A dawn to dusk food trail in Dindigul, the land of seeraga samba biryani

I have suitably skipped dinner the pervious night in preparation for my Dindigul trip. A crucial tip to those who plan to visit the town on a food tour: go on an empty stomach. If possible, fast for a week before you start dreaming of seeraga samba biryani, for, you might eat far more than you can handle. Dindigul, located a little less than 65 kilometres from Madurai, is the birthplace of Tamil Nadu’s seeraga samba biryani that is now going places. But there is more to the town than just biryani. Here are our picks.

Lamb trotters for breakfast

In Dindigul, several restaurants serve biryani from as early as 6am. I do not yield to the temptation so early in the day, and try something different. Bangaru Biryani, started in 1931 by Bangarusamy Naidu, has opened a new outlet on Round Road, serving biryani, idli and idiyappam with a range of mutton and chicken sides for breakfast.

The small eatery that can seat not more than 12 people, is being run by S Giridharan, great grandson of the founder Bangarusamy. Giridharan’s father Subbrayalu Naidu trained under the founder in his younger years. A small framed photo of Subbrayalu hangs on the wall, opposite which the menu is displayed. K Angusamy, the master, lays out a feast on a leaf: idiyappam, idli, lamp trotters soup, mutton chukka, vellai kuruma, naattu kozhi kulambu, and mutton milagu kulambu. There is also a serving of mutton biryani and dalcha.

The mutton chukka alone, a dish of popcorn-sized boneless mutton slow-cooked with chilli powder and curry leaves, makes the journey worthwhile. The meat is tender, enveloped in a glistening layer of chilli-infused oil, punctuated by crisp curry leaves. It goes well with the idiyappam.

A mention must be made of the creamy mutton vellai kuruma, a Dindigul staple. Angusamy explains that it has ground coconut, cashew nuts and roasted chana dal. This curry is the next most popular dish is the town after biryani. It is mild with a hit of pepper, and can be had with idlis as well as idiyappams and dosas.

How much biryani is too much?

It is natural to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of places to eat biryani in town. With three branches, Siva is the new favourite in Dindigul, and I understand why. The oldest outlet, a hole-in-wall place at Begampur, is always packed. Venu, a few blocks away, serves decent biryani too. But there is something about Siva that makes it a tad better.

The biryani is light brown, with the rice cooked al dente. The spices are balanced — unlike some restaurants that go a little overboard with cinnamon — and the meat is tender. For people like me who grew up eating Venu, Thalappakatti, and Ponram biryani, Siva’s is similar and different at the same time. A Mohan Raj, a relative of the founder K Ganesan, explains that the trick is to source the right ingredients. While the restaurant has been around from 1989, it really took off after the pandemic, with tourists from Chennai, Bengaluru, and Coimbatore visiting the town just for their biryani.

“In 2023, a Japanese restauranteur came to Dindigul for a week-long trip,” recalls Mohan. “He ate our biryani for lunch every day, alternating it with kari dosai for dinner.” The 32-year-old does not remember his name nor did he understand the guest’s language. “But I do know that he went back happy,” he says.

Warm, gooey halwa and jilebis

It is common practice for tourists to stop at one of the sweet shops for its jilebis after their fix of biryani. Among the oldest such shops is Jilebi Seshaiyer on Sandhai Road. Established in the 1960s, the shop is the brainchild of SK Seshaiyer, who initially sold sweets on pushcarts at various spots in town. His jilebis gradually grew in popularity and today, are served fresh and mildly warm through the day.

A piece of the sweet makes the palate happy, and the owner R Bhuvaneshwari suggests we also try the godhumai halwa. The sticky, chocolate-brown dessert is warm and drips with ghee.

Coffee with a side of potato masala

A savouries shop in a small lane sells what is arguably the oldest snack in Dindigul. Known as ‘Alwar kadai’, the shop has been around for over 75 years, selling mixture, boondi, murukku, pakoda, among others. But I arrive there on the last leg of my journey for a taste of its potato pottalam, a dish of boiled, mashed potatoes cooked with onions, turmeric and green chillies.

The owner SS Sathyanarayanan who is seated at the counter, says gravely: “It is not yet 3pm.” The snack is available only then, and gets sold out soon after. Once the masala arrives from the kitchen, it is packed as small dollops in banana leaves.

A little after 3.15pm, he offers a pottalam for me to try. It is triangular — the wrapping gives way to warm, thick, potato masala folded in a banana leaf. It is not too heavy flavour-wise, but can make for a nice snack to go with coffee or tea from the many tea shops in town.

As for dinner, I decide to make do with coconut water. But one can also do another round at Ponram, Venu, Thalappakatti, and Bangaru, not necessarily in that order.

How to get there

There are several trains from Chennai that stop at Dindigul, such as the Vaigai Express, Tirunelveli Vande Bharat Express, and Pothigai Express. Madurai is the nearest city with an airport, with regular buses to and from Dindigul.