An Indian friend I have not seen for a long time asked to meet up. This Indian friend of mine follows a special diet called jain where they don’t eat root-vegetables. Except for Nalan Restaurant, I’m not very well-versed with jain restaurants in Singapore so he suggested that we go to Murugan Idli Shop. Little did I expect to get a crash course on South Indian cuisine on top of a delicious meal.

History

Murugan Idli was founded by S. Manoharan in Chennai, India. Monaharan’s parents started a small coffee shop called Murugan Coffee Nilayam in Madurai. Manoharan’s mother began to make idli to support the family and the idlis became very popular.

Even though there is only one Murugan Idli restaurant in Singapore, it is a chain of restaurants in Chennai with hundreds of shops.

Murugan Idli only serves South Indian cuisine. I asked my friend how authentic he thinks the food is and he says it is 100% authentic. Murugan Idli is the best place to get authentic South Indian cuisine in Singapore, authenticated by a true-blue South Indian.

The Food

As you can see from this order form, South Indian food is all about idli, dosai, uttapam, vadai and pongol.

When you order Idli [S$2.20 each] or Ghee Podi Idli (anything with podi means it’s spicy) [S$3 each], you get a plate with a banana leave and on it you will find four different chutney (Indian dipping sauce), a bowl of sambar (spicy lentil and vegetable gravy). My friend only can tell me that the white-colored chutney is coconut chutney, even he doesn’t know what the other three chutneys are. These chutney recipes are fiercely-guarded trade secrets and all the chefs have to undergo special training to make sure they make the same recipe every time.

You can unlimited refills of the chutneys and sambar gravy. You will see a lady going around with four metal containers, topping up chutneys whenever necessary.

I also got to try Ghee Dosai [S$5] which turns out to be so crispy and utterly delicious. I have always thought ghee to be super unhealthy but it turns out ghee is actually made from milk which makes it healthier than the cooking oil we use.

When it comes to Indian sweets, the Gulib Jamun at Kailash Parbat was so sweet, I swore I am never going anywhere near Indian sweets again. But this Milk Peda [S$1.90 for 50g, S$3 for 100g] has a gentle milkiness with a touch of crunchiness that is really nice.

There is a small retail section behind the cashier where you can get Indian snacks and sweets.

Murugan Idli

Address: 76 Syed Alwi Road, Singapore 207655

Telephone: +65 62980858

Opening Hours: Daily 9am – 11pm

Website: https://muruganidlishop.com