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Chennai
Aromas of Mylapore
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Walking through Mylapore, our foodie finds a little stall selling freshly made bajjis and delves into the heat of the business…
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Mylapore is the perfect place for a connoisseur of traditional street food. As you walk down the four ‘mada’ streets you are treated to the aromas of vadai, bajji, bondas and masala vadai. They could be wafting to you from a cart, a street stall or from a little window in the wall.
My story this time is about a particular street stall next to the Kapaleeshwarar Temple (near the garage for the chariot). Shanti was a simple housewife whose husband drives an auto. One day she decided that she would like to contribute to the family income. She learnt the art of making bajjis from a neighbour, she says, and set up her stall in Mylapore along with her brother. She started by selling three types of bajjis.She didn’t need any publicity or promotion as the appetising aroma of the bajjis took care of everything. The crowds to the nearby temples, music halls and markets started visiting this little stall.
Today, (after 10 years in the business) she serves five types of bajjis (onion, potato, raw plantain, brinjal and chiili) at Rs.3 a piece. The hot sellers are the onion and the chilli bajji. You have a choice of asking for a mixed packet too (for Rs.15/-). They are served with chutney in clean plates lined with a fresh plastic sheet and for those who are on the move you can take away a neatly packed parcel. I loved all the bajjis. They were tasty and absolutely fresh but the chutney, I noted, was not up to the mark. Shanti tells me that the number of customers has increased and some of the regulars also place large orders with her.
“She keeps her stall and surroundings clean,” says one of her regular customers and the food has to be fresh because the vegetables are cut, doused in the batter and fried and served straight from the pan. “I use just enough oil for the day and throw away the rest. I want my customers to come back,” Shanti says with a charming smile. Her stall is open from 5pm to 9pm.
LAKSHMI BALIGA
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