Madurai city’s fascination for the fluffy parotta is a well-documented saga. And in times of the coronavirus and isolation, a restaurateur in the city has decided to use Madurai’s cultural identity to raise awareness about the pandemic. KL Kumar’s Temple City has been doling out parottas in the shape of face masks in order to create awareness about the virus.
The recent spike in Madurai’s active COVID-19 cases is what prompted him to fashion these parottas, the restaurateur says. “While the corporation has made it mandatory for people to wear masks, I see many people flouting the rules. I wanted to do something from our end to raise awareness about face covers,” Kumar tells us over the phone from Madurai. After a discussion with the restaurant’s parotta master, the duo began rolling out these delicacies from Tuesday.
The edible masks are priced at `50 each, just like any other parotta. The goal is not just for people to click selfies with it, but also get used to the concept of masks, he adds. “We give a free face mask to anybody who comes to the restaurant without a mask,” Kumar says, adding that their phones have not stopped ringing ever since pictures of the parotta went viral on social media. “We usually open up for parotta orders only in the evening. But now, we are being swarmed by so many requests that we are serving parottas for breakfast too. As long as the person who is ordering it is wearing the mask, there is no problem,” he adds with a laugh.
Dosas and bondas get a spin, too
Apart from their current headliner, the parotta, the restaurant has also been serving coronavirus-shaped rava dosas and bondas. “We have also been serving mooligai rasam made out of val milagu (tailed pepper) and thuthuvalai (climbing brinjal). I am happy that we are able to contribute to the good fight in some way,” Kumar says.