Article by EIH Subject Matter Expert
Dr. Sonika Sandhu
Food for some is the greatest source of joy & contentment, and India for one has a rich diversity of cuisines unparalleled in the world. Very few places in the world can compete or boast of cuisines and foods found here. From seasonal foods, to religious foods, to foods for ceremonies and the change of cuisine from region to region, India is truly a food lover’s paradise.
Another important category of foods in the modern urban scenario is the street food. This is an ever popular and growing sphere of food industry which has an immense amount of variety and scope in the future. Everyday our street chefs bring new dishes and combinations to the table making it one of the fastest growing aspect of the food industry. Street food is an important part in the lives of common man, from providing a quick healthy snack on the go to satisfying cravings to revisiting childhood memories, these foods are well entangled in our culture and society. Some cities in our country have very rich traditions of these foods and have emerged as the melting pot of different cuisines. One such city is Indore in Madhya Pradesh. It has its own two designated street markets: The Chappan Dukkan and The Sarafa Market.
Chappan Dukan:
As the name suggests this street food market is made of 56 shops all selling common and popular street foods of Indore. Even today one can see the 56 pillars which demarcated each shop from its neighbor. It was also known as Chappan Gali. The best time to visit this is in the evenings when it comes alive with all the scents and aromas of tea time snacks and delicacies. But it remains open right from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. At Chappan Dukan one can find a range of cuisines from Dosa, Pani poori, Pav Bhaji, chaat, momos,potato twisters, aloo chaps and an interesting dish the dosa pizza. This market is also known for its high cleanliness and unlike many street food places prides itself in churning out healthy and well-made dishes.
Sarafa bazaar:
If one wants to truly experience the street food scenario along with all the buzz and liveliness of the market then the Sarafa bazaar of Indore is a must visit. It is traditionally a jeweller’s market in the morning, but as the sun sets and night comes, it turns into a street food lover’s paradise. It is believed to have started around 100 years ago, encouraged by the jewellers who would feed and try to win over their customers, also by providing space to street food vendors at night the jewellers ensured a type of protection to their shops and thus the Sarafa Street food came into being. It is divided into Bada Sarafa and Chota Sarafa . Besides traditional Indian savouries and sweets, now one can find western snacks with an Indian twist at this market. This market has high quality standards and allows only the best and the most hygienically prepared foods to be part of it, and also it is strictly vegetarian. It displays Indore’s gastronomic delicacies such as: Bhutte ki khees, garaadu, ratalu, Khopra Pattice, poha jalebi Mawa Baati, Coconut Crush along with the ever popular snacks like aloo tikki, chhole-tikiya, dahi vada, samosa, kachori, paani – puri, dahi papdi, dahi chaat, sabudana ki khichdi (sago) , paav – bhaaji, paratha (paratha), idli, dosa, sandwich, pizza, fried rice, noodles, vegetable Manchurian, jalebi (and jalebaas), maalpuaa, rabdi, gulab jamun, shikanji (with rabdi & curd), kulfi, falooda, ice cream, fruit salad, gajak, etc., only to name a few !!. Some of the popular vendors who have a cult status are: Joshi Ke Dahi Bade (since 1977) (Joshi’s Dahi Bade), Nagori Ki Shikanji (Nagori’s Shikanjvi) and Rajhans ka Daal Bafla (Rajhans’ Daal Baati).
Besides these not to be missed vendors, some dishes which one must try for their uniqueness are as follows. These dishes even though found in other states and regions have been given a distinct indori taste, making them a part of the city’s gastronomic culture.
- Poha Jalebi: An unlikely marriage of Maharashtrian and Arabic origin. Though typically from Maharashtra, it is a popular breakfast dish in Indore. It is much milder and is more sweeter as compared to the Maharashtrian poha. Some places serve it with missal adding the spice element to the dish. It also has less onions as compared to the poha served in Maharashtra.
- Sabudana Khichdi: The best place to try it would be at Om Prakash Vyas of Saawariyan Seth, who has his own style of making this yummy dish that his father started cooking in 1983. It is a dish consumed and loved in many parts of the country and is associated with religious and pious abstinence, but in Indore, one can enjoy this as a much loved street food.
- Butte ki Kees: A typical dish found in Indore, it’s a seasonal speciality made from corn which is shredded and cooked in milk, coconut and spices giving it a sweet and sour taste. It is quite heavy and is a good source of nourishment during winters.
- Garadu: It’s a type of yam, which is fried and sprinkled with spices, chillies and lemon juices. Again it is a seasonal dishe best enjoyed in winters.
- Ratalu: It’s a seasonal speciality and is consumed during winters. Like Garadu ratalu is purple yam, deep fried and served with sprinkle of spices.
- Malpua: Historically one of the oldest sweets of the Indian Subcontinent, it has found its place at the Sarafa market in Indore.
- Khopra Patties: These are unique to Indore, basically are potato balls with a core of stuffed coconut served with tangy tamarind chutney. Vijay Chaat house at Sarafa is famous for these.
- Egg Benjo: A unique name to a simple dish. It is basically a fluffy omelette with crisp red chillies nestled between a warm bun. The egg benjo is Johnny Hot Dog Shop’s chief claim to fame.
- Daal Bafla: Something similar to daal baati churma, the Bafla is an oven baked ball made of wheat and semolina A light dal, churma, coriander-mint chutney and mango pickle accompany the bafla. Rajhans at Sarafa specializes in this dish.
- Jaleba: There is the humble jalebi and then there is the Jaleba. It is a king size jalebi, fried in desi ghee and one can only buy it in kilos and not by piece.
- Hapus ice cream with Shrikhand: Sold at the famous Aggarwal ice cream shop, this is made with saffron flavoured shrikhand with pistachios and cashews served alongside alphonso ice cream.
- Paani puri: One of the most iconic and identifiable street foods in India. It is also found at the Sarafa market, but here this humble dish has been reinvented and uplifted in 10 different ways and flavors.
- Doodh Chana and Namkeen: Something which is only found in Indore. A standout snack of white kabuli channa soaked in milk for several hours before it is fried and spiced again. One can try this at Ganesh Namkeen, this shop is also famous for its different types of sevs, from pineapple sev to pani puri flavoured sev and the famous indori khatta meetha.
- Kaanji: A seasonal drink best consumed in summers, it is a digestive drink made of fermented mustard and asafetida.
- Kaanji Vada: A sour-savoury take on dahi vada, in this dish, plump vadas are soaked in kaanji.
As can be gathered that by visiting these two street food markets, one can truly get introduced to the Indori cuisine and culture, get a once in a lifetime and unforgettable experience of street foods in Indore with some interesting combinations and dishes, which remain exclusive to the Chappan Dukan and Sarafa.
