A chaat bazaar in Indore

We continue our reader-driven series on great restaurants and eating places across the country.

Yogesh Vaze recommends the Sarafa Bazaar in Indore for awesome chaat.

I have visited Indore on numerous occasions. And, every time I reach this erstwhile capital of the Holkars, I plan a visit to Sarafa Bazaar.

Are you wondering why I am writing about Sarafa Bazaar, a jewellery market, in a section that deals with restaurant reviews? Well, the reason is that, soon after the jewellery shops shut in the evening, this place becomes a chaat bazaar!

Food vendors converge on this location to set up eateries along the road every evening. The variety is superb: samosas, kachoris, pani puri, pav bhaji, chhole tikiyas, sabudana ki khichdi, maalpua and poha to name a few.

There are quite a few permanent restaurants too. Joshi Restaurant is very popular for bhutte ka kees. The Bhutte Ka Kees, which made of grated corn garnished with coriander leaves and grated coconut, just melts in your mouth.

These guys also sell dahi vada, bhajiyas etc. And, yes, Mr Joshi will throw in some jugglery along with the food (you have to request for it though).

The famous khopra pattis (patties) can be sampled at Vijay Chaat House. The pattis, which are made of khopra (dry coconut) with a covering of potatoes, are fried right in front of you and served with khatti-meeti chatni.

You may have eaten aloo pattis elsewhere, but khobra pattis are a must when you are in Indore.

Vijay Chaat House also makes aloo mattar pattis. Pattis cost Rs 5 per piece only. You can also enjoy their samosas and kachoris.

Vijay Chaat House is a standing-only place, but I guess that is the best way to enjoy chaat.

You can round up the chaat session with sweets like maalpua and rabdi. Quite a few street vendors sell these desserts. Rasgullas from Brajwasi are very popular as well.

Shikanji at Nagori Sweets is another dessert I would recommend. It is made of fruit juices and condensed milk.

Jain Mithai Bhandar sells delicious moong ka halwa. This is not for the calorie conscious though.

All of the above dishes together will cost you less than Rs 100 per person.

Getting there

Since this is a street I am writing about, I couldn't come up with an exact address. Sarafa is on the west side of Indore. It is a five minute walk from Rajwada, which is one the most famous landmarks in Indore.

This is a crowded area, so parking space is negligible. You may have to park at Rajwada and walk to Sarafa.

From the railway station, you will have to travel about seven kilometres. You can catch a city bus/ autorikshaw from the station to Rajwada and then walk to Sarafa.

There are a lot more places like Chappan Dukan, where you can enjoy chaat in Indore, but Sarafa is, by far, the most popular.

Yogesh Vaze, 31, is an IT systems analyst in Cedar Rapids, IA, USA.

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