KACHORI SELLERS MAKE A TASTY APPEARANCE

Some rains and there is that irresistible urge and desire for the fried and delicious snacks. Kachoris, pakodas, enjoyed with hot cups of tea. What more can one desire if these are available at literally a call away? The flavour of this season is undoubtedly the crispy, crunchy and delicious kachori. The emergence of kachori sellers at various parts of the sub city is seen as an answer to this wish of many! There are kachoris at Vegas Mall, Sector 14, Sector 21 Metro Station, Sector 19 near Bharat Vandana park and near the Sector 9 Metro station. Says Anand Kumar, a student, “All these stalls presenting mouth-watering delicacies and snacks makes the rainy season all the more enjoyable!” “We have a continuous stream of customers for our crispy and fresh kachoris. People come from different parts of the sub city and enjoy our delicacies very much”. There are quite a few vendors similar to him who are doing good business this season. Bhure Lal, who stays in Bharat Vihar, Sector 14, claims to be the oldest kachori seller at Vegas mall. “I have been selling kachoris for the past 5-6 year and it was the only stall near the mall. I used to earn Rs 2500 per day. Now the sale has decreased because one more seller has put up his stall. Now I make about Rs.1000-1500 per day and on Sundays around Rs 2000. I can claim to make the best kachoris here and have customers coming back to eat my kachoris. I make all the masalas myself and my speciality is the taste, freshness and hygienic standards.” 

Bhure Lal,  kachori vendor. 

"He starts work at 5 am when he prepares the material for the kachoris. He comes to set up the stall at 9 am and stays till 7 pm. It takes about 1.5 hour to make the sabzi. My price is Rs 15, 20 and 30 for different plates of kachoris and I make around Rs 1500 per day. My children also help me in this work and have been putting up this stall for the last 7 years.”

Uday Narain, Bharat Vihar, Vendor at Sector-14

One might be under the impression that kachori is a prosaic street food with not much room for innovation or variety! Wrong! The careful preparation, the multitude of spices, flavours and fillings are what make kachoris a bestseller. Thus kachoris are teamed with moth curry, chutney or aloo sabji and various other ingredients to create unique combinations. Moth kachori sellers are also getting a lot of customers. Says Dinesh Kumar who sells moth kachori, “Most of my customers are rickshaw pullers and labourers. It is a complete meal. Moth curry gives them protein and kachori gives energy.” But children love aloo sabji and kachori. Ask Ram Kumar who sells kachoris in Sector-6. He says, “It’s been 5 years since I started selling kachoris on my bicycle back. I stay put near government school, and I get lot of children as customers. I stand on the road to attract the attention of students. Coming to the taste of the kachori, it is authentic and desi. My price is Rs 15 per plate with aloo sabji.”

A kachori seller in Sector-22 says, “The kachoris are very much in demand especially during monsoons. Ideally, aloo sabji is served on two piping hot kachoris with some meethi chutney and onions. But some kachori sellers serve moth curry as well. The best way to relish them is by using your hands. It is plated in a "leaf donna". Nothing's a better feeling than a spicy kachori bursting in your mouth like a dream.” Ram Kumar, Kachori seller from Sector-20 says, “I stand here from 11 am to 8 pm. I come from Goyla Dairy. I have been standing here for 20 years. My kachori is hygienically made and are serve with lot of love. The masalas are readymade and sometimes we make masala too. It takes three hours to make kachoris and sabji. I add chaat masala, onion and curd to make the kachori plate tasty.” Manoj who stands on Sector-9 road says that demand for kachoris have been rising. It is a full meal. Manoj says, “I sell kachori plates at Rs 25. It has two kachoris and sabji. I get a lot of students as customers. Many cars also stop and commuters buy kachoris from me. The sale is good, especially during office days.” Kachori aloo is one go-to breakfast meal that leaves you full and satisfied. It’s cheap, it’s spicy, it’s food for the soul. When are you popping by for your share?! Waistline be damned.