Surat’s Sizzling Street Treats

Ashleshaa Khurana

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The monsoon finally made its date with Surat, albeit a month late; but, that has not been a deterrent to Surat’s foodies who are fond of munching in the rain and even otherwise. From secluded pockets around Tapi town function roadside kiosks that add a crunch to your regular munch and make you want more. Here are a few such sizzling street treats that won’t burn your pockets but will set your tongues on fire with their fiery flavours.

Bread-rolls by Champa at Parle Point. This is the onerous labourer’s breakfast joint near Ambika Niketan bus-stop. The rolls are crunchy crusts of bread wrapped over a bed of steamy mashed potatoes spiked with mustard seeds, chopped green chillis, coriander leaves with salt to taste and turmeric for colour. Served with runny sweet and spicy gram flour chutney which will make you lick your fingers and click your tongue.

Piping hot soup at Nakhuda Nasta Centre,Rander. At the corner of teen batti char rasta near Chunarwaad Masjid,this place functions from sehri to iftar time – 6 a.m to 7 pm, other than the khowsuey and other yummy delights written about before, it serves bowls of vegetarian and chicken soup which is heart warming and filling. Garnished with crunchy bits of spring onion greens, fried garlic and crispy wheat strips you have to sip and slurp this one to believe how good something so simple and light can taste.

Sai Ragda Petis on Tower road, opposite Hariharan Pustakalay .Functioning from just beside the Mahidarpura police station, the stall here is set up only 4 pm onwards. I discovered this hot favourite via true blue Surti Manoj Singapuri whose camera lens loves Surat .Don’t be fooled by the docile looking heart shaped potato petis , it is packed with spice infused gram dal, the chilli level of which will remind you of Bhut Jolakia- the world’s hottest pepper. This is doused with a serene smooth ragda to calm your taste buds simultaneously. Topped with uniformly chopped onions, and fine sev over which a tongue teasing tamarind relish is drizzled. In case you ears begin to smoke with the chilli, they also serve hot soft gulab jamuns .

Masala corn on the cob at Lakeview Garden,Piplod. This is easily Surat’s most under-rated rain treat. The boiled corn is American, the heat provided to it thereafter is on a tin stove filled with burning coal embers. Once the smoke sets up its flavours, the ‘bhutta’ is rubbed with lemon juice,salt and red chilli powder. Wrapped in lime green leaves, one bite and you are in juicy heaven!

Mayur Bhajiya, Nanpura . I found It because #Foodoholic Prakash Anandani was tweeting while eating there .While it deserves an entire column; today’s recommends with the rain are its oomph la la tomato and chilli pakoras. The veggies are slit, within them is stuffed a spicy filling with a hint of sugar,next they are dipped in entirety in a gram flour batter and deep fried .These seemingly innocent looking bhajiyas have layers of flavours to be discovered once you bite in.

Surat’s jaman during the rainy season will surely get into ‘sulag sulag jaye mann’ singing mode.Devour these and set fire to the rain .

ashindia@hotmail.com

TAPI TOWN'S TRIANGULAR TUBER TREATS

‘Samosa kyun na khaya? Joota kyoon na pehna?
Tala na tha.’-Khusrau,circa 1300.

Why wasn’t the samosa eaten? Why wasn’t the shoe worn?
Wasn’t fried (the samosa); didn’t have a sole (the shoe).

As if being featured in Amir Khusrau’s ‘Dosukhnay’, renditions in Delhi during the 13th century, participating in Ibn Batuta’s travelogues of 1334 and holding a permanent place in the royal daawat’s,’ Ain –i-Akbari’- Emporer Akbar’s gourmet spread, wasn’t enough;the 'sambusak'is still that one delicacy around which conversations revolve.

‘Samosa’ a central Asian invention - the patty notorious for prolific fillings, continues to be India’s favourite tea time treat and, Tapi town is no exception.

Since we have already done a delicious thesis on our famous ‘Mad man’s triangles ‘(gandabhai na samosa )and other such Surti treats where gram dal,yam,cheese etc make the main matter, fried within thin crispy shells; lets now take a peek within the suburban tuber treats in town.

Popularity of suburban Surat’s samosas is segregated according to the phase of a student’s life.

Kindly note that nostalgia might hit you while reading the lines henceforth.

If you were educated in institutions around Timalyawaad, Nanpura or Dutch Garden, Samosas from Kailash sweets, those spicy parcels of chopped potatoes, dotted with green peas, seasoned with cumin and spiked with garam masala must surely mean a melancholic mouthful.Kailash samosas were the brain child of the late Kishinchand Ahuja who pioneered Punjabi samosas in Surat, way back in 1966.The receipe remains an exclusive hot seller till date. Seeped in drippy, dense tamarind chutney, that makes a fine accompaniment to this crusty crudity.
Students of colleges in and around Athwalines swear by bonding over the South Indian samosa avatars dished out by perennially popular Mysore Café, privacy provider-Priya cafe and of course, the king of kiosks-Shetty who ventured into partnership with ‘Atithya.’ The deep fried filos from here consist of minced mashed tubers that have been boiled beyond limits; a slight dash of ginger -chilli, a sparse sprinkle of coriander leaves, lemon drops and sugar is what all three are commonly laced with. Served with refreshing coconut chutney (the only authentic South Indian detail in the deal), these flaky crusts disappear as soon as they are served, over chatter and chai.
Convent girls and boys who were educated at the institution of Our Lady of Lourdes, know for a fact that just as their school which was always considered ‘different’, so also, their canteen samosa - that still makes them shamelessly salivate, tastes like none other.
Samosas for Lourdes are actually made in a teenie weenie room, in a strip of a lane, exactly opposite to the Muslim Yatimkhana, that leads into the back area of what used once be Dhiraj Sons Fashion Shoppe, Athwagate. Fried in a huge wok over a kerosene stove, there is no fancy board outside to advertise these knock out morning cholesterol crunchies that are sold out by 10 a.m, max.
Here is the catch, the elderly Maharashtrian gentleman who invented these took a promise from the gen nexters of the family,”never sell these without frying, lest the secret ingredients be known.”. Hence, even people who order over a hundred pieces of these precious parcels ,have to make do with a pre fried version of pasty poha worked with potato, enmeshed with minimal ginger chilli paste and wrapped in plain flour dough.
With multiplexes on Bhatar and Dumas road, which make for college bunking hours and tuition classes on Ghodod road and Citylight area, student special samosas now have many new avatars and addresses like Agra and Shiv Shakti sweets from where they are sold out.

In Surat, it is impossible to bite into a samosa without bringing up masti filled memories of those yaari-dosti years. Friendships here have thrived on sharing these.

INDO-PAK GULLY CRICKET………

These are times of hope for peace, when leading artists like Amitabh Bachhan and Gulzaarsaab are trying to revive brotherly bonds across the border by enriching cultural bonds.

However, for reasons unknown to even them, the IPL teams have unfortunately not bid for any Pakistani cricket players this year. Causing as much as zoot, as Shane Warne’s bowling does.

With the spice factors out of the game, cricket lovers are speculating how bland season 3 might just turn out to be.

Since political games are being more widely played than actual sports, it’s about time we think of means of more ‘healthy competition’.

Sachin Tendulkar once said on television, during a past world cup meet, that Pakistan was a wonderful country as a host and that he loved the Biryani there.

Kareena Kapoor recently quoted Abhijat Joshi in the 3 idiots, saying Gujarati snacks have dangerous names like ,’dhokla,fafda,thepla’.

So, maybe we do have a scope of some gully cricket, with a twist.

While Gujarat’s gourmet town- Surat is known for its khau gallis (food lanes), street food in Pakistan’s Gawalmandi, Lahore, too is well known worldwide.

Our ancient texts claim,’Surat nu jaman”as the ultimate experience so also, playwright
Asghar Wajahat penned, ‘Jis Lahore nai dekhya, o jamiyai nai” (he who hasn’t seen Lahore hasn’t lived) lest you think ‘jamiyai’means ‘eaten’ in Gujarati.

So, Surtis are now wondering if, on this 60th Republic day, we could have a series of

60-60 Gully Cricket- Surti street food versus Lahore’s. Here is the match series proposal:

Dear brothers from different mothers, we wonder if we could bowl you over with our Katargaam’s Papdi ma mutton, while you stump us with your Ashraf tikka’s mutton chops.

Maybe you would have us on back foot with the famous foot long Peshawari chappal kebab, fried in gram dal and we could swing our bheja fry topped with lasan nu kachu to send you in a spin.

If your Sardar ki machii can score a hatrick, our Bhandari’s chunky Dara in green masala too is a full toss.

Lest your chikkar choley and phajjey ke paye put us on a sticky wicket, we shall appeal you out with our Delhi darbar‘s tapelu and daal na paya.

Our locha and lapsi will have you making a beeline even as your nalli niharis and haleem get our asking rate soaring.

While your halwa, puri, aloo have all and sundry backing it, our aamras puri undhiyu too are all rounders.

Your sweet pairey, gajrela and jalebi might make our batting order collapse but we too shall score golden ducks with our kesar pista gharis, shrikhand and jalebo.

All sixers and fours with a mélange of sherbets and golaganda ice balls shall be met with equal chills and thrills of our rajwadi ice dishes, raja lassi and A1 cocoa

We could tackle your pistachio and cream rich Kashmiri kawah heat with the fizz of our very own Sosyo and Kashmira soda.

So, let’s break all boundaries, declare fruit salad bowling and paddle sweep politics with this tea towel explanation.

Refrees are to nod in agreement as we together sing the anthem ‘Miley swad mera tumhara, toh swad baney hamara.’

Gully cricket- ‘Jaman ki aasha-yes, this time around, it does mean food for thought.’

Tapi town tattle-Marg above Rajmarg.








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TEXTILE TOWN’S TEA TIME TREATS………..
Post the official Diwali annual break, laladom is back to doing what it does best.
Textile market is buzzing with business deals over betel nut chewing mouths that are yapping away nonstop about the due stocks [maal in Surti] and payments.
This week will easily be one of the most entertaining as traders will describe their holiday trips and tours and how their better halves got the better of them while shopping.
Post Diwali is the time when Mahabaleshwar turns to Chowk Bazaar, Lonavala to Bhagal char Rasta and Kulu Manali to City light. Over frothy ‘timtim’minty masala tea, from Shiv Shakti, a must have in the textile market area, chikki and channa from trips will be shared along with the chatter.
The spiciest dry, masala channa, by the way are actually sold right on the roadside of Salasar road itself, along with roasted peanuts and other munchies.Mid afternoon will call for shared meals with whiffs of Sindhi, Punjabi and Gujarati cuisine that comes in from homes, carried by the onerous Udiya maali men, the Surti dabbawalas who job hop as gardeners otherwise.
As varied as the traders of Tapi town’s textile market, is the cuisine available in and around it which is relished by visitors as a ‘specialty’ and also by Lalas who want a change from routine homemade food.
The most popular pick is the’ Pehlwan ke Choley Bhaturey’, an authentic Amritsari taste of deep fried plain flour bhatureys with an inner lining of paneer crumbs and coriander packed in a brown paper bag, spicy, ginger rich kabuli channas that are cooked to perfection, rich in oil and Indian spices in a black pepper rich avtaar, served with the most mouthwatering carrot pickle and fried green chilies ‘and thinly sliced onions. Highly addictive, in spite of being the kind of meal, that needs an afternoon siesta to digest the gastronomic delight.
Tea time treats include the Syndicate samosas-Surti receipe of gram dal sautéed in ginger chilli paste along with chopped onions and rolled with pattis to form tiny savoury triangles that tempt and tease the taste buds. Freshly fried, these hot delights make it difficult to stop at one. Also available here is the ‘aloopuri’ the bataka ni puri or bhajiyas of sliced potatoes popped in besan , to be devoured with a raw lip smacking ,curry leaf tempered gram flour chutney that looks like kadhi but is denser and spicier.
The other popular option consists of South Indian cuisine, while most market canteens have the regular fare, Shetty and Gayatri that run kiosks by the roadside, are popular for Mysore masala dosas and Poha samosas and medu wadas served with coconut chutney the flavour of which turns an otherwise bland delicacy into a firebrand one.
Whatever the need of the taste buds or budget, within the busy Surti streets of the textile market, there is something to suit everyone .Both Maaliks and mazdoors relish these tastes of Tapi town’s kiosks that from today will be as busy and buzzing as the business offices that surround them.
Tapi town tattle-New year re-solutions.

SURTIS SWOON UNDER PADVA MOON...................
Post the rare, dual Aso Sud Poonam and soft sultry surprise rain shower, Chandi Padva has officially commenced. Now that we are loaded with our custom made Ghari and swadisht Bhusu; it’s going to be ‘Ghari on the go’ time for Tapi town tonight.
Here are some popular places where Surtis swoon under the spell of the Chandi Padva Moon, with an added new twist to enjoy the same.
Tere mere beach mein-Dumas, the ditch by the Arabian Sea is where the romantic junta will be headed. With, ‘Chalo dildaar chalo chand ke paar chalo’ as the theme in mind, looking out at the receding waters, that are swallowed by the dark of the night. You could play ‘truth or dare’ with your gang and have a heart to heart about your fortes and drawbacks, like the Farah Khan show. [P.S-be careful not to turn it into Sach ka saamna].
Senior citizens zindabad!-Those who are not in the mood or health to venture out, can meet on their terraces and organize Antakshari.To be strictly played in original, non remix style, with simple singing and without annoying loud music. After all, what else can ever beat the magical charm of,’Tujhe Chand ke bahaney dekhu, tu chatt per aaja goriye’ and ‘Dum bhar jo udhar muh pherey, O Chanda’.
Gul Gulshan Gulfaam-Happy families will gather in gardens around town to picnic and play games together. Family bonding will grow strong while playing ’Ubhi kho’, dumb charades and night cricket which are most popular with large gangs.While the Kid brigade will enjoy strolling and storytelling sessions of’Chandamama dur ke ,pudey pakaye dudh kay’,’chandamama mere paas aana’ under the moonlit skies.
Surti sightseeing-Sheri dwellers will be lining up on the sides of suburban streets right from Chowpatty to Piplod through Airport road till Bhimpore. With wishful wanting of,’Chanda re chanda re kabhi toh zameen per aa, baithengay baatey kareingay.’ There are numerous new mean machines that have rolled into town that will be a sight for sore Surti eyes. We have A6, A4, Audis, BMW’s X-5 SUV, 3 and 7 series Sedan and Gujarat’s only XF Jaguar that put on a grand road show.
Farmhouse fantasy-The rich but not yet famous will party the night away under the ‘khoya khoya chand khula aasma, aankhon mein saari raat jayegi, tum ko bhi kaise neend ayegi’ theme. Not much Ghari will be eaten [the rich don’t eat at parties, silly, its passé’.]But a lot of business will go on .Subtle ‘aankh micholi’ will be exchanged and silent ‘chand mera dil, chaandni ho tum’will linger in the air. These farms will also be the only places in Surat where Ghari will be eaten in three different ways.
1. Chilled and chopped with the ghee layer severed off.
2. Microwaved and melted till the fat liquidates
3. Relished in its normal form at room temperature.
Devour this Surti delight just as you please, tonight.
Tapi town tattle-Joy of giving = Joy of living.

CHANDI PADVO-SURTI GHARI STORY...........
‘Sharad Purnima ‘is considered the brightest, coolest full moon night of the Hindu calendar year. Folk lore goes that on this Poonam, Lord Krishna performed ras- leela through the entire night with thousands of gopis in his ek-anek avatar. Garba revellers too, give it a go, for one last time, in all their colourful splendour.
Many Gujaratis observe a fast which is later broken by consuming ‘doodh-poha’ (offered as the first rice harvest to God) and galka bhajiyas served piping hot, on terraces.
On the next day, falls ‘chandi padvo’; celebrated with feasting, in Surat. Night picnics are organised at Dumas, farmhouses and sheris. Surtis reportedly consume and export more than 100 tons of ghari. Relished with bhusu-a namkeen mixture, ghari is distributed amongst family and friends .Packaged plastic boxes are sent country wide and to N.R.I s.Although this Surti speciality is in demand through the year, Surtis relish it only during the chandi padva day.
The trend is believed to have started in the 17th century. A Chauta bazaar sweetmeat shop owner, whose business had seen better days, went to the akhada of Nirvaan baba at Nawab ni wadi, Begumpura on Sharad Poornima, to seek blessings and luck for better business. Baba appeared in his dream and asked him to prepare a sweetmeat that looked like a full moon and offer it to please the Gods, on the next day. Thus,’Ghari’ is covered with ghee to look like the moon and relished on chandi padva.
Gharis are made with mawa, bits of almonds, pistachios, charoli, cardamom and some blend it with kesar. This mixture is cooked, cooled and rolled into a palm sized ball, then enveloped in a thin layer of kneaded plain flour, deep fried in ghee and later set in a layer of the same. Sold commercially, at most of Surat’s mithai shops, It is also popularly prepared to order in old city homes and ‘nyaath ni wadis ‘by communities who prefer the authentic pure version without additives like semolina and gram flour.
88 year old Surti, Leelaben Parekh’s eyes light up when she talks about her first experience of having a ghari’,’In the 1900’s,a Saurashtrian who worked for the royals of Junagadh, Dev Shankar Ghariwala,shifted to and set up shop in Surat. He sold gharis at 50 paise per piece, from Lalgate and also at the kerb of Bhagal below the Masjid. Nothing available these days tastes as good as that velvety delight. He used to add coconut milk, hand pounded in wooden mortar pestles to bind the flour. His ghari would have a thick layer of ghee that fingers would plunge into. It was packed in cane baskets lined with khakhar paans and tied with a sutli dori,’
More than 70,000 kilos of Ghari at an average price of around Rs.300 per kg will be sold on a single day in Surat this year .The divine constellation of Manekthari Poonam will be seen worldwide, but will be celebrated back to back only by ‘khai-pi ney jalsa’ loving Surtis.

MIDNIGHT MEALS FOR RAAS REVELLERS...................
With loudspeakers and lahriwalas now allowed to operate till Cinderella timing, Surat offers various options for what Gujaratis call,’nishachars’. There is something to suit every palate preference-
Dhokla dreams-For Surtis who love these semi sour spongy delights, an array of flavours and natural colours with fresh fenugreek, turmeric, lentils, corn, are dished out, steaming hot, at Raja food court on Ghodod road. Gritty textured Handvo with grated gourd, green tuver and freshly crushed spicy green chutney, along with other tongue tickling tasty treats like Bhel and Pani Puri, sev papdi and chaat for the adventurous minded. For more filling food, you may want to visit mini counters serving Rajwadi khichdi-kadhi, rotla and stuffed aubergines with wet garlic chutney. This modern day Khau gali also doles out interesting desserts like ice dish-a fancier version of the good old gola, topped with rabdi and dry fruit as well as creamy sancha ice cream delights.
Murgh mashallah-Non vegetarians can make a beeline for the by lane of Sagar restaurant at Chowk, other than Sagar’s popular Biryani boti hot pots, a tiny kiosk at a stone’s throw from there ,known as Raja chicken centre, offers freshly roasted , marinated birds. Charcoal grilled only to order, their meat retains its melt in the mouth quality unlike other chewy tangdis.The butter mari flavoured one is a lip smacking must have .Smoky savouries, tender tikkas can be relished as you await your order to be delivered. You could pick up a crisp naan from Sagar to make a kathi roll with kebabs from here. If appetite allows, one could also opt for the dum cooked, lightly spiced but rich in gluten flavour Raan.
Coffee ‘n’ crunchies-Now, with easy access off the lobby at The Gateway, the T3 lounge defies subtle 5 star boredom with its multi coloured ambience and offerings. Blueberry cheesecakes, scrumptious grilled feta cheese sandwiches, exotic multigrain Medeterrian fare and delicately flavoured teas as well as robust, single origin coffee, not to mention brownie cafe delights have been priced light, on round the clock menu for exhausted feet to come refresh and relax in cool comfort.
Ande ka funda-If eggs are what are on your mind, there can be no other place than Khau gali to whet your wanting. This age old favourite Surti street, where man and mangy dog alike eat away to heart’s content and beyond, concocts ‘Eggsquisite’ egg recepies prepared on stove heated tavaas. Made to order in butter or oil, it takes the good old baida to a different level altogether .Twin spatulas expertly handle delicious delicacies topped with signature Surti lilu lasan combined with tingly green chilli paste .From the regular kheema to rare boil fry, Surti slang special ‘ghotalo’ to exotic cheesy Austrian fry,all eggcellent!
Hindi Chinee bhai bhai-The new Food Express at Surat railway station operates 24/7 and has endless options for vegetarian foodies in search ‘Chindian’noodles, Manchurian and fried rice as well as masaledar Indian cuisine -Pav bhaji, Chole bhature and Moti dum biryani. Machine made ice-cream to beat the heat also available.