The South Indian parotta or barotta has many names and forms – kottu parotta, Chilly parotta, parotta salna to name a few delicacies that the south is famous for. The city of Madurai has become famous for its unique bun parotta, this cross between a bun and a parotta is a must try! Served with the choicest of sides like mutton chukka or quail gravy, this puffed up parotta makes for a scrumptious meal. This Madurai special traces its origin to a roadside eatery that was started in the early ‘90s.
Madurai’s KK Nagar is famous for the roadside stall that makes and sells bun parotta. The making of the dough in itself is a spectacle worth watching, a show that begins at 2.00 pm every day, right when Madurai’s gears reach a slow grind at mid-afternoon. The street joint Madurai Bun Parotta Kada, was started together by Karupanna and his wife Vijayam in 1991. The couple claims that it was here that the bun parotta was envisioned for the first time by their first parotta master.
The shop gets customers from Singapore, Malaysia who come here asking for parcels. They didn’t think it would become so famous back then. Now it has become a Madurai special. One plate of bun parotta is priced between Rs 90 and Rs 100. While the stall remained open until 2.00 am in the ‘90s, when Madurai was more vibrantly the ‘Thoonga Nagaram’, today it closes by 12.00 midnight. For indoor ambiance, Madurai Bun Parotta Kadai has also opened its doors on Madurai-Kallal Road.
