Firmly sandwiched between a little round, sweet bun, it is crunchy, with onions, tomatoes and a minty chutney. I am not talking about the latest burger launched by one of those multinational giants. This crunchy tasty delight is the bun nippattu, which can win the title of being Karnataka’s answer to the vada pav.
It is one of the city’s best-known secrets. The deep-fried salty nippattu masala, flat flour breads served with an assortment of onion, tomato and green chutney has always been popular. Bun nippatu is one of the variants of nippattu masala and is believed to have been created at Chetty’s Corner, a small bakery on Serpentine road in Sheshadripuram.
Anil Shetty, the amiable owner says, “Our nippattu is softer than those available in the market. We make it from a recipe that has been passed on for generations. We created the bun nippattu in 1997, as an experiment. We used to served nippattu masala and bun masala. We decided to combine the two. It is easily one of our best selling items. I sell more than 400 bun nippattus everyday. It is a matter of pride for me every time someone talks about the bun nippattu as Karnataka’s answer to burgers and vada pav. The softness of the nippatu makes it easier to bite into and is a major reason for the growing popularity of this item.”
Just outside the crowded store, college student Prashant P.K. bites into the softly crunchy combination and says, “I love it since it offers a melange of flavours — the sweetness of the bun, the tanginess of the green chutney and it goes best with masala coke. It is a meal in itself and does not overwhelm you with flavours. I was never a big fan of the nippattu masala, but love the bun nippatu. I now see it on stores and bakeries in Malleswaram and Basavangudi.”
History buff and food enthusiast Mansoor A. points out, “The bun nippattu is a fairly new invention. It came to the city with the Shetty community. I love the bun nippatu masala that I get near my house in VV Puram.
“There is a man who has been selling it on a small cart sells near home and I have been eating his version of the dish for almost 20 years now.”
Sadanand Kumar works for a digital marketing firm and makes it a point to travel half an hour for his fix of nippattu in Malleswaram at least once a week.
“I used to eat it regularly when I was staying in the area. Since I have moved away, I try to come once a week. I love it because it is tasty, not very heavy and very filling.
“I feel that the bun nippattu is one of the signature street food items in the city. I also love the masala coke many of these outlets serve. It adds to the taste and ensures that the bun nippattu is always a delight to bite into.”
