The Banarasi Food Twist

People say that Varanasi is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. A long history of inhabitation has also given Varanasi a diverse culture. Its ghats are teeming with life as are its back alleys. In these lanes, you can find the street food that is special to Banaras (another name for Varanasi). One find shops that were set up by people who sold food on the streets to supplement their income. Today they remain hotspots, with people crowding in for a hearty breakfast of puri-sabzi before work or winding down in the evenings with a refreshing lassi. Wandering around in the back alleys of Banaras, you can find the food that covers each course of your day’s meal.

Breakfast in Varanasi begins with Kachori-sabzi served in a Pattal, a bowl made of leaves. Interestingly, the Kachori here is not the traditional deep-fried dough stuffed with filling that is found in other parts of India, but it is Puri or  a flatbread made out of unleavened flour that is deep fried. The Bhaji or Subzi consists of a potato curry that leaves behind a tangy sensation. There are two different varieties of this Kachori-sabzi, a large one and a small one, called Badi and Choti kachori respectively. The larger one has a stuffing made of lentils and is called Dal-ki-pithi, and the smaller one has a spicy potato mixture which is served with Kala chana or black chickpeas. Kachori-sabzi is only available in the mornings, so you have to rush before it runs out and the shops abandon selling it in favour of evening snacks.

Kachori is such a prized delicacy of Varanasi that an entire lane in Thatteri Baazaar is known as the Kachori-gali. Particularly famous here is the Ram Bhandar which sells most of the famous Banarasi street food. It was started in 1888 by the current owner’s grandfather as a sweet shop. Now the brothers have two shops, one for savoury dishes, and one for sweets. A famous shop here is known as Chachi Ki Kachori, as it was founded and made famous by an old lady who was endearingly called Chachi.

If you prefer a lighter breakfast, there is also Malai toast where thick bread is toasted over hot coals and topped with heaps of Safed-makhan or white butter. Sprinkles of sugar or Chaat masala are added to serve a generous meal to kick off the day. Breakfast ends with Jalebi which is eaten in Varanasi with Dahi or yoghurt. The yoghurt helps in cutting the sweetness of the sugar syrupy Jalebi and aids in digestion.

Pilgrims flock to Varanasi from many a region and carry the traditions of these places to the city. Culinary influences from the two neighbouring states of Bihar and Bengal, especially, find a reflection in Varanasi’s food. It can be seen in the Bihar lunch staple of Baati-chokha or Litti-chokha. Baati is a wheat ball which is stuffed with Sattu, a flour made from cereals and pulses. It is cooked over hot coals and served with cold Chokha which contains eggplant, potato and tomato. These diverse influences are also visible in the Thalis that make for a sumptuous lunch. They cater to the palettes of a variety of people coming to Varanasi. One thus finds various versions of these Thalis. There is a vegetarian Satvik ensemble made without onion and garlic which caters to the Jain population. It has dishes like Parwal-ki-sabzi, Baingan-kalonji and Nimona, a local special made of minced green peas which are spiced with Hing.

The evening has its own delicacies to offer. Kaashi Chaat Bhandar, Dena Chaat in Luxa and Banarasi Chaat in Lanka are famous for offering your choice of Chaat. They all serve a variety of renditions of the traditional Chaat and a few of these versions are special to Varanasi. The first of these is a Tamatar or tomato Chaat. Tomatoes, the star of this dish, are served with boiled potatoes and topped with sweet and sour chutneys and yoghurt, and garnished with coriander. Hing or asafoetida is the dominant flavour in this tangy Chaat. Sometimes it is served with crispy Namak-paara which gives a punch to this vibrant dish. Another famous Chaat version of Varanasi is the Palak or spinach Chaat. Its main component is a Palak-pakoda or spinach that is fried in a gram flour batter. It is served with yoghurt and chutneys and topped with heaps of pomegranate, radish and coriander.

Banarasis have a knack for giving a Banarasi touch to famous food. They also mix Gol-gappe and Papadi-chaat in what is known in Varanasi as Dahi chutney waale Gol-gappe. The technique and composition are that of a Papdi-chaat, but instead of Papdi, Gol-gappes are used here. This fusion creates a burst of sweet and sour flavours in your mouth. In another twist to Pohe, Banarasis add green peas, milk, saffron and raisins to the dish, and call it Choora-matar. It is a light snack best had with some piping hot chai from local stalls.

Varanasi has plenty of options for people with a sweet tooth. These options are available at the other branch of the Ram Bhandar. The Shree Rajbandhu in Kachori Gali, one of the oldest sweet shops in Varanasi is another sweet haven. Malaiyyo is perhaps the most famous sweet-dish of Banaras. The workers at Ram Bhandar claim that it was started approximately 150 years ago in their shop itself. It is served only in the winter months and has an interesting cooking process. Raw milk is infused with saffron and left overnight in the open in a big Kadhai. The dewdrops of winters fall on the milk during this time. In the morning what you get in a Kulhad is the bubbly, frothy, saffron flavoured foam, topped with crunchy pistachios and almonds. The foam completely dissolves in your mouth and hence Malaiyyo is quite a light dessert. The milk at the bottom of the foam is also given later to the customers as a refreshing drink.

Malaiyyo Launglata, a Holi special, can be found in other months as well. It consists of Maida or refined flour, stuffed with Khoya and nuts, which is deep fried in oil and then dipped in Chaashni or sugar syrup. Another sweet dish that you can perhaps have at any time of the day to refresh yourself is Lassi. Traditionally, it a blend of yoghurt, milk and other sweet ingredients but the Lassi has also been given a unique flavour twist in Varanasi. The Blue Lassi shop, literally painted with blue walls, is quite famous among both the locals and foreigners for serving as many as 83 varieties of Lassi flavours. Flavours such as pomegranate banana, papaya pineapple and apple pistachio, are quite popular among foreigners visiting this interesting Lassi shop.

A visit to Banaras would not be complete without a taste of its Thandai. Sold at the Baadal Thandai shop in Godowlia Chowk, as well as the Blue Lassi shop, the Thandai in Varanasi is a milk-based drink. Its basis is a mixture of dry fruits, seasonal fruits, and spices such as fennel seeds, cardamom and saffron which are ground to a fine paste in a mortar and pestle. Spiced with a touch of black pepper and laced with Bhang, it gives good respite in the hot summer.

The Banarasi Paan has been made famous from the song in the Bollywood film Don. This symbol of hospitality is made fresh in front of you. The Banarasi angle of the Banarasi Paan comes from the special Paan leaves. It is in the Paan-dariba or the Paan market of Banaras where Paan traders work their magic on these leaves. When they arrive from various states, they place them in baskets in an enclosed room with hot coals. The leaves slowly bake in the room for 6-7 hours for 3-4 days. The version that comes back to the market is a white, crisp, dissolves-in-your-mouth Paan leaf called Magahi which forms the basis of the Banarasi Paan.

This paan can be found at Keshav Paanwaala in Lanka, the Deepak Tambul Bhandaar at Godowlia Chowk, Krishna Paan Bhandaar and the Gama Paan Bhandar in Gillori. There are two versions, a traditional version with tobacco and lime and a meetha or sweet Paan, which does not have the traditional tobacco, but rose petals, fennel seeds and Supari. Many other  interesting versions of Paan found in the city consist of the Gulaab-paan, Kesar-paan, the Panchmeva, the Zarda, the Navratan, Rajratan, Amavat and Paan-gillori.

Varanasi’s street food reflects the city’s character. Like the interesting people that visit the city, the food also contains interesting flavour profiles, textures and combinations. Further, Banarasis have a way of making any food their own. Be it the Chaat, Poha, Kachori, or even Paan, every dish that comes here is given a Banarasi twist, that makes it as vibrant as the city’s ghats and history.