For many of us these days, the first thing that comes to our mind when we hear the word “idli” is probably the reel that has been going all viral. Yes, we all know it — dosa, idli, sambar, chutney, chutney! The soft, pillowy, ultimate comfort food — until someone in your life does something so outrageous to it that you start questioning your entire friendship. We’re talking about the people who dip idli in ketchup, eat it with mayonnaise (why?), or — brace yourself — crumble it into their coffee.
To investigate the chaos, CE spoke to Chennai’s home cooks, chefs, and everyday food lovers about the most unhinged idli pairings they’ve encountered. Some are genius. Some are criminal. Because apparently, people have been pairing idli with things far beyond sambar and chutney.
1. The sweet tooth craze
“My friend puts Nutella on hot idli like it’s a pancake,” says Karuna Madhavan, a recent college graduate. “I thought she was joking, but then she took a bite and went ‘mmm’ like she was in a Ferrero Rocher ad. I have never recovered.”
Bizarrely enough, this isn’t an isolated crime. Chef Arvind of a popular Chennai café confirms, “We once had a customer who requested idli with chocolate sauce. At first, we thought they were pranking us, but they genuinely enjoyed it. I suppose if you think of it like a South Indian choco lava cake…”
2. The ‘Trust me, bro’ special
If you thought idli belonged strictly in sambar, think again. Sujith S, an IT professional, swears by his idli in rasam combo. “It’s like dunking bread in soup, but better. I am actually from Andhra, settled in Chennai, and rasam is my comfort dish no matter what I pair it with. My roommates judged me, but I eventually stopped caring.”
Arvind agrees, but with a warning: “Some rasam works better than others. Tomato rasam? Fantastic. Pepper rasam? Acceptable. Pineapple rasam? You need help.”
3. The questionable choice
There’s no easy way to say this: Someone in this city is eating idlis with mayonnaise.
“My friend Vansh does this,” says Jonisha V, still visibly traumatised. “I saw him slather cold mayo on hot idli like it was garlic bread. I had to leave the table.”
“ I love mayonnaise,” agrees Ayush, Jonisha’s friend. “But idli is sacred. The textures don’t match, the flavours don’t match… Like just go eat a sandwich if you love mayo that much.”
4. The cry for help
You’d think idli and ice cream would never be in the same sentence. You’d be wrong.
“My cousin eats idli with vanilla ice cream,” confesses Alekhya Raina, a consultant. “She calls it ‘idli affogato.’ I call it ‘grounds for disownment.’”
We tried to find logic here, but Arvind simply sighed and said, “Typically, you hear of warm brownies with ice cream, but idli? I don’t know.. Maybe if you deep-fried it first? But at that point, you’re just making a bhajiya.”
5. The actual villain of the story
Some crimes deserve international coverage. Engineering student, Suchitra Devi, casually revealed: “I once dunked my idli in Pepsi to see what would happen. It fizzed up and absorbed the soda like a sponge. It was kinda good?”
No.
“Absolutely not. I would rather accept the Nutella idli than this. I don’t know what’s happening in today’s world,” disagrees Arvind.
So, what’s the verdict?
While classic sambar and chutney reign supreme, Chennai clearly has some creative (borderline terrifying) idli enthusiasts. If you’ve tried any of these, we have questions. If you enjoy any of these, we have concerns.
But at the end of the day, maybe that viral song is right. Dosa, idli, sambar, chutney-chutney — sometimes, tradition just hits best.
Now tell us, what’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten idli with? We promise not to judge (too much).