Uppilit, a place for brined vegetables and fruits in Thiruvananthapuram

The Hindu22-05-2025

Sweet, spicy, salty, tangy... my taste buds go on a rollercoaster ride as I bite into the grapes that Meenakshi Chand scooped out of the glass jar. That was my tryst with brined green grapes.
Uppilit - Touchings by Meenakshi is your go-to place for a plethora of brined vegetables and fruits. In a 50 sq ft room near Kuravankonam junction, a row of transparent glass jars placed on a wooden desk welcomes you. The burst of colours is tempting enough to try all of them — raw mangoes, gooseberries, green grapes, guava, carrot, beetroot, watermelon, pineapple, green apple, sweet corn, papaya (raw and ripe), ari nellikka (star gooseberry) and salad cucumber among others.
Launched earlier this year as a roadside stall, it recently moved to this new space. As you enter the comfy, little, well-lit space, with checkerboard flooring, the first thing that grabs your attention is posters of old Malayalam movies stuck on the walls and ceiling. 'I wanted a retro look for the space and so these posters. There are around 160 of them and I have stuck each of them personally,' says Meenakshi, a software professional who quit her job in Bengaluru to start this business.
'The inspiration to start this venture was my trips to Kozhikode to meet my friends. I was fascinated by how they brined vegetables and fruits. The important thing was they were stored in glass jars instead of plastic bottles. I found that hygienic. I have been working on this idea for nearly three years. When I quit my job and came back home I thought of introducing this concept in Thiruvananthapuram,' says Meenakshi, who lives in Poojappura.
Crystal salt is used to make brine and no vinegar is added. 'While some of them have been inspired by what I saw in Kozhikode, I have experimented as well. A friend suggested brining green grapes. Crushed udamkolli mulaku (button chilli), kanthari mulaku (bird's eye chilli) and shallots are added to the brine. In the case of sweet corn, it is steamed before brining. As for guava, I have been using the Thailand variety. When that is not available, I use the commonly-grown variety,' she explains.
Meenakshi adds that not all variants are sold every day. It depends on availability and the price of these vegetables and fruits. Green apple, for example, is very expensive, she says.
The rates vary according to variant. While mango is priced ₹10 per piece since it is currently in season, one scoop of grapes cost ₹30. She also serves a spicy green chutney of chillies and shallots that goes with the brined eats. At times, steamed tubers or boiled eggs are available here, which you can have with the spicy chutney.
And one cannot miss the shelves holding cute little glass bottles with colourful candies such as narangamittayi, thenmittayi and jeeraka mittayi. 'They are not for sale. They are part of our childhood and so I have kept them for nostagia,' she says.
The 34-year-old is thrilled that Uppilit has got a base of loyal customers. 'I am happy that I started this place,' adds Meenakshi, who is often helped by her mother and son, Nivin Chand.
The shop is open on all days from 3pm to 12 midnight. Contact: 7907277146