On a trip to Indore, Sunday mid-day discovered the joys of street food, minus the mess and suspicious hygiene
Jamun shot
Chappan Dukan in Indore is what every Mumbaikar can only dream of. Rows of shops selling finger-licking food—from chaat to rolls to milkshakes—tonnes of clean, hygienic options with a place to stand/sit and enjoy the delicacies.
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The all-day food court in New Palasia, named after the 56 shops that line it, is a popular tourist destination and locals come by for post-dinner snacks. In September 2021, 56 Dukan (and Sarafa Bazar) received awards from FSSAI for being Clean Street Food hubs in Indore. The place has a vibe as well. We tried a whole lot of dishes to share reccos with you, and here they are:
Jamun shot
Who wants a glass of watered-down juices when one can enjoy a shot of concentrated goodness? A few shops here have fruit shots that serve five to six types of juices—jamun, guava, kiwi, falsa, mango—made out of pure fruit pulp kept chilled in ice. Jamun shot, laced with black salt and chilli powder, sure is the hero and it’s hard to stop at just one.
Kulhad pizza
We’ve seen these in the khau galli pockets of Mumbai, but had to try them here. Pizza cooked and served in a clay glass or pot, loaded with mayonnaise (not something we enjoy on a pizza) and veggies and topped with cheese. However, the smokey, tandoor feel was missing in the one we had.
Pani puri
Call it what you like: gol gappa, pani ke base, puchka, etc, here you will find the extremely hygienic versions, and a variety of fillings and flavoured waters to choose from. It’s like being a child in a candy shop—spoilt for mouth-watering choice.
Khopra patties
Although there are other options, people queue outside Vijay Chaat House to savour khopra and batala pattis. There are other fried items, but a chat item with coconut-potato-raisin filling in it was a first for us. Paired with spicy green and sweet tamarind chutney, our mouth was home to a riot of piping-hot flavours. We are told they started as a roadside stall in Sarafa Bazar in 1968 before moving to this area in 1978, and we see why they have been a preferred eatery for over five decades.
Tawa ice cream
The clickety clatter of the scraper against frozen marble slabs made our heads turn as toppings got mixed and chopped into liquid ice cream to form a thin sheet, which was rolled into a sweetened frozen dessert with drizzles and more toppings at Cool Uncle. While the place offers several other desserts, including waffles and sundaes, tawa ice cream is everyone’s favourite. The owner—a cool uncle—even let the kids try their hand at it (when there weren’t too many customers waiting).
Hot dog
Okay, so this isn’t your grilled sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. More of a misnomer, this one at Jony Hot Dog by Vikay Singh Rathore, aka Dadu, is a desi-style cutlet served in bread and loaded with chutneys and sliced onion. There are veg, chicken and mutton variants, and there’s egg banjo, which was slightly salty for our liking, but the burger... er, the hot dog was absolutely worth the try.
Indori specials
>> Bhutte ki kees
>> Indori poha
>> Garadu chaat
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