Dindigul Ponram in Bengaluru

Iam a big fan of the Madurai / Dindigul style Biriyani...and when it comes to mutton biriani, Dindigul Ponram is among my top favorites. So when we heard that ponram had recently opened a branch at koramangala, Bangalore, me and my wife decided that today was that day!

I had my fingers crossed though,  as our experience with another famous Dindigul restaurant the Dindigul Thalapakatti that had opened many branches in Bangalore, was very disappointing.

Dindigul Ponram began as a small shop in Begampur, Dindigul and was later converted into an eatery by V. Ponram Yadav in 1973. Today managed by their fourth generation, Ponram has become synonymous with its mutton biriyani, and its predominantly meat-based sides. What makes this biriyani truly unique is the carefully handpicked spices that they procure directly from farms in and around Dindigul to maintain its authentic flavour. The pepper comes from Ayyampalayam, cardamom from Thandikudi, cloves from Thadiyankudisai, nutmeg from Ayyampalayam, hill garlic from Poombarai, and the brinjals and green chillis are from Dindigul. They source their ghee from their farms and have milling units where most spices are pickled, dried and powdered.

Chicken tender coconut soup

As we entered, Mani Ram from the family who manages the koramangala branch,welcomed us , made us comfortable and took the order himself. 

We started with their signature soup - the ilaneer kozi Rasam made with Chicken shredded pieces ,  tender coconut water and coconut milk. It was unique with a perfect blend of spices. Its a must try broth for anyone visiting ponram. 

Manga vellam crispy lotus stem

If you are a vegetarian,  then you must try the crispy Manga vellam lotus stem for starters... a mix of spicy and tangy sweetness!

Mutton egg roast

Meat balls

For starters we ordered mutton egg varuval and mutton nenju (ribs) chops suggested by Mani Ram along with kola urundai (mutton meat balls). The mutton egg varuval is made by tava roasting boneless meat cubes with egg in their special chukka Masala. Its slightly on the hotter spicy side but very delicious. The meat balls were crispy on the outside and extremely flavourful and soft inside as they should be. 

The rib chops varuval is a signature dish here.  The meat was extremely tender and fell off the ribs...a must try for sure.

Ribs chops varuval

Liver fry

We also followed it with mutton liver fry which was also good. Looking at the quantity,  we asked it to be parceled.

  For the main course it was obviously their signature boneless mutton biriyani — tender pieces of lamb combined with the fragrant, aged seeraga samba rice was a flavourful treat. Each spice in the biryani is carefully woven together giving a mild yet hearty flavour to the dish. The fat-to-meat ratio has been standardised to ensure more flavour, without the usual greesy heaviness that you find in most meat biriyanis. It brought back memories of my good old day of visiting ponram in Dindigul.. 

The famous Dindigul mutton biriyani 

Egg kalakki

Just to add a little more to that nostalgia,  my wife ordered the egg kalakki ! 

When we asked for dessert, the waiter told us that their popular kasi Halawas are over and only the ice creams are available.  ManiRam who was standing nearby saw the disappointment in my face and quickly stepped in and assured us he will get it prepared for us. Sure enough, we got a cup of hot kasi halwa that literally melted in my mouth.

Kasi halwa

We ended with their modern version of nannari sharbat.. quite the drink to cool the spices !

The menu has so many items that we wished to try...but we were already full. My wife quickly made a note of the dishes to try out on our next visit perhaps when Nithila is here on her vacations ! 

A very very satisfactory lunch indeed ! 😋  I just wish they maintain this standard in the future too...