Sarafa-Food Trail of Indore

Tasty and yummy food is something that unites everyone regardless of religion, caste, color or creed. There are some who live to eat and others who eat to live. Undoubtedly, the second category far outnumbers the first one. My love for food has taken me far and at times resulted in a change in my travel itineraries. One of my dream food trails is the Sarafa in Indore. From what I read and heard so far, it rubs shoulders with contemporaries like Dublin Beer Tasting Trail, Grand Rapids Food Trail and Sea Food Trail in Scotland.

Sarafa in Indore is a jewelry market by the day and gets converted into one of the biggest mouthwatering eating places by night. The very mention of the varieties prepared there tickles the taste buds. Tourists and locals flock the narrow streets from 8 PM onwards each day. The streets remain lively till past midnight. The delicacies that one can relish here range from Garadu, Nagori Shikanji, Pav Bhaji, Gulab Jamuns, a huge variety of chats, pani puri and icecreams. Some of the must try and must eat savories are listed as follows: 

•  Joshi Ji ka Dahi Wada- The Joint was set up in 1977 and is currently run by Om Prakash Joshi. The skill and dexterity with which Joshi ji tosses the fluffy soft vada laden with dahi( yoghurt) in air leaves one spell bound. Not even a drop of curd spills out. He decorates it with five spices with a clever play of fingers each time. The end result is a dahi wada which one would not have tasted before, melting in the mouth effortlessly. One has to ensure to reach early to avoid disappointment as by 11 PM he runs out of the offering.
• Vijay ki kachori-Deep fried golden kachoris  and the spicy  subzi served are not to be missed. The tangy flavor of masala is out of the world. One must be an early bird to catch the kachoris!
• Sawariya Bhutte ki Khees- He specializes in preparing ‘Khees’ from boiled corn, besan ,coconut, hing, jeera, dhaniya powder, salt. The mixture is fried in pure ghee and the very sight makes the eyes asking for more and saliva literally dripping on one bite.
• Sawariya ki Sabu Dana Khichdi- This is a simple preparation of sago and is being sold since 1983. Om Prakash Vyas takes pride in this humble creation. This has been a hit since it was first sold.
•  Ratalu- This is available in winters and is prepared by deep frying purple yam and sprinkled with flavored spices
• Ganesh Namkeen- Anyone who travels to Indore and does not buy the khatta – meetha namkeen has missed something in life. Ganesh specializes in flavored namkeens like Dry fruit sev, Pineapple sev, Pani puri sev and even Maggi sev

These are just a few of the samples and the list is endless .Without including a few more delicacies like Jaleba( an elder brother of Jalebi), Malpua – Rabri, Coconut crush, a gross injustice would be done. There is a Chappan Bazaar( 56 shops of fast food and chat) in the city besides endless eating joints like Ram Babu ki Paranthe. It is now difficult to hold back and time to dash to Indore!

PS: “I am blogging about my dreams and passions for the Club Mahindra#DreamTrails activity at BlogAdda