Chistiya Khaman House

Over on Tandalja Tank Bund Road, inside the Mariyam Complex, you’ll find us at Chistiya Khaman House. We are right near Mahabalipuram, so it’s a pretty easy spot to find if you’re in the neighborhood. The main thing people notice is the steam coming off the big plates of khaman we put out. We spend our mornings cutting the squares and getting the tempering ready with mustard seeds and chilies. It’s a small kitchen area and things can get a bit messy when we’re in the middle of a rush, but we manage. The Mariyam Complex is a busy place with a lot of other shops, so there is always people moving around outside our door. We’ve got a few small tables for people who want to eat right there, but most people just take their order to go. The walls are plain and we don’t have much in the way of decoration, just a calendar and maybe a clock that’s a few minutes fast. We’ve been serving the Tandalja area for a while now, and we’ve gotten used to the rhythm of the traffic on the tank bund road. It’s hard work, especially with the humidity, but we enjoy the process. We don't use any fancy branding, just the name Chistiya on the board outside. It’s just us, making khaman every day and hoping we made enough for everyone who stops by for a quick bite before they move on.