Every city is associated with a food wherein the city and the food are mentioned in the same breath. There are cities which are not associated with any food and there are some where a whole bunch of mouth – watering delights compete for the distinction (blessed are the tummies of those citizens). Our own India presents many such unique instances of association of a particular city with a particular street delicacy. In this post it is basically the clash between the East (represented by Kolkata) and West (represented by Mumbai)…two cities where I have spent considerable time.
Mumbai – Vada Pav!!! What else could be the single most unifying factor in this cosmopolitan metropolis? A humble food which serves its primary purpose (satisfying your hunger) and being available at every nook and corner of the city. And the spiciest part is the fact that it is cheap in a ruthlessly expensive city. It mainly consists of a mashed fried potato stuffed inside a bun of bread (pao – having Portuguese origin…yet no Christiano Ronaldos produced in this part of India) served with spices or green chutney (usually pudina…does very little to add greenery to the concrete jungle out here). In keeping with the changing times, vada pao also has branded itself to appeal to the more hip citizens and get a premium for the offering. “Goli” and “Jumbo King” are two notable vada pao chains operating in Mumbai and out of it. You even get brown bread vada pav for the health conscious (what about the deep fried vada???), jain vada pav (a must have for serving the jain population where the vada is minus the onion and garlic….might as well do away with the vada and condiments).
In spite of a humble origin, vada pao has now acquired a considerable political clout; under the patronage of Shiv Sena / MNS who aspire to make it a global fast food product (a conspiracy no doubt to have the marathi manoo’s gastronomic prints across the break fast tables around the globe). Even there were rumors about vada pao being made the only food available across railway stations across Maharashtra (taking ethnic cleansing to an entirely different level).
To hell with it, they even have a World Wada Pav Day celebrated on 23rd August where no doubt you need to have a vada pao to prove that there is a little bit of Maharashtra residing in you (er..your tummy to be more precise).
Kolkata – Kati roll, phhuchka, aloo kabli !!!! It’s a very difficult choice to make both rationally and gastronomically. (Your mind will say kati roll, your heart will say phhuchka and your stomach – why not all of them???). I’m not even sure if these three complete the list or there are more out there. But these are definitely the most sought after, savoured, finger & hand licking, absolutely ravishing among all other street foods. Each one of them can give any other street food a run for its money. I wonder if Bong creativity has some role to play in the assortment of delicacies which they can conjure up and each one of them qualifies as a street food. Cheap, easily available across the length and breadth of Kolkata (every neighbourhood has its own roll, phhuchka outlet) but unlike satisfying your hunger it may actually do the reverse (that’s the one major weakness of Kolkata street food)
The “Kati Roll” supposed to be the stroke of genius of Nizam’s (a world famous restaurant in Kolkata), is essentially a parantha toasted on a tava which is then topped over a whipped egg poured in the tava’s center. Vegetables roasted & fried in butter (not at all for the diet coke generation) forms the basic stuffing along with an assortment of sauces. Different permutations and combinations are possible using fillings in the form of paneer, chicken, mutton, pork etc. So you have a paneer chicken roll, a double mutton paneer roll etc (you name a combination and its there for you…I sincerely feel that my permutation and combination concepts would have been much better if I had been taught in front of a hot kati roll center).
The “phhuchka” in Kolkata is known as “paani puri / gol gappa” in places other than Kolkata is a master piece in itself. The emotional upheaval which one witnesses when one gulps down a phhuchka overflowing with tamarind chutney is not possible to describe in words (not with your mouth salivating like there is no tomorrow). What makes the phhuchka even more desirable is the elaborate procedure followed by the phhuchka wallah in its preparation. . It’s a very mysterious food in itself as you are never sure what exactly has gone into its preparation (as if you cared…and it’s best not to go into the nitty gritty details). An absolute must include sweaty hands, greasy palms, no certainty from where the water for preparing the chutney has been obtained, the utter lack of hygiene (adds the spice to phhuchka and it is exactly for this reason that we simply devour it)
The aloo kabli or aloo chaat is essentially made up of mashed potatoes and the masalas which are usually used to spice up a chaat. Garnishing is in the form of broken phhuchkas and boiled chickpeas and the icing provided in the form of tamarind water. Compared to the kati roll and phhuchka it does pale in comparison but all the same it has all the ingredients / traits of a street food.
The progressive communist government has made sure that no such branding takes place for the kati rolls, phhuckas and the aloo kabli. (another America initiated capitalists manifesto to corrupt the socialistic taste buds of Bengalis) So we have to wait for the day when we will taste a branded kati roll or even celebrate a World Phhuchka Day…till then happy eating!!!
