There is something unique about eating street food on a street side; the satisfaction and contentment that can never come from eating chaat and other stuff in a restaurant. The ambience plays a vital role, and when I was invited to Nukkadwala, near Vatika City in Gurgaon, this was the primary statement I wanted to put to test.
The seating at Nukkadwala is very informal college-canteen like; it plays songs from the 60s and 70s and has no frilly décor. A few old Hindi film posters could add more charm to the interiors, but perhaps the idea is to keep it simple; that way it can be easily replicated in other cities.
However, the depth of study Nukkadwala has done to replicate the best street food flavours from across the country can be seen right from the word go. The basic samosa has a crisp pastry with roughly cut potatoes. Many who don’t understand the samosa would use mashed potatoes.
The Keema Samosa is one of the better ones; it is not only moist from the inside but has more meat than other ingredients {which are usually added to reduce costs}. The Mumbai Bhajiyaas or Pakoras are served in a cone to give that rustic feel, and go so well with the Cutting Chai.
The Kuchi Dabeli from Kutch is a bit more sour than the Mumbai variant that has a sweet chutney, and Nukkadwala replicates those flavours well. I just wish that the vada was more crisp and pavs smaller—isn’t that how it is served in streets of Mumbai?
But it’s not only the street food that the team has tried to reconstruct in the hygienic surroundings; I love the Bun Anda they serve with steamed egg, yellow curry, mayo and onion. I wonder why McDonalds or anyone else did not think about it. It can be a healthy anytime meal for college-goers, and even people who are trying to lose weight.
The Fresh Mango Lassi is a welcome change from the artificial flavours that we are subjected to. I was happy to see the Konakani Sol Kadi; however I would have liked it better if the coconut milk did not curdle.
I finished my meal with the well-made and nicely layered Goan Bebinca. There are many other interesting dishes on the menu which are normally not easy to find in north India, like Panki or Benne Dosa and I will soon revisit Nukkadwala to try the same. Looking at the detailed research the team is doing, I am sure they will soon fix the smaller glitches.
This was first published on Indian Food Freak. Click here to read the original post.
