Exploring V V Puram's Food Street

I was at Sulekha's on Sunday evening, we decided to eat out. She wanted to take me to some place she wanted me to see. As we passed Lalbaugh West gate I started getting curious. I was a little excited as to where she was taking me. We parked the car in one of the back lanes and started walking toward a densely populated area. This is Bangalore's very own food street she declared. Not quite like the buzzing food streets of Mumbai but still.

There were so many people trying to take pictures with their SLRs. There was a camel ride for the kids too, trying to find its way through the crowd. Sulekha was pointing out to me all the stalls, starting from the Holige stall to the bhajji, dosas, pav bhaaji, chats, ice creams, paans and if you lost your footwear in the crowd there were bathroom slippers being sold. Psst...they looked stolen from some five star hotel.

After an inspection of the lane we ate Banana bhajji to kick start are tastings. The vendor slit the bhajji length wise, sprinkled some chat masala and chili powder and was generous with the onions too. On a piece of newspaper we were handed out our pick from the mirchi, capsicum etc. 2 pieces for 10 bucks, who said it is cheap.

Oggling at the hot jalebis being fried we reached the farthermost end. I was introduced to a gem, Vasavi Condiments. Just a look and I knew the stuff would be good there. The sweets display was neat and clean. I was smitten by the cute transparent cones filled with various goodies like sweet chana, salty peanuts, and large  ladoos, murrukus, badam burfi, dinka ladoos and loads of South Indian farsans especially the season's special  fried and spiced Avarekai. Sulekha enlightened me that this shop was popular with wedding shoppers. The inside end showed signs of sweet smell permeating the entire shop, the unmistakable aroma of holige being fried in pure ghee. It was natural for us to gravitate there. Our order two holige, one each. Soft moist and incredibly thin encasing of the maida over the delicious toor dal jaggery stuffing. It tasted like home, served by a loving mother. To add to it the guy shook his hand as if his hand was scalding due to the heat. Nice way of heightening the temptations of two women who had already fallen prey to the whiffs from the tava.

We walked back to what looked like a popular live dosa counter. We settled for a Masala dosa. He was making thick dosas and generously splashing ghee over them straight from the snipped pouch. We specified our order for thin crisp ones with lesser ghee. The lady serving, graciously accepted it and handed out amazingly crisp and textured masala dosa. The spicing is right not too hot not too bland. You would not find a self respecting Southie who will not like a lovely golden dosa wrapped around yellow mashed potatoes enhanced with some chutney on the side. It was served on a piece of banana leaf with newspaper underneath. It serving dual purpose, leak proofing and as hand towel after the meal.

I enjoyed the food we tried but a little stink in the area made me ask for a fizzy but instead we settled for a hot cup of Filter Kaapi bought from the trailer van.

Overall a good time with my friend Sulekha. I was wary all through though as I was eating out on the street after many moons. It felt a bit freaky too having suffered food poisoning just recently however Thank God I survived without a blemish in the belly to narate to you about this experience.

Let go of your apprehension and risk it to taste at V V Puram's food street. It is unique in the way that rarely will you find Holige live counter on any other Food street in the country.

Location: Near Sajjan Rao circle, V V Puram.