What does 4 pm mean for you? For most school children, it is the quick joy of a veg puff or an egg puff after school, or a bajji on the way back from tuition classes. For office-goers, it is a break from routine—a short walk with colleagues to the nearest tea shop, where a masala chai with butter biscuit, samosa or vadai works its magic.
Shabnam addressing the gathering and talking about the tiffin culture of Chennai
| Photo Credit:
VELANKANNI RAJ B
Murukku sandwhich
| Photo Credit:
VELANKANNI RAJ B
On August 23, as a part of The Hindu’s Made of Chennai, Madras Munches, was hosted at Sree Akshayam, Velachery. Curated by Shabnam Kamil, food consultant, the evening was filled with nostalgia for the participants, who were selected from among the readers of The Hindu.
“When we travel across the country, we realise that each city or town will showcase their local cuisine when it comes to street food. But Chennai is unique. As it is a multicultural city, we have local food as well as Andhra and Kerala specialities, Burmese food, Tibetan food, and sandwiches, doughnuts and puffs influenced by the Anglo-Indians, making the street food culture very vibrant,” says Rajesh Kannan, Partner, Sree Akshayam.
Shabnam says that when evening tiffin in Chennai is predominantly vegetarian, and each locality has its own street food hub. What Madras munches on, is not restricted to just bajji, bonda and vada; in recent times, the range of street food has widened. Soups, sandwiches, samosas, puffs, atho-bejo, momos, cut fruits and puttu varieties are now sold from pushcarts.
“Snacks at Marina is something all of us would have experienced. The iconic thenga-manga-pattani sundal, chilli bhajjis, cotton candy and popcorn are sold even today, alongside other fancy food items,” says Shabnam, adding, “We socialise, connect and carry on conversations over food. Especially at snack time, whether in office, school or at home, we come together for this evening ritual.”
Participants savouring the classic Chennai snacks
| Photo Credit:
VELANKANNI RAJ B
At this event, there was also an exclusive showcase of classic Chennai tiffin snacks. One of the highlights was the Delhi applam, a huge circular snack deep fried in oil at a live counter. Normally sold at exhibition grounds, it evoked fond childhood memories for almost every participant. This was closely followed by the murukku sandwich, which originates from Sowcarpet, where bread slices are replaced with murukku and filled with mint chutney, slices of onion and cucumber.
Also on the menu were veg puffs, onion samosas, pattinam pakodas, butter biscuits, rose milk, marina sundal, mango ice cream from Kunhiraman, bun-butter-jam from Gopaul Bun Butter Jam, and filter coffee.
Simran, of Deli Dally, presented her rasam focaccia, which was a fusion of Italian focaccia with Tamil Nadu rasam podi, and she topped the dish with curry leaves.
“Celebrate Chennai, its multicultural nature as reflected in these snacks we have curated. Take a moment to savour every snack, celebrate culture, history, and enjoy that nostalgic moment,” said Rajesh.
The Hindu Made of Chennai is presented by Casagrand and powered by SRM. Associate Partners: Tata Tea Chakra Gold, Tata Coffee. Walk partners: Chennai Port Authority and Kamarajar Port Limited. Curation partner: Annam by Shabnam. The event is also done in partnership with Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation, Greater Chennai Corporation, Greater Chennai Police, Greater Chennai Traffic Police and Namma Marina, Namma Pride. Radio Partners: Big FM, Fever FM and Radio One.
Published – August 26, 2025 12:06 pm IST
