Chatpata flavour of Delhi

If you haven't tried the roadside channa kulcha of Delhi then you're definitely missing out on something mouthwatering. They don't come packed in fine crockery but used newspaper and Patal bowls (bowl made out of dried leaf). To enjoy the real feel of Delhi, walk to roadside vendor and enjoy the chatpata flavours.

Radhe Shyam has been serving channa kulchas for quite some time. His does business on his one wheel cart on which there is a big brass vessel which contains the channa. On one side of the cart are small burners where he heats the kulcha and the paranthas. So tasty are the items he prepares that the whole stuff is sold in less than three hours.

The Teekha dish is the favorite of many. "Jitna teekha ho utna accha hai. Mirchi to laghti hai par taste bhi tabhi aata hai," says a little girl. ( The more spicy the better. It is hot but that's fun.) But for those who don't like to have spicy stuff he prepares according to the person's taste.

There are many people like Radhe Shyam all over Delhi. Manhigoplal the channa vendor outside Gargi College comes to his spot every day by 11:00 am and leaves at 1:00 pm with every thing sold. "I have it everyday. I like it very much and can eat any amount and it is not fattening," says Arpita, a college student.

These vendors take care of hygiene. That's interesting, right? The vessel in which they store channa (boiled) is covered with a cloth. And every time they cover it after making a helping. Also the serving dish is disposable which leaves no chances for infections and the kulchas, which are freshly packed in the polythene are taken out and heated then and there in front of the customer. As Pamit, a young boy, says, "I think they are more hygienic than the hotels. Because here you eat and throw the plates. Also they never touch the food with their hands."

The best way to enjoy is to stand by the roadside, watching the hustle bustle of the place and eating the steaming channa masala. What a way to spend your evenings!

- Avni Sood