From street food to biriyani: A culinary adventure in Jain cuisine in Chennai

If you thought Jain food had to be plain, predictable, or short on excitement, a meal at Poppadum in Chennai would quickly change that assumption. Their newly launched Jain menu was surprisingly playful— from the familiar street-food references to restaurant-style gravies and even a biriyani.

The new Jain menu redefines culinary boundaries with playful twists

Our culinary journey started with the Indori bhutte ka kees, and it disappeared rather quickly. Creamy corn, jeeravan masala, and crisp kataifi came together almost like a chaat, with the sweetness of the corn working beautifully against the spice and crunch. The corn flakes, in particular, added an unexpected texture.

The Shetty’s paneer tikka was equally comforting. The paneer was soft enough to cut through effortlessly, with a gentle smoky richness from the ghee and a warm red chilli and curry leaf masala. The raw mango chutney underneath pulled it all together.

The Dilli wale momos with the green pea and water chestnut filling had a gentle sweetness and crunch, with the homemade Jain momo chutney giving the dumplings enough heat to keep them interesting. This twist on the momos had its own texture and personality.

The Pav bhaji quesadilla took another familiar idea and gave it a Mexican-leaning format. Bombay tawa masala and melted mozzarella sat inside the toasted quesadilla, with tomato-pepper salsa and a tangy chutney bringing brightness to the filling.

We also tried their Edamame dabeli, which arrived looking like a paav. Masala peanuts, spicy Rajkot chutney, pomegranate and sev gave it the sweet, spicy, crunchy combination.

Then came the Crispy rumali roti, which is almost comically large, shaped like a bowl and filled with green mango and corn kachumber. It felt somewhere between a roti snack and a chaat, and that is precisely what made it enjoyable.

We moved on to the mains with the Bhopali paneer rezala, where roasted pumpkin and malai cashew created a smooth, creamy base. The Lahori saag chhole was deeper and earthier, with spinach, chickpeas, spicy yoghurt masala and burnt cumin bringing a gentle smoky note.

The Alleppey vegetable masala took us somewhere else again, with tomato, coconut, raw mango and crispy curry leaves creating a sweet, tangy and aromatic gravy Besides it, the Poppadum daal tadka felt reassuringly familiar. The five-lentil blend has a satisfying body, while the chilli and curry leaf tadka gave it a fragrant finish.

We moped up the gravies with the flaky Mirch masala laccha roti and a soft butter naan.

The slightly spicy Military Hotel potlam biriyani with fragrant jeeraga samba rice, baby corn and green masala ended the night for us.

Meal for two: INR 1,800++. 12 pm to 3 pm and 7 pm to 11 pm. At Poppadum, Kilpauk, Chennai.

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