Masala soda for a change

As a student, there are some places you remember as much for the time you would have spent there as the food you would have eaten there.

And a thing that differentiates college days from the rest is the lack of funds that makes you search out for places which would give you food your money’s worth.

Taja Masala Soda is one such eating joint. Located just behind the BMS Boys’ Hostel in Basavanagudi, eating here has almost become a ritual for students in and around the area.

Started by Mamta, this place over time has grown into an adda for a lot of students. Famous for its light-as-air parathas, yummy frankies  and delightful pastries, Taja Masala Soda has earned a  reputation of serving great home-made food at even
better prices.

One does stop to wonder why the place is named so and the answer lies in the name itself.

The place began by selling only masala sodas and for the people who have been coming here regularly, these still remain the favourite.

The sodas are available in a variety of flavours like lime, blueberry and strawberry, thereby adding a twist to the age-old drink.

“I love the colourful sodas that are available here, especially during this summer heat,” says Vishnu, a student. Once inside, the first thing you see is a chilled freezer displaying a variety of pastries that make your mouth water. Chocolate, pineapple, mango, strawberry and every other desirable flavour is available for a price as low as Rs 15.

Next in line are the frankies, which are available with a variety of vegetarian stuffings like onion, baby corn, spinach, sweet corn and mushrooms. And something you would really appreciate about the rolls is the fact that they are not drenched in oil but cooked just right, a quality you get only in home-cooked food.

You should also have what this place is really popular for. Superb paranthas that come straight out of the parantha kitchen to your table.

These delicacies are nothing short of a miracle in a city, where stuffed paranthas are sometimes confused with parotas!

Each parantha is filled with aloo and then mixed with gobi, baby corn, corn and palak before being cooked. A plate of parantha is served with curd, salad and pickle and at Rs 10, it makes you want to have a lot more. The shop reaches its peak during afternoons
everyday when a hungry population hits it with full force.

“It’s best to get your food parceled during afternoons because having it inside becomes difficult,” says Abhimanyu, a student.

This small shop is a must for those who want to relive college days of having simple yet delicious food in the company of good friends.