On 09 December 2012, when I entered Uduppi hotel at
Pudupatti (Pon. Puduppatti) with great hunger, it was lunch time. I opted to
eat a square meal, ordered the same (Muzhuch Chaappaadu) and waited.
Meanwhile my eyes scanned all around the wall displays and recorded
in my mind all beautifully presented photo stills, mainly the temples of
Ponnamaravathi.
The waiter brought a nicely cut, green colour, previously
cleaned fresh plantain leaf (Banana leaf), measuring about two feet length and
one and half feet width (Adengappa!) and placed on the dining table spread
opened with great care and kind.
A waterman kept a sparkling stainless steel tumbler
measuring about 250 millilitres (250 Milliliters) at the left side of the leaf,
filled it with water and placed a water filled jug adjacent to it.
A subjiwala waiter, who is considered to be next to the main
waiter, who brings and places on the leaf Chithraannam and / or koottukkari offered
four different varieties of food preparations out of vegetable varieties.
Another sub supplier placed a cup of paayaasam (payasam), a
dessert to be taken after the meals, at the right side of the leaf.
One new smart employee politely placed a thin, bright, pale
yellow, crispy, deep fried, round appalam (Pappad in Hindi) at the right side
of the leaf.
The major constituent of the meal, the nicely cooked rice,
was placed at the middle of the leaf. (Earlier, the rice used to be supplied
only once in fixed quantity. Now the practice is changed. Rice is being served
in portions repeatedly on an as required basis.)
I had the rice repeatedly, mixed with sambar,
vaththakkuzhambu, (Vatral Kulambu), Rasam and moru (butter milk) one after
another, in the same plantain leaf, enjoying all the side dishes that include
‘tomato masala’. Last but not the least that I had and enjoyed was ‘Payasam’.
Some people prefer to take payasam in between rice with rasam and that with
moru.
Taking a healthy and tasty lunch in Uduppi Hotel, Shree Krishna
Bhavan, on plantain leaf, by spending only Rs.45/-, without using any spoon, is
a pleasurable enjoyment besides filling stomach satisfactorily.
