A telecom technician by profession, Dinesh Gope is these days busy handling his own food stall ‘Khai Khai’ stall in Mayur Vihar Phase I Extension. Known for the croquettes which he cooks in typical Bengali style, Dinesh’s popularity is such that he has to wind up his shop by 9 pm.
His speciality lies in making chop. The vegetarian variety offers aloo (potato) chop, mixed-veg cutlet and banana flower cutlet. “Mixed-veg cutlet is a mixture of carrot, peanuts and beetroot,” says Dinesh. He is more excited to talk about his speciality, the banana flower cutlet. “It is very popular in Bengal. We remove the purple hard petal of the banana flower. The soft petals are finely chopped and mixed with salt, turmeric and pepper powder. Sautéed ginger, garlic and other ingredients are added to it and then deep fried,” he says.
His non-vegetarian chops include chicken, mutton, prawn, fish and egg “Bengalis visiting my stall are fond of fish fry, fish cutlet, fish finger and prawn chop while others like chicken chop more.”
Egg Devil is another interesting item at his stall. Boiled egg is wrapped with mashed potato which is further wrapped in bread. It’s an ultimate delight when served with green chutney and chopped onions.
Whether it’s veg or non-veg, each croquette, each variety has a distinctive taste and texture. First you get the flavour of mustard oil in which it is deep fried , then a series of mild spices float inside your mouth. Finely mashed potato, fish or chicken doesn’t need too much chewing.
The place boasts of not just a variety of chops but a typical Bengali dish – Ghugni as well. Made from black gram or dried yellow peas or white peas in gravy, it is a traditional East Indian snack.
As Dinesh is particular about the taste, he uses white peas and garnishes it with chopped onions, chillies and coriander leaves. He makes it mouthwatering by garnishing it with tamarind water.