VARANASI: Out of the computer shop, into the frying pan. That’s the career path Anil Singh literally chose inspired by what he saw as PM Narendra Modi’s “call to sell pakodas”.
He quit his job as a computer operator in a private firm and revived his grandfather’s long-buried recipe for ‘chhola kachori’ to run his own mobile vend.
Made of a special recipe comprising 25 spices but without
onion and
garlic, Singh says his grandfather Bhulan Singh had “patented the recipe”, the dish cooked in pure
ghee. “In those days, when a dona (plate) cost 1-2 anna, my grandfather would return home with a daily earning of around ?200,” he said.
Seventy years on, the recipe has been dug out, dusted and given new life. “We had almost forgotten the popularity of my grandfather’s ‘chhola kachori’, known as a Vaishnavi dish,” says Anil, adding he was struck by the idea of reviving the old family business after hearing Modi’s comment that even ‘pakoda’ was a ‘type of employment’.
Anil started selling his special dish in March. As he made inroads into people’s palate, he bought a scooter and modified it to carry two containers and a dustbin.
His white scooter proudly displays a banner saying ‘Pheriwala’(street vendor), now his trademark. The ‘chhola kachori’ is served in disposable plates.
“I could have sold my wares at one location, but I preferred to move around the city to attract more people. Now, people wait for me in their localities,” he said.
Inspired by PM’s remarks, Anil Singh has started selling chhola kachori in Varanasi
