<p>It’s that time of the year when you pull out your moth-bitten rug, order some pizza, switch on the TV and listen to the rain outside. But with the economy the way it is today, eating a pizza every time it rains doesn’t seem like a very feasible option, does it? Not that it rains very often either, but that’s besides the point. <br /><br /></p>.<p>A cheaper alternative for the people of the City is to head over to the nearest gaadiwaala and pick up a handful of steaming hot pakodas, bajjis and bondas. <br /><br />The variety and prices they have can match anything any high-end pizza place has to offer. Chandrashekar, who operates in Malleshwaram, is one such gaadiwaala. <br /><br />The oil hissed in anger as Chandrashekar expertly slid a chilli bajji into the large pan. He reached for another green chilli and dipped it into the stainless steel <br />container that was placed unoffensively in front of him. <br /><br />Soaked in besan (gram flour), the chilli fell into the sizzling oil and was <br />cocooned. His friend Babu stood beside him and distributed the fried goods to the customers who had crowded around the cart. Chandrashekar looked a little guilty as he told Metrolife that he has priced his food higher than the other bajji sellers. <br /><br /> “The Reliance store is right here and I get good business. All the other carts in Malleswaram charge Re 1 but I charge Rs 2 and make it bigger,” he says. If auto drivers can get away with price hikes almost every month, people shouldn’t mind paying an extra rupee for a bajji, bonda or pakoda. <br /><br /><br />He has been haunting Malleswaram 11th cross for the past 28 years. “I used to work in a hotel before this but I got into a fight there and left. Soon after, I came <br />to Bangalore because my big brother was here but he passed away.” Instead of <br />joining another hotel, he started his own business. <br /><br /> “There was another guy on 13th cross who owned a bajji cart and he was going to retire. I trained under him for four to five days and started my own cart.” He first priced his bajjis and bondas at Re 1 for four pieces. <br /><br />He says that he has a plot in his hometown of Udupi and worked on it for a while. “As a child, I fell from a tree and my hand got cut. My father was afraid it wouldn’t heal and didn’t want me to attend school. Instead, I was sent to work in a hotel and I regret that.” <br /><br />In order to make up for his shortcomings, he is making sure his children get a good education. “I have to pay the rent, look after my ailing parents, the household expenses and everything else. But I make sure that my two kids study. <br /><br />One is in second-PUC at Ammanni College and the other one is in fifth standard,” he says. He has gathered a loyal fan base over the years. <br /><br />“I’ve been coming for the past six to seven years and I love his Mangalore bajjis,” says Chandrashekar, an auto driver who happened to chance upon him. Indu takes home uddina vada, chilli bajji and aloo bondas for her family on a regular basis. <br /><br />Chandrashekar can be found on 11th cross, Malleswaram near Sampige Road. To contact him, call 7795709455. The best time to visit is from late afternoon to late evening. <br /></p>
<p>It’s that time of the year when you pull out your moth-bitten rug, order some pizza, switch on the TV and listen to the rain outside. But with the economy the way it is today, eating a pizza every time it rains doesn’t seem like a very feasible option, does it? Not that it rains very often either, but that’s besides the point. <br /><br /></p>.<p>A cheaper alternative for the people of the City is to head over to the nearest gaadiwaala and pick up a handful of steaming hot pakodas, bajjis and bondas. <br /><br />The variety and prices they have can match anything any high-end pizza place has to offer. Chandrashekar, who operates in Malleshwaram, is one such gaadiwaala. <br /><br />The oil hissed in anger as Chandrashekar expertly slid a chilli bajji into the large pan. He reached for another green chilli and dipped it into the stainless steel <br />container that was placed unoffensively in front of him. <br /><br />Soaked in besan (gram flour), the chilli fell into the sizzling oil and was <br />cocooned. His friend Babu stood beside him and distributed the fried goods to the customers who had crowded around the cart. Chandrashekar looked a little guilty as he told Metrolife that he has priced his food higher than the other bajji sellers. <br /><br /> “The Reliance store is right here and I get good business. All the other carts in Malleswaram charge Re 1 but I charge Rs 2 and make it bigger,” he says. If auto drivers can get away with price hikes almost every month, people shouldn’t mind paying an extra rupee for a bajji, bonda or pakoda. <br /><br /><br />He has been haunting Malleswaram 11th cross for the past 28 years. “I used to work in a hotel before this but I got into a fight there and left. Soon after, I came <br />to Bangalore because my big brother was here but he passed away.” Instead of <br />joining another hotel, he started his own business. <br /><br /> “There was another guy on 13th cross who owned a bajji cart and he was going to retire. I trained under him for four to five days and started my own cart.” He first priced his bajjis and bondas at Re 1 for four pieces. <br /><br />He says that he has a plot in his hometown of Udupi and worked on it for a while. “As a child, I fell from a tree and my hand got cut. My father was afraid it wouldn’t heal and didn’t want me to attend school. Instead, I was sent to work in a hotel and I regret that.” <br /><br />In order to make up for his shortcomings, he is making sure his children get a good education. “I have to pay the rent, look after my ailing parents, the household expenses and everything else. But I make sure that my two kids study. <br /><br />One is in second-PUC at Ammanni College and the other one is in fifth standard,” he says. He has gathered a loyal fan base over the years. <br /><br />“I’ve been coming for the past six to seven years and I love his Mangalore bajjis,” says Chandrashekar, an auto driver who happened to chance upon him. Indu takes home uddina vada, chilli bajji and aloo bondas for her family on a regular basis. <br /><br />Chandrashekar can be found on 11th cross, Malleswaram near Sampige Road. To contact him, call 7795709455. The best time to visit is from late afternoon to late evening. <br /></p>
