Wholesome, no onion, no garlic, meals at Annam Iyarkkai Unavagam in Coimbatore

It’s weekend dinner time and Annam Iyarkkai Unavagam at RS Puram is buzzing. Tables are full, orders keep pouring in, and waiters are on their toes. At one of the tables, a birthday celebration begins with cake cutting, followed by selfies, and soon laughter fills the air. It’s time to turn my attention to the food on my table. First, I bite into an earthy millet sandwich, generously filled with vegetables and soft cottage cheese. The bread made from a combination of jowar, ragi, and pearl millet flour, is light and airy and blends well with the savoury filling. Next is mushroom Pallipalayam, a vegetarian adaptation of the classic Kongunadu-style Pallipalayam chicken. Succulent mushrooms, tossed with shallots, curry leaves, dried red chillies and spices, served with thin coconut slices, pack in the flavour. While the coriander-tomato uthappam arrives with a colourful topping, the crisp palak paneer dosa packs the goodness of greens and paneer.

The franchise partners Harshvardhan Lalka, Kunal Wadhwa and Sonal Wadhwa are all smiles when they talk of their association with Annam outlet in Saibaba Colony. “Visiting Annam was a weekly ritual for my family. We were regulars there for healthy, satvik meals. I used to have one meal a day there, from their wholesome lunch meals and millet dosas, noodles and uthappam. When my family wanted to start something in food, we could only think of a franchise outlet of Annam,” says Harsh adding that SoPs are in place to ensure a smooth functioning of the franchise outlet. According to him, the ingredients are sourced through Annam’s supply chain, which includes a network of organic farmers in the region.

Millet-based noodles and a traditional South Indian satvik meal are among the highlights at Annam, which combines familiar flavours, with emphasis on balanced eating. “We use only Thooyamalli rice for our lunch meals and also for fried rice for dinner,” he says over plates of fragrant vegetarian Malabar biryani. The dish stands out for the distinct aroma. For Kunal, Annam was a familiar name long before it became a business venture.

It’s been four months and the afternoon meals are proving to be a big draw besides dinner. “We offer a range of choices for diners looking beyond the usual idli and dosa. The ghee podi thatte idli, that combines the soft, plate-sized idli with the flavours of ghee and podi, garlic dosa, and millet sevai are popular. Our sambar and chutneys are made without using onions to cater to satvik diners,” says Kunal adding that varieties such as red rice, black kavuni rice, kambu, ragi and cholam, are used on rotation in the menu.

The idea, Kunal says, is to offer a “satisfying meal without leaving diners feeling excessively heavy” as I round off my dinner with a cup of steaming sukku paal. Sweetened with palm jaggery, it is mildly sweet with a spicy twist.

A meal for two costs ₹600 approximately. Open for lunch from 12.30pm to 3.30pm and for dinner from 7pm to 10pm. Call 9952667988