Idli on a stick: Yay or Nay? Twitter can't decide

Tribune Web Desk
Chandigarh, September

After butter chicken golgappas, the latest food to outrage Twitter is the normally innocuous idli—but this one on an ice-cream stick.

This version of idli, a South Indian rice dumpling that’s now omnipresent in India, is, except for seemingly offending stick, is really quite the same and comes with the standard accompaniments—‘sambhar’ and ‘chutney’.

It’s still unknown who served it up—news portal News Minute, in fact, quoted the manager of a Bengaluru restaurant, Colombo Idli House, which is widely attributed to have been behind what some see as an abomination, as denying ever having such a dish on its menu. 

Regardless, although it hasn’t offended quite as many people as the butter chicken golgappas—which met with near-universal revulsion—it has spurred a heated debate on Twitter.

“Bengaluru, India’s innovation capital can’t stop its creativity from manifesting itself in the most unexpected areas… Idli on a stick—sambhar & chutney as dips…Those in favour, those against,” business magnate Anand Mahindra said.  

There were of course the standard stock of the people wondering why anyone would do it. Then there were those who found it useful, especially since the stick meant better hygiene.