Pappu On The Highway

Location: Delhi-Agra Highway (NH2)

Dhabas are one of the best things about North India highways. Imagine going out with friends in the middle of the night and stopping  for parathe and chai . Or travelling between cities and stopping by for a hearty punjabi meal. Having food in the open at a dhaba during winters adds charm to the whole experience. This is something you cannot do down South.

The highways are dotted with clusters of little dhabas. Some great and some well … meh. Someone not familiar with the dhabas might land up at a very okay-ish kinda place and ruin the experience. So, all you lovely people reading this post, let me enlighten you.

The Delhi-Agra NH-2 was the most frequently travelled by me. It was mostly on the weekends with a bunch of friends. Stopping for food was a must.

The first choice from the plethora of dhabas for us was the Pappu Dhaba located midway between Delhi and Agra. Now you have to understand that there is loads of competition among these joints so there can be variations of pappu dhaba. So, be careful and go to the Asli Pappu Dhaba. That’s the authentic. Be prepared to wait for 10-15 mins for a table and another 15-20 mins for food. You might get lucky someday ;-)

Speciality here are the Parathas! You can order Tandoori or Tawa. And choose between Aloo, Gobhi, Paneer, Mix Veg., Onion, Mooli etc. etc. Huge in size, very rich in taste and soaked in ghee …  it’s how I can best describe them. Add a dollop of butter on top if you may :-p. They go very well with Dal Makhani and Curd. Of course a plateful of Tandoori rotis and Paneer are the people’s choice at any dhaba. And after all the food is eaten and gone, a glass of Chai is something you shouldn’t miss. Check out the menu on the left.

Easy on your pocket and great in taste, dhabas make up for one of the best gastronomical delights in northern India. I simply love them and always always visit one on my trips to UP/Delhi.

Some other great dhabas on NH2 are: Haveli (on way to Chandigarh), Gulshan (Delhi-Agra), Murthal (on way to Chandigarh), Sureya (Delhi-Agra, near Palwal), Akashdeep (Delhi-Agra, near Sikandara)

So HOMP at Pappu ... 

'V' for Veg.

Location: Thailand

If you travel to Thailand and worry about finding vegetarian food ... I have some news for you ...

The place for you is Burger King. The burger is awesome, way better and filling than a McDonald's. Thai McDees do not serve veg food anyway.

Better still they have veg. sides too ... who is a fan of hash browns? They are wonderful and the quantity they served amazed me. Fries again are grreat. I felt better than those of McDees again. Both these crispier and munchier! :-p

Apart from the usual ketchup they also serve another chilli sauce and that adds another refreshing change to the regular. It makes you go 'tchaa'!

They should open outlets in India soon :-/!

And yeah ... Subway serves Veggie Delight. so that's another good option.

They were a great help during my trip to Thailand! :-)

Both joints are dotted all over Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket so no need of carrying an overload of Mathris and Achar ;-)).

Ek Plate Idli

Location: Malleshwaram, Bangalore

Another one of relatively unknown joints for having the most amazing south indian breakfast is the 'Veena Stores'. Its immensely popular among the residents of that area or people like me who know about it :-). Its  a humble little shop in  Malleshwaram where cooking happens at the back and the front is the sale counter.

It starts serving at around 06:30am in the morning and I would say 6:30-7:00am is the best time to go there unless you are willing to stand in a queue for your breakfast.

The best bet there is the 'ek plate idli' (rice cake). Served piping hot along with mint/pudina flavoured coconut chutney, gives it just the right amount of originality with a difference ;-). And they are the softest idlis I've ever had! :-)

The Vada ( Indian Donut ;-) )  again are Hot, Crisp and fluffy..  you ought to have one of those!

The yellow-ed and ghee-ed (soaked in ghee) Khara Bhaat/Upma again is a grreat bet. Again served piping hot, it becomes a nice complement to the idlis.

They serve tea and filter coffee but nothing amazing here ...

All you early birds ... rise 'n' shine ... visit Veena! :-)

Gobble the Street! ;-))

Location: Bangalore (V.V. Puram)

One of the best places to experiment with street food, this place is similar to the Khaogalli in Mumbai.  A treat for the taste buds, a paradise to chomp on the local southy flavor. It’s called Food Street! A must visit for Rocky and Mayur (HOMP).

Raw Mango (kairi) and sweet corn masala chaat to get you started with a sweet tang

Idlis so light and feathery you can easily wipe off 8-10

Rice roti with an edge … and Ragi with a notch

Davengiri butterrr dosa cooked golden and crisp

Throw in some north Indian chaats for a twist … not recommended though

Finish off with the matchless, unparalleled, awesomessst Gulkand, Fruit, Ice Cream dessert … im sure you’ll be left wanting for more …

Oh and the the VV Bakery is famous for the Masala Bun …

And there lots to explore and devour on the go J Sharing a few glimpses …

Arre aap bhi lijiye

Just eat away ...

Dessert to die for ... and we thought Gulkand was just used in Paan (Beetle Leaf)

Khaye jao aur Shivanna ke gunn gaaye jao

So Long people … till then Happy Eating! J

Bedhai Jalebi

Location: Agra

Happy New Year friends!  Hope you had a wonderful time!

I spent the last few days of Dec 2011 in Agra.  The temperatures had plunged to near zero degree levels! In such a time you tend to crave for fresh and hot food throughout!  The mornings are foggy and freezingly cold.

In such a scenario what better breakfast than the best local flavor of Agra … sweet, spicy and hot … it’s called Bedhai Jalebi!! One of my favorite breakfast menu since my college days.

It may look like Poori Aloo at the first glance but I’ll tell you it’s not.  It’s a whole lot different in taste. The Bedhai (Poori things) have a light coating of masala, made of daal, besan and spices inside while the patato curry is spicy with added ingredients like Paneer, Green Chillis, Coriander Chutney with a dash of Cream (malai) on top. Oooh writing it about it makes me wanna have it again right now. Alas I’m back in Bangalore :(. Some things about the north are great and should not and cannot be ignored. Food, being one of them.

To give you respite from all the spiciness, the Jalebi is served along with the Bedhai. Freshly made, juicy, crispy and hot, it goes extremely well with it. Other sweets that also go well with this are Moong Dal Halwa and Gajar ka Halwa. These are also served by the joints.

Two best joints for this breakfast in Agra are Hukum Chand near Bhagwan Talkies (the curry here is spicier) and Deviram on M.G. Road.

Anyone visiting Agra must try this once! You can get it packed as well and have at home/hotel but it tastes best when had on the spot.

P.S. Bedhai Jalebi is generally had throughout the year. Cold Lassi is served along with this during Summers.

The Bhindi Way On a Sunday!

Here is the easiest 3 step way to prepare Bharwan Bindi (Lady Finger). I had it at Lunch today! Learned it from my Mom who is an awesome cook!!

Step1

Prepare a mix of spices: include Haldi (turmeric powder), Dhaniya (coriander powder), Red Chilli, Khatai, Salt and keep aside

If the Bhindis are long you may cut them into two pieces. Take the Bhindis and slice an opening on the side

Step1

Step2

Fill the spice mix in each Bhindi carefully such that their inside is filled with the masala. Sprinkle the rest of the mix on top of the Bhindis

Step2

Step 3

Heat some oil in a Kadai, add some Jeera. Once the jeera is done, turn-off the gas and let the oil cool down a bit.

Then take the masala filled bhindis and and mix them in the oil.

Cover the Kadai with a lid/plate and turn on the gas again

Keep mixing at intervals till the Bhindis are cooked. Will take about 10 minutes.

Tada!!!!! Have it with hot rotis and raita! Enjoy!! 

Step3

If you wanna go the healthy way, the same can also be prepared in a microwave.

Real Fresh Dosa

Location: Bangalore (Marathalli)


How many of us are street food lovers???? Well I am one for sure!

You might have had dosas in air-conditioned hotels, at the numerous famous darsharnis  or at home but, if you have  ever tried dosa made on a sigdi (charcoal stove), then I’m sure your experience must have been delightful.

I came to know of this really great spot while shopping around in Marathalli. I was just passing by the Woodland factory outlet and noticed a crowd of people around a thela (push – cart) right in front of it.  What I saw tickled my taste buds. This thela was serving a variety of dosas cooked on a sigdi, typically what you get in Mumbai. 

Bangaloreans … whenever you are in that area and need to grab a bite in between your shopping spree, this spot is a good option. This stall on the street is called “Real Fresh Dosas” (though the name will be hardly visible).  The place may seem to be tacky but for the sake of taste and to preserve the sanctity of street food, food lovers need to try.  I have tried this place several times and I’m alive!

So, what’s different about him??

He serves around 50+ varieties of dosas and these are not the regular ones you get in the usual places. He uses mixes/masala made from cabbage, soya sauce, schzewan sauce, bell pepper and the like. And you have Cheese/Paneer topping on it.

Slurp! Slurp! Slurp!

The dosas are wafer thin and very light! One person can easily have two without feeling full till the throat. Besides, they are so yummy that you would definitely want to have a minimum of two!

My suggestions are below in order of scrumptious-ness:

1.       Spring Dosa

2.       Cheese Shezwan Mysore Masala

3.       Kerala Paneer Masala

4.       Shezwan Cheese Masala

And you have to watch how this guy prepares these dosas. It’s like at lightning speed. He moves soo fast, I couldn’t even click his picture properly.