When my son had to travel to the West Indies for over 45 days he was just recovering after a bout of jaundice. So I was worried about his diet but he said ” Ma, don’t worry I am filling my bag with MTR’s ‘ready to eat’ things. ” Oh, what a relief that was! and I knew there was no danger to his health.

MTR is the popular short name of Mavalli Tiffin rooms established in 1924 in bangalore by Mr. Yajnanarayana Maiyya.When he toured Europe for the first time, he was impressed by the clean restaurants there and hygiene has been a major selling point of MTR for the past half century ever since. It remains in the same place till today where it is almost easy to miss the innocuous building which reflects none of the international fame it has achieved today. Just as the address has remained the same, the quality of food has remained the same and the owners refuse to compromise on quality for larger reach. In 1976 they started packaging the Rava idly mix thereby becoming pioneers of packaged food. In fact the Rava idly was invented by the cooks of MTR when they were faced with rice shortage during World war 2.
Their foray into packaged food and instant powders that started in 1976 with the instant Rava idly mix and has slowly expanded today to 11 food product ranges: spices, instant mixes, ready-to-eat foods, ready-to-cook gravies, frozen foods, papads, pickles, chips, pastas, snacks and ice creams.

Some of MTR Foods’ ready-to-eat food is flown out to the soldiers who guard the Indian frontiers in the freezing climes of the Himalayas. MTR now boasts of having created the world’s first ever frozen dosa, which can be heated and eaten straightaway. Packets of instant sambar, rasam and rava idly, chutney powder and pickles have made these items available in the kitchens on every region of India. Now Mrs. Misra does not have to ask her neighbour Mrs.Rao to make sambar or rasam for her but can make them herself thanks to MTR. Packets of condiments , instant mixes and ready to eat recipes are on the mandatory list of shopping for most Indians visiting India before returning to their place of posting overseas.
It is surely a gift to Indians around the world which has made it possible for even the most culinary challenged among Indians to have delicious Indian food right in their own kitchen.
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