Tamil Nadu’s oldest ice cream spots

Apple milk, Madurai

Apple combine or apple milk, an ice cream-like dessert served at Amsavalli Bhavan in Madurai.
| Photo Credit:
G. Moorthy

Nothing a lot has modified at Amsavalli Bhavan on Madurai’s East Veli Street ever because it was began 75 years in the past. The hand-painted signboard, mosaic flooring, a slender flight of stairs that leads one to the dim-lit air-conditioned eating room upstairs… In the Nineteen Seventies, a brand new dish was added to its strictly non-vegetarian menu: apple combine, popularly referred to as apple milk or apple ice cream. Since then, it has develop into a ritual for anybody who eats their seeraga samba biryani to observe it up with a cup of the frozen dessert.

“My grandfather Gopal Pillai came up with the recipe after a trip to Goa,” says G Arunraj, the third-generation proprietor. Gopal arrived on the present model after plenty of trial and error. Apple milk is Amsavalli’s model of vanilla ice cream served with chunks of apple.

The dessert consists of plain milk, let to simmer for a number of hours with sugar, after which a suggestion of vanilla flavouring is added. It is frozen and served after including diced apple. The result’s a candy, creamy, milky concoction punctuated by crispy cubes of apple.

“We make only small batches every day, that get sold out by 7pm,” says Arunraj, who provides that they’ve a number of “die-hardfans,” for the frozen dessert. “They wouldn’t hesitate to give us an earful if we run out of it,” he laughs, including that they often get requests from common prospects to put aside a cup or two.

Arunraj says that a number of political leaders have loved their apple combine. “I have heard that my grandfather offered it to the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi when she came to Madurai on an official visit,” he remembers.

Located at 42, East Veli Street, Madurai. Call 0452 2620117.

Jelly with ice cream, Nagercoil

Warens’ vanilla ice cream with jelly
| Photo Credit:
Special association

When the nation woke as much as information of its independence from the British on August 15, 1947, a small ice cream store was being inaugurated in a city in Tamil Nadu. The proprietor Parameswaren was unaware of how monumental the day was. Today, Warens Ice Cream’s major retailer nonetheless stands in the identical spot on Balamore Road in Nagercoil. “The neighbourhood had an agraharam behind it then, and someone who had a radio there heard that India had attained independence on our opening day,” says Babu Arunachalam, Parameswaren’s grandson.

Warens on Balamore Road in Nagercoil
| Photo Credit:
Special association

Warens is thought for jelly with ice cream, its signature dessert that has remained a continuing on its menu since 1947. “Grandfather initially sold a range of cold drinks such as sherbet that he made at home,” says Babu. Britishers, who would come to the Salvation Army Catherine Booth Hospital (CBH), close to the place Parameswaren’s store was situated, loved his drinks. “They suggested he also make ice cream and even helped him import an ice cream machine,” says Babu.

At Warens, whereas the remainder of the flavours are sourced from exterior, they make their very own blended fruit jelly and vanilla ice cream. “When he started out, grandfather sold a cup for 25 paise,” says the 52-year-old, including that at this time, the identical prices ₹60, whereas their vanilla ice cream prices ₹30 a scoop. People from the town, who’ve settled elsewhere for work, make it a degree to cease by for a cup of their jelly with ice cream, each time they go to.

“We also have grandfathers bringing their grandchildren, reminiscing about the days they had ice cream here in their younger years,” says Babu. Warens has two branches in Nagercoil, and Babu says that they’ve plans to develop to different components of Tamil Nadu . The title is brief for Parameswaren, which was simpler for Britishers, their first prospects, to pronounce.

Located at Balamore Road, 92A/115, Tower Junction, Nagercoil. Call 9443375014

Jigarthanda, Madurai

Madurai’s common jigarthanda, has been round since 1977, and was formulated by Sheik Meeran, who settled in Madurai from his hometown of Thoothukudi.
| Photo Credit:
G. Moorthy

The origin of this now omnipresent ice cream-based dessert might be traced to a nook store in Madurai’s Keelavasal. It all started as an ice cream enterprise within the Sheik Meeran family within the Sixties. Meeran got here to Madurai from Thoothukudi’s Arampannai village to make a residing. “His was a large family, and everyone, including his two sisters and four brothers, pitched in,” recollects Mohammed Rabic, a relative.

“He started selling homemade ice cream door-to-door in a thooku vaali,” Rabic says. “He would serve it in a leaf placed on a vaazha mattai (banana stem fibre).” Meeran’s enterprise was pushed by necessity. “His family struggled for their three meals,” says the 37-year-old. They gave their all into making the ice cream enterprise a hit. Gradually, individuals began noticing them.

The dessert has been round since 1977, and was formulated by Sheik Meeran, who settled in Madurai from his hometown of Thoothukudi.. Photo, . G / The Hindu.
| Photo Credit:
G. Moorthy

Meeran graduated from promoting door-to-door to a pushcart, lastly opening his personal store in 1977. He additionally made nannari syrup himself, and saved soaked kadal paasi (agar agar) that he generally added as toppings to his ice cream. “One evening, when there was a particularly high demand, he threw in everything he had: ice cream, kadal paasi, and nannari syrup and served it to customers,” recollects Rabic.

“It was an instant hit.” Meeran realised he had arrived at one thing particular, and labored on it for six months. Thus, was born jigarthanda, which means, ‘that which cools the center. ‘

Rabic says that 90% of jigarthanda consists of milk, that they supply from villages close to Madurai. Everything, together with the ice cream and the basundi topping, is made in-house. Jigarthanda has develop into synonymous with Madurai, one thing Meeran might by no means have imagined.

Located at 94, East Marret Street nook, Madurai. Call 9150099971/72

Mango ice cream, Chennai

The recipe of the mango ice cream is by the founder Kunhiraman, who began a petty store in Madras within the Twenties.
| Photo Credit:
B. Jothi Ramalingam

C Kunhiraman General Stores in Royapuram sells what’s arguably one of the best mango ice cream in Chennai. To purchase a cup, one has to first get a token from the shop, which makes the expertise all of the extra charming. The mango ice cream at Kunhiraman is the results of the founder’s analysis and perseverance.

“It was launched in 1953,” says 46-year-old Akilesh Baskar, Kunhiraman’s grandson. Royapuram, says Akilesh, had loads of Ango-Indian households again then, who recommended that his grandfather attempt making ice lotions. “He came to Madras from Calicut in the 1920s, and first started a petty shop,” says Akilesh. “He later developed it into a grocery store, selling sodas and cold drinks on the side.”

C. Kunhiraman General Stores in Royapuram has been promoting mango ice cream, made in-house, since 1953.
| Photo Credit:
B. Jothi Ramalingam

Kunhiraman, primarily based on concepts by Britishers and Anglo-Indians, began researching on ice lotions. “But before he could start making them, he passed away. His staff made ice cream in his memory, two years later.” The grocery retailer has additionally been promoting grape juice from 1958, and Akilesh has additionally added chocolate milk and pista milk during the last one yr. Kunhiraman’s mango ice cream initially value lower than one paisa, and was served in thick glass bowls. Today although, the bowls have been changed by disposable ones.

“Most of our customers are from South and central Chennai,” says Akilesh, who has plans of increasing their model. “I hope to sell our ice cream at restaurants in South Chennai soon,” he says. But the Kunhiraman expertise can be full provided that the ice cream is had in entrance of their historic grocery retailer, proper the place it began.

Located at N Terminus Road, Chetty Thottam, Royapuram. Call 044 25904889.