Do you know what’s trending at Amma Unavagams? Well, customers of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s novel low budget canteens, are craving to savour some steaming dum biriyani and payasam!
While all sections of people have been devouring the staple food served at throwaway prices at the Amma Unavagams, the supervisors of the canteen say that their suggestion books are full of ideas on how to enrich the menu with more tastier and festive theme-based stuff.
“We are receiving many suggestions from the people on a daily basis. Some have suggested that we could have supplied ‘biriyani’ during the recent Ramzan festival, similar to the theme-based food festivals organised by star hotels.
During the Tamil month of Aadi, they suggested that we serve coconut rice and carrot rice,” said Shanmugapriya, a supervisor at the Amma Unavagam in Olympus at Ramanathapuram in Coimbatore.
Another customer has suggested that curd rice can be avoided on rainy days and instead ‘pudhina’ rice could be served. There are also requests for serving payasam on festive occasions. “We cannot decide or act on these suggestions. We are just implementing the scheme for the welfare of the people,” added Shanmugapriya.
Quite a few customers have also jotted down that tiffin could be served at night. Presently, the canteens serve only breakfast and lunch. “The arrival of Amma Unavagams have made a big difference in ourlife but we need tiffin at night so that we don’t go hungry to bed,” said Shanti, a daily wage earner in Singanallur.
Employees of the canteens also said some people have requested them to serve kesari or some other snack once in a while, apart from selling with accompaniments like chutney and pickle.
“Most of us are regulars at the Amma Unavagams. But we get to eat the same stuff - sambar rice and curd rice. It would be nice if they also serve vada or sweets like kesari occasionally,” suggested 50-year-old Bharathi.
“Food is very nice here but the person (who) supervises it doesn’t seem so. There is nothing wrong with eating the food from outside at Amma canteens,” wrote a person in a suggestion book apparently cut up at not being allowed to eat his home food at the canteen.