Bangalore is fast gaining steam as one of THE go-to gastronomic destinations in India and the city’s very own eat-street or ‘Thindi Beedi’ as it is locally known, is one of the major reason why. What was a nondescript road in one of Bangalore’s affluent neighbourhoods VV Puram back in yesteryear soon transformed itself into a wonderland of vegetarian delights.
During the period 1967 - 1968 , the first tuck shops began to appear on the street that is near another well-known city landmark - Sajjan Rao Circle. Here one would be able to satisfy all their South-Indian munchie cravings that included ‘chaklis’ , ‘kodu bale’ , ‘congress’ masala ( Peanuts, but no idea why they are named after a political party) and ‘nippats’ among others. The authentic taste and variety of home-made snacks then drew customers and business owners over the years which transformed the landscape of the once sleepy street. As they years went by, thindi beedi gained in popularity and now is an integral part of the child hood most of those who have grown up in Bangalore over the years.
A night-out on food street firstly would require massively empty stomachs as heading there without it would be regrettably a bad idea. As you enter the street from Sajjan Rao circle , you can’t miss ‘Chandra Chat Centre’ , a tiny hole in the wall south-indian chat joint run by two cheerful brahmins who serve-up local renditions Pav Bhaji , Bhel puri and Masala puri - a must have.
Once your taste buds have had a teaser it’s best to not keep them waiting for much longer. The next waypoint is Shri Vasavi Chatnis - known for the best tasting akki rotis , ragi rotis and masala idlis that money can buy in the city. Stopping here is absolutely necessary!
As one moves on ahead , there are dime-a-dozen street dosa vendors who do serve delicious dosa’s of all kinds such as this guy here. Flipping about ten at the time , this guy would probably earn the tag ‘Dosa-Don’ for life.
To follow suit is a place that should probably be declared a heritage joint. ‘Arya Vyasa Refreshments’ have been dishing out delicious yogurt rings or ‘musroo kodubale’ for over 70 years. The delicacies are made out of rice flour and curd and are shallow fried. Yummy in your tummy!
The next plate to conquer would be at the infamous ‘chaat shop’ . We don’t really need to tell you what to eat here as the choices are myriad and aplenty. Samosas , cutlets, aloo chaat, pani puri and bhel puri are the more popular items on the menu only topped most recently by the new kid on the block - the ‘Potato twistee’ .
Bang opposite is is the ‘Ramu Tiffin Center’ that specialize in dosas of all kinds as well including the ‘Mysore Masala Dosa’ and the ‘Bhath dosa’ ( yes it does have rice inside it ) . They also house gargantuan chola batures that are de-li-ci-ous. No wonder this guy is so happy showing it off to us!
Obviously, thindi beedi would never be complete without the idlis and the vadas and there are a few places that make mouth-watering versions of the same. Idli Mane which translates to ‘Idli house’ with a purple board stays true to it’s name offering lip-smacking rice discs soaked in mildly spicy green chutney. However, they are second to the tiny hole in the wall establishment next door called the ‘Sri Gurudeva Eating House‘. Idli’s here are legendary as they truly melt in the mouth. The dosas that are made here are better than even the ones made at home. Although, it is a puzzle why the owner of the place always has a weird scowl on his face all the time. Be great if someone would figure out why !
Sandwiched between the idli shops is the place where one can find the crunchiest bajjis ( south indian for pakodas ) on the entire street. One must try the capsicum bajji here as the entire vegetable is fried, cut open and stuffed with a mixture of tangy onion, grated carrot and chilli powder / chaat masala.
Right next door is another ‘Idli Mane’ with a brown board who are more famous for their ‘Bele Holiges’ ( Puranpoli in Maharashtrian ) that their Idlis. Bele Holige is a flour paratha stuffed with dal and jaggery or coconut and served with a generous dollop of ghee.
A hop across the street and one would land up at arguable one of the most famous north-indian joints in the city. ‘Dev Sagar’ boasts of immensely tasty dabelis , pav-bhajis, tawa pulao and of-course vada pav. Those with a sweet tooth can also indulge in their rasgullas , gulab jamuns and carrot halwa.
Almost reaching the end of the street , by now your stomach must be holding on for dear life and is probably on the verge of of what feels like a nuclear explosion. However, for the brave hearted there is still the ‘Shivanna Gulkhan Centre’. The shop is known by most not only for their amazing rose gulkhan with ice-cream and fruit salad offerings (Yes, that’s one dish) , home-made chikkis , masala sodas and lemonade. But also for their perpetually chirpy owner Mr.Shivanna who sings out every order to his staff to the hilarious amusement of the customer s who throng there in droves. Maybe his grumpy neighbour in the idli shop a few doors away can learn a thing or two.
Lastly, at the end of our massive calorie loading experience we reach the Mumbai badam milk and lassi center. The name is self-explanatory really, but we do recommend trying the rabri.
Bon appetit!