ON THE STREET FOOD FUCHKA - BY ABHISIKTA DEY

 FUCHKA

                                                                  Source Wikipedia

Phuchka is a way of life in Calcutta. Everyone has their favourite             phuchkawala (phuchka seller). Every para (neighbourhood) must have at least a few phuchkawalas who set up their stalls around four in the afternoon everyday. They bring their already fried phuchka papri or puris in huge bags and arrange them neatly in a huge wicker basket or a glass box. Then they start preparing their mis en place and mixing the tawk jol (sour water). By the time they are done, customers start gathering around them and the day’s business starts.

Ingredients: Atta, Suji, Papad Khar, Baking Powder, water, Vegetable oil for deep frying, Tamarind pulp, salt, black salt, Boiled potato & Bhaja masala

Doi Fuchka

Doi Fuchka or Dahi Puri Chaat is one delicious and popular

                                                              Source Wikipedia
variety from Chaat Gharana. You can get several types of chaat in India from street vendors. They all are very very tasty. In Kolkata, one of the famous chaat is 'doi fuchka'. The hollow chips are filled with spicy potato filling, thick sweet and sour yogurt mixture, sweet tamarind chutney along with lots of fresh coriander leaves and few other ingredients. I have never made Chaat at home while staying in India because you can get them almost everywhere. But now that I am staying in USA, whenever I crave for Chaat, I had to make them at home. Trust me, after following this recipe you will achieve the exact same street style taste and flavors.

Ingredients: puris, boiled and peeled potato, motor, green chilies, coriander leaves, bhaja moshla, chaat masala, lemon juice, Salt and sugar, yogurt, Water, sweet tamarind chutney.

CHURMUR

This crispy, tangy, savoury 'chaat' is a popular Calcutta Street food dished out  by  phuchkawalas  and  is  super  easy  to make.Churmur  is  a  type

of chaat and one of the more inspired  offerings

to come out of a phuchkawala’s cart. It contains the usual suspects—potatoes, boiled motor dal, tamarind, green chillies, coriander, and a variety of spices and seasoning—all mixed together and heaped upon a shalpata plate. From its onomatopoeic name that recalls the sound (‘chur-mur’) a crisp paprimakes when crushed to its vibrant amalgamation of flavours and textures, there’s nothing about this dish that is not delightful. When you are not ready to leave your phuchka stall yet, but must, it is churmur—

 puchka deconstructed—that you can take home with you in a paper bag.

 

Ingredients: potatoes, phuchka papri, chhola , motor dal, coriander leaves, green chillies, tamarind, lime juice, salt, rocksalt, bhaja masala, chilli flakes, hot water

Road side Fuchka Stall in kolkata

 

Some popular places where road side ‘Fuchka’ stalls are famous in Kolkata like Vardaan market, Salt Lake, New Market, Hindustan Park, Dharamtala, Southern Avenue Kolkata.