The roadside chefs

From the kitchen

Street food, I believe, is the salvation of the human race,’ said Anthony Bourdain and any visitor at the innumerable kiosks seen around the city would agree with him wholeheartedly. The snacks available on the roadside are part of the cultural milieu of any metropolis and Bengaluru’s quick bites are no exception.

From burgers, pizzas and rolls one can traverse to the other end of the gastronomic spectrum with ‘chaats’, ‘dosas’ and ‘samosas’ and still have room for a ‘kulfi’ at the end of it all. But sometimes we are so  focussed on the delicacies being dished out, that we forget to wonder at the culinary talents of the ones making these for us.

And in a country where cooking is still seen as a woman’s duty, it comes as a surprise that most of these skilled cooks are men.

“I used to work as a construction labourer earlier,” says Lingappa who makes various varieties of ‘chaats’ for his clientele comprising regulars from both ends of the economic spectrum. “But then I was diagnosed with a tumour on my back and admitted in a hospital for more than two months. After that, the doctor advised me against doing any strenuous work. That is when I started this business,” he elaborates.

“I learned the basics of this trade all by my myself. Initially, my food didn’t taste that great but the customers gave me feedback. They told me how something could be made better, what could be added or reduced and so on. So I started improvising and got better with each passing day. For 20 years, I have been coming to the same spot and feeding people,” he adds, smiling.

While Lingappa’s circumstances forced him to take to this field, Venkatesh Harish had no such compulsions. This Gowda from Mandya took to cooking because of his interest in the culinary scene and learnt the ropes of the trade from his maternal uncle. A small cart that proudly proclaims the ‘99 varieties of dosas’ that he makes and a regular customers that throng him day and night are the only savings he has to show for the 17 years that he has been in this field. “I like to experiment and create something special according to my customer’s preferences. That is how I came up with all these varieties of ‘dosas’,” he says. Mumbling incoherently when asked about official harassment, Venkatesh is quick to change the subject and talk about how he has had celebrities come to eat his preparations though he ‘doesn’t remember their names’.

While both Lingappa and Venkatesh do not have much education to speak of, Mahesh comes across as a surprise. With a Bachelors in Arts from a college in Hassan, it is a bit disconcerting to see this young man pushing a hand-held cart selling salted corn and other eatables along the roads of Bengaluru.

“I used to come to the city during my college days to make some extra money by doing odd jobs. That is when I picked up this skill,” he says. “After I left college, I made this my full time job because it was the only experience I had. My parents don’t know I am doing this. They only know that I am working in Bengaluru. Even my friends don’t know,” he says.

Though they all agree that business has not fluctuated much over the years, none of them want their offsprings to follow in their footsteps. “There are too many people in this field now. Competition is tough,” explains Lingappa. “I am sending my children to school so that they can give themselves and their children a better life,” explains Venkatesh.

“It was tough but I am grateful to this profession. It gave me enough money to send something home every month as well as save up enough to open a textiles shop in my hometown in a few years. I am leaving this and going back home very soon,” says Mahesh with a rare smile. At a time when a five-digit salary is not enough for many people, these people who hide their travails and still serve all their patrons with a smile can come across as an inspiration. It seems just like hunger, life can also make one a good cook!