M.S. Krishna Iyer

M.S. Krishna Iyer Krishna Iyer is a professional playback singer, ra >> Read More... popularly known as Ambi Swami, is a Malayali chef and restaurateur. He is also called Manickan Ambi. He was born in 1935 or 1934 in Thrissur, Kerala, India. He was the man, who brought vegetarian dishes to temples to feed the masses. At the age of 17, he started his career and used to set up cooking for programs of famous institutes like Kerala School Kalolsavam. He had a big family which included his seven sons and two daughters. The chef took a demise on June 3, 2012. The 77-year-old chef, died of heart attack. His restaurant name is Ambi Swamy Catering, and it resides in Thrissur. Ambi knew how to capture a kid’s, heart.

His cooking talent, used to make the youth festivals rememberable. In 2003, he cooked some Payasam at Kozhikode festivals. Students say that it tasted like the food of gods. They didn’t care about winning or losing, all they were thinking was about the Payasam. Such was Ambi’s magic. The Upma and Vada he served there worked like a charm. The master chef is considered best in these areas, and no event or festival is complete without the food he cooks. The former Chief Minister C. Achutha Menon, was awestruck by his cooking. In a book written by him, there was a quotation on Ambi’s food.

He used to lead 75 employee team in youth kitchen, and 9000 people were to be presented with food and drinks every day. He ran the kitchen, maintaining which costs 8.5 lakhs. Idli Sambhar, Upma, and Puttu were used to serve by his team for breakfast and rice with Sambhar, Padappam, Pulissery, Aviyal, and Thoran in lunch. The menu for dinner was never the same. Swamy used to change it every day. The food he cooked was prepared, thinking about the interest of the variety of people visiting them. For South Keralites, there was a different food. North Keralites love sambhar, so for them, the menu was different. Payasam was common in all.

He has also received invitations from different cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and others, to cater for South Indian marriages. The veteran was considered as the brand ambassador of a method Sadya (where the variety of dishes are serve on a banana leaf). A video on YouTube is made blaming that he uses detergent in Payasam. This video was made because the customers felt some unusual taste and discomfort, after eating Payasam.