Celebrated Chennai cook, Mountbatten Mani Iyer, no more

One of South India’s most popular wedding caterers, Mountbatten Mani Iyer, passed away at the age of 92 on September 22. Mount Iyer as he was fondly called, took South Indian weddings by storm by creating tasty versions of familiar dishes. He specialised in cooking for massive gatherings and had a celebrated career spanning six decades.

Mani Iyer serving his guests at a sabha canteen in 2003
| Photo Credit:
The Hindu

Born in Harikesanallur in Tirunelveli on October 24, 1932, H. Kulathumani Iyer, better known as Mani Iyer, arrived in Chennai, then Madras as a 20-year-old, where he apprenticed under DS Appaswami Iyer, who was an established cook and wedding caterer. After a few years, he established his own catering service, and worked relentlessly for over six decades until his son M Srinivasan took over. Mani Iyer had been hospitalised for a week before he died due to multiple organ failure. He is survived by two sons, K Hari and K Srinivasan. .

Mani Iyer at the Sabha Canteen in 2003
| Photo Credit:
The Hindu

How did he earn the moniker, Mountbatten? In 2003, he told The Hindu how, as a young cook, he had served Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India: “In 1948, Lord Mountbatten came to the Governer’s house and we made lunch. There was badam halwa, curd vadai and sambar saadam… he ate it and said ‘very nice food. South Indian food is very nice.’ I’ve been called Mountbatten Mani ever since.” In an earlier interview published in The Hindu in 2016, he was quoted saying: “I saw Mountbatten and was enamored by his personality, his looks and style.” His visiting card was proudly emblazoned with the name HK Mani Iyer (Mount Mani).

In the same article, Iyer recalled his journey to Odisha in 1963, where he cooked a meal for 10,000 people at a feast thrown by a minister. “I can’t recall his name, but I remember Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Kamaraj being there. Two hundred and forty of us,including cooks, servers and helpers, went from here by train. We occupied three bogies. The menu comprised dosa, sambar, rasam and poriyal,” he added.

At this workshop in Chennai on December 24, 2016, Mani Iyer demonstrated some of his popular dishes
| Photo Credit:
RAVINDRAN R

Mani Iyer used to flaunt a gold ring with the alphabet G etched on it, and when asked about it he would say: “Gemini Ganesan (Tamil actor) got it made for me because he was thrilled with the food I made at his daughter’s wedding.”

Mani Iyer’s popularity rose further when he set up his canteen at sabhas during the Music Season in Chennai in the early 2000s. He reached the younger generations through his chocolate dosa, paniyaram, neeravi dosa, vazhaipoo vada and appam.

In 2016, when he conducted a cookery workshop along with food historian Rakesh Raghunathan, where he shared some cookery. Says Rakesh, “I have fond memories of him and I learnt the intricacies and nuances of cooking during the workshop. He was someone who dared to experiment and his watermelon rasam is an example. He paid attention to detail and while making the rasam podi, said that even the last remenant of the podi in the mixer jar was crucial. For such a simple dish, he was meticulous in preparing it to perfection.”

His son Srinivasan, says that his father was known for his badam halwa, akkaravadisal, kathrikka pitla and paal payasam. He claims that his father developed two popular dishes: cauliflower roast and water melon rasam.

N Sridhar, son of legendary wedding caterer late Arusuvai Natarajan Iyer, of Arusuvai Arasu Catering Services, says that during his heyday, Mani Iyer catered at the weddings of most celebrities and industrialists in the State as he was a master when it came to bulk cooking.

Mount Mani Iyer
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Sridhar says that “Mani Iyer was well known for his preparation of traditional South Indian dishes in an impeccable, uncompromising manner. His sambar was immensely popular and so were his kootu, curry, rasam and payasam varieties. He did not innovate, but focussed on retaining the authenticity of traditional dishes.”

He adds, “He could handle any number. My father and Mani Iyer were contemporaries who rose to popularity around the same time… He was a kind hearted person.”