Crispy Outside, Fluffy Inside.

The ‘Potti Hotel’ culture is very famous in Thiruvananthapuram. These hotels are usually found near temples. Malayalees all over the world would love to have a delicious meal from a pure vegetarian ‘Potti Hotel’ after a blissful visit to temple.

In Trivandrum, there are two famous eateries that are known for the quality and taste they provide. If you are a Trivian, you should be knowing of these famous names. ‘Venkadesha Bhavan’ and ‘Balaji Cafe’. See, speaking as a ‘TamBhram’ from Trivandrum, the word Karavada will make me drool all over the place. The two eateries that I mentioned, makes the best Karavadas in town. As an ardent fan and a regular customer of both of them, I am happy to share my experience.

The Karavada from Balaji Cafe is a little bit small in size compared to the ones from Venkadesha Bhavan. The sides for this evening snack are Sambar and Chutney. Though both of these eateries provide good quality sides, Venkadesha Bhavan’s sambar and chutney is my personal favourite. The Karavada from Balaji is much crispier. At the same time, the ones from Venkadesha Bhavan are soft and fluffy. Being crispy outside and soft inside, Balaji Cafe’s karavadas go superb with the sides. Don’t get me wrong here. Both of them are equally delightful. In the end, it’s up to the eater and his/her palette. If you want a crackling of flavours, go to Balaji Cafe and if you want some soft and fluffy karavadas, consider Venkadesha Bhavan. A Karavada from Balaji Cafe is priced at 7 rupees and one from Venkadesha Bhavan is 8 rupees at the time of writing this.

Apart from the Karavadas, both of these restaurants provide some delicious full-course meals also. Balaji cafe is known for their ‘Vegetable roast’ and ‘Idiyappam’. The ‘Channa Battoora’ and ‘Ada dosa-Aviyal’ combo from Venkadesha Bhavan is a must-try. After having karavadas, your palette will crave for something sweet. At least for me. If so, don’t worry. The ‘Mysore Pak’ from Venkadesha Bhavan and ‘Wheat Halwa’ from Balaji cafe can help you. All these dishes that I mentioned are a must-try. It’s well worth of your time and money.

It’s been decades since we started devouring from these places. My family resided at ‘Puthen Street’ for years. These restaurants were a go-to for us. And it still is. If my memory is sharp enough, I started eating from these restaurants when I was 5 years old. It still tastes the same and nothing has changed apart from prices. Both of these eateries are cheap and it will fill your tummy with good food and your heart with happiness.

My team of amigos consists of three people. We three meet up on weekends. After having some karavadas and coffee, we’ll hangout near the ‘Sreevaraham Pond’ and talk about anything and everything and watch the sun go down.