Chai Patti/Satta Bazar in Bikaner is an old locality where one can get some best traditional snacks mostly till afternoon. So during our food tour in this city, we decided to venture out on the old lanes of this busy center that is home to many brilliant stories and flavours.
Being a commercial area in the city, Chapatti is renowned for being one of the city's best snack points. Again it is one of the most popular places where people especially business men gather to unwind themselves over tea, snacks, casual chattings and satta which is a form of betting game. The last one is the most interesting feature of this place. The locals gather in groups to predict rains and commodity prices. It was a means of entertainment and camaraderie between the residents.
So our first stop in this old locality was Juniya Maharaj's ki Dukan that is said to serve the best dal kachoris. These spicy, crisp and flaky dal stuffed pastry are served with a tangy and spicy potato curry. The effortless combo of hearty kachoris and spicy curry can seldom fail to impress people.
Next we went to the opposite tea stop for a cup of strongly brewed chai as it is undoubtedly one of the effective means to rejuvenate oneself. The strong cardamom flavoured tea relieved all the lethargy. We loved the unassuming old ambiance of the place. The long benches brought floods of memories of old tea stalls.
Next with the help of a local we reached the very popular Brija Maharaj sweet shop. People are super fond of their desi ghee jalebis. During the pre covid era this stall would be bursting till seams with locals eager to relish some luscious jalebis along with kachoris samosa and a variety of traditional sweets. Despite the footfall they still remain the top sweet and snack shop in the vicinity. Here we also tried the healthy pandhari ke ladoo, soft and golden motipak and crisp balushahi ka petha.
After that we headed to this interesting shop called Graduate Kanji Vada. They specialise in kanji vada and dahi vada. We decided to try the later one because we had already tried kanji vada at one of our previous expeditions. With dry fruits stuffed lentil fritters, smooth beaten curd and roasted ground spices, the dahi vadas were quite toothsome.
From there we reached Laal Chand Roop Chand feniwale whose fenis are a wondrous stuff. First we tried the mishri rotis and loved it and next we relished the saffron flavoured fenis. The delicate nest-like structure made of super fine sweetened strands of maida was a culinary masterpiece because although it looked fragile, it was not. To everyone's surprise, the nest-like sweet treat regained its shape even after being squeezed tightly. It was here that Amit ji, our host had joined us.
Our last stop in this breakfast food walk was Jeshraj Shivraj sweet. You will find several sweet delights, especially some amazing so called nutritious ladoos. We tried the ghal ke ladoo, kitti laddo and gondpak. The way they transform milk and wheat flour into such brilliant sweets is a wondrous feat.
The old city food tour was a delight especially due to the stories and delicious snacks pervading the old nooks and crannies.