Now, find a taste of Madurai in the heart of Chennai. At Madurai Kulappa Mess, the menu is built around meat: ghee mutton chukka, brain masala, liver fry, and head and trotters curry. However, it’s the seafood here that draws the most crowds, from the crispy Netheli Fry to their Sunday-only Ayira Meen Kuzhambu (a tamarind-based gravy made using freshwater fish native to Tamil Nadu. These are small and thin fishes that are often found in agricultural fields and canals along ponds. Due to their size, they are generally cooked whole.)
Promoted by Jayananda Dinakaran and helmed by managing director V Sivasankaran, this restaurant brings the bold, rustic flavors of Madurai to the city, with a menu that celebrates everything from biryani to meat-based gravies.
We visited this newly launched restaurant on a sunny afternoon to taste their non-vegetarian set meals (₹299 and vegetarian ₹225). The meal includes unlimited rice and five gravies, including crab, fish, chicken, mutton and a strong karuvadu thokku (semi-gravy made from dried fish).
As we waited for our order, Sivasankaran explained that the masala was made in-house, with lamb sourced from the Tiruvallur district. Ghee, cold pressed groundnuts and gingelly oil are brought from the delta areas along the Kaveri River in Tamil Nadu. “Our signature dish is Aayira Meen Kulamabu which is served only on Sundays and the rare Meen Varuval, which is available everyday. We get Aayira Meen from Madurai, which we carry in aluminum boxes in buses. This dish sells out quickly, so we recommend pre-booking,” he says.
Simmakal Seerga Samba Biryani | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
We savor Viral Meen Varuval with Simmakkal-style Seeraaga Samba Biryani. Due to the texture of the country rice, the biryani is moist, doesn’t stick together and is fluffy. It was quite disappointing. It is available in chicken and mutton variants, priced at ₹310 and ₹410 respectively.
To complete the meal, we order Mutton Ghee Chukka and Mutton Uppu Kari – two classic Madurai style dry preparations. When the prescribed food arrives, I taste all the gravies, and the mutton kulambu and karuvadu thokku stand out for their depth of flavour. Viral Meen is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, fried to perfection. Sivasankaran explains that Uppu Kari uses only the essentials: red chillies, onions, garlic, black pepper, and salt, all slow-cooked in gingelly oil. Mutton Nei (Ghee) Chukka has intense flavor and tender meat. Although the dish has a rich aroma of ghee, there is no cooking involved – only red chillies roasted in ghee before being added.
Viral Mean Fry | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Madurai Kullappa Mess offers Chennai diners a taste of Madurai’s hearty, meat-centric cuisine. While the gravy in the set meal was slower than expected and didn’t leave a lasting impression, the dried meats and seafood especially shone with bold, rustic flavors.
Non-vegetarian set meal priced at ₹299) Photo courtesy: Special arrangement
Madurai Kulappa Mess, T Nagar. Open from noon to 11 pm. A meal for two is ₹800. For reservations, call 6385123456.
