The chaat in Uttar Pradesh is deemed as the best in the country and like all other major cities of the state, Kanpur too boasts of some amazing chaat which have distinctively irresistible characteristics of their own. In today's episode Anubhav has set out on a chaat trail in the city to explore some popular places and relish their lip smacking bestsellers. Joining us on this tour is our host Satvik who is a restaurateur
The first stop is Adarsh Namkeen Bhandar which specialises in Gujarati snacks. Our picks from this place were khaman and Sindhi khasta. The former was warm, spongy, soft, moist and delicious. The latter, which is a dry fruit mixture stuffed round kachori, was crisp, spicy and quite decent.
The second stop was Murli Batashe Wale or locally popular as Graduate Batashe because the owner Rahul is well conversant in English. With great enthusiasm Bolti band Batashe, dhaniya aalu and dahi bhalle. The former is called so because when this loaded dahi puri bursts inside your mouth it prevents you from talking till it's over. Dahiya aalu is a specialty of Kanpur and this one was quite amazing. The dahi bhalle though was creamy and decent enough.
The third stop was Ram Swaroop Gupta Chaat Wale which is a huge crowd puller on Birhana road. Here we tried a unique chaat called gadbad. As the name suggests it is a potpourri of papdi, pakoda, aalu lacha and the regular additions. The synergy of great taste, flavour and texture makes this creation a phenomenal one.
The fourth stop was Suraj Chaat. It is an indistinct makeshift stall famous for its dhaniya aalu, matar chaat and a few other things. Since we were a little late, the limited stock for the day was almost sold out except for the matar chaat. We decided to have it and it turned out to be brilliant. This place is a hidden gem of Kanpur's street food scene.
The fifth and the last chaat stop was The Chaat which is like the most celebrated chaat place in the city. What started from a small stall is now a big thriving eatery that attracts a huge crowd. Here we tried the basket chaat as it seemed a little unusual because of the fruits added to it. The overall experience was good but not extraordinary.