Subramanian’s family hails from the ancient city of Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu. Although she was born in Mumbai, she kept in touch with her roots through what her mother Saraswathi rustled up in the kitchen. “My siblings and I loved her vatha kulambu, a delicious and spicy gravy that’s sambar in concentrated form. It’s served to you when you are under the weather and goes well with hot steamed rice,” says Subramanian, 59. Her personal favourite though was the avial, a vegetable stew of sorts made with 13 different vegetables commonly found in the Western Ghats, seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves. 

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Her mother-in-law Lakshmi took off from where her mother had left off. Because thattai and murukku wouldn’t be available in Mumbai, Subramanian would make packets and ship them off to her nieces. Two years ago, they suggested that she turn it into a business. “But since I had aged parents to care for, I didn’t give it much thought,” she confesses. It was finally in the 2020 lockdown that Perima’s Kitchen was born. “Perima means mother’s elder sister or maasi. In the lockdown, I had sent a few vegetarian Tamil dishes to my son’s friend. He called me to say I had to consider doing this on a commercial scale. Now, the kitchen operates every Sunday.”

Banana wafers with chutney

Subramanian sources critical ingredients like sambar and rasam powders, black lentils for idli, oil and tapioca, from Tirunelveli during twice-a-year trips, and she says that’s what makes all the difference to taste. She pounds fresh masala two days prior to opening her kitchen on Sunday mornings. Her recipes are all vegetarian, and she abstains from onion and garlic, too, except for the sambar. A full meal costs between Rs 800 and Rs 1,000.

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Subramanian puts out a new menu every Monday on Instagram for customers to place early orders. “We don’t have an à la carte menu; we only deliver whole meals,” she says, adding that  the bisi bele bath and avial are favourites with clients. “It’s not even a year since I started, and I already have 2,000 followers on the page learning about and enjoying vegetarian Tamil food.”

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