, soup style.
Multiple locations
4. Ramaserri idli at Kappa Chakka Kandhari:
Ramasseri is a small village near Palakkad in Kerala, most famous for its unique idlis with soft texture; these idlis are much thinner than regular idli. These idlis will remind you of a thick dosa and melt in your mouth. The trick is in the cooking method – the idli dough is traditionally poured into a flat clay pot and stacked. Steam from the bottom of the pot cooks these pots into a soft texture While now they use aluminum pots as bases, in the old days even these bases were earthen pots. Kappa Chakka Kandhari, one of the best Kerala food restaurants in Chennai is probably the only place where you can try the authentic version of this idli.
Haddows . Road
5. Rough Udupi style idli:
For decades, a trip to Rathna Café has meant navigating the busy streets of Triplicane. Over the past few years, this iconic restaurant has transformed into a chain. It is the restaurant’s signature sambar and grainy Udupi-style idlis that have fueled its popularity. Other popular spots to try this grainy idlis are the Maneka restaurant at the Palmgrove hotel and the Welcome hotel in Purasawalkam, a favorite among sambar connoisseurs.
Kozhi idli is served with chicken.
6. Kozhi Idli:
If you haven’t delved into the cuisine of Tamil Nadu, you might get the impression that idli is only served with sambar or chutney. In many homes across the state, the ‘go to’ Sunday breakfast is an idli with chicken or lamb. Kozhi Idli translates to chicken idli; This restaurant offers chicken gravy options including thick Kozhi thokku sauce and delicious kozhi pepper sauce.
Avvai Shanmugam Salai, Royapettah
7. Rava idli at Krishna restaurant, New Woodlands hotel:
You blink you miss. This restaurant is easily one of the best in Chennai for Udupi style vegetarian snacks. Tiffin time or evening coffee time is the best time to be here. During this short 2-3 hour period, you can sample some of these snacks. Rava idli (rava mixed with curd) dough doesn’t require fermentation – in fact it needs to be cooked immediately and it tastes very different from regular idli. This restaurant does one of the tastiest versions of Rava Idli served with potato and chutney sauce.
Radhakrishnan Salai
8.Kadubbu idli at Mathsya:
These cylindrical idlis are quite common in and around Udupi. From Kadubbu to Moode (or Mude) to Gunda, locals use quite a few terms to describe this uniquely shaped idli. It’s the same dough cooked in a different mold. You can try it at Mathsya, a true blue Udupi restaurant, or at Sangeetha Adyar.
Tamil Salai, Egmore
9. Schezwan idli at Guna Bhai Tiffin Center:
Many clubs from the colonial era of Chennai such as the Madras Gymkhana Club and the Madras Cricket Club have created deep-fried versions of the mini idlis cocktail topped with idli powder that make the perfect bar snack. . This bustling Sowcarpet chicken eatery has added another variation of the coin-sized idli. The idli Schezwan is seasoned with a unique blend of spices and fried with bell peppers and onions
Mint Street, Sowcarpet
