Mavalli Tiffin Rooms’ journey begins in 1924, when three brothers decided to venture into the city’s then nascent F&B business. Today, MTR brings in the crowds from around the world and they have numerous outlets around the city. But we still recommend the charming old edifice just a stone’s throw away from Lalbagh. It’s like an old two-storeyed complex that has halls for various occasions and meals.
Most patrons visit MTR in the wee hours of the morning. Here, you can get your morning kick of some piping hot masala dosas doused in homemade ghee, blanketing a hearty onion-packed aloogadde palya. Their puffed up pooris resembling oxygen bags of bliss are a more greasy encounter, as they come with a gravy of potato sagu and chutney. If you want to tread on something lighter, we suggest their chow chow bath that has a wonderfully spiced and flavourful kaara bath and a fruity kesari bath with pineapples and cloves.
But, if you are keen on a South Indian meal that’ll have you stuffed to the gills, we recommend the lunch thalis. Served in stages, first the shiny, steel plates are piled with bisi (hot) puris, a vegetable sagu and palyas (vegetable stir fries). Next, come their mini-masala dosas, perfectly matched with a spicy chutney. You then move onto servings of sweet Pongal featuring grated coconut and dry fruits, Vangi Bath – brinjal rice that’s got a good hit of spice, and steaming white rice served with a delicious, steaming sambhar. Round things up with servings of cool curd rice and a fruit salad. The meal is unlimited, you can ask for as many as servings as you’d like. But make sure you have enough room to try everything.
