The lane that leads up to Star Hospital at Road No. 3 Banjara Hills is also famous for another reason. People in the neighbourhood know why this lane is ‘must visit’ in the evening hours, despite the absence of any shopping destinations. . The star attraction of this lane is a bandi selling mirchi bajji, egg bajji, masala vada and samosa .
Syed Mumshaad Ali’s bandi is popular primarily because he serves mirchi bajji the way it should be — with a generous helping of khatti chutney inside the vertically cut mirchi which is then batter fried and served with some indigenous masala .
One bite and you get a sense of the distinctly unique taste of mirchi — hot and sour crunchy mirchis with chopped onions that add spunk to the flavour.
The idea of seting up a bandi struck Syed when he wasn’t able to find the right mirchi bajji for an evening snack. Syed is wheelchair bound; he had lost his legs in an accident and his friends got him a ‘1 Re coin box phone so that he could earn his pocket money and stay busy. “One day, as usual I was near the box when I had the urge to eat mirchi bajji, so I sent out one of my cousins to fetch me some. But none of the bajjis had the taste that I was craving for,” says Syed.
Syed then asked his mother, aunts and friends about how they love the mirchi bajji and everyone spoke about the cut mirchi with khatti chutney .
Only a few stalls sell this sort of mirchi bajji .
“I remember the taste and soon I set up a small place selling bajjis of all sorts. Every evening by 3 p.m, I open my shop and prepare the bajjis just as customers begin trickling in. I don’t keep these things ready as they get soggy and cold and I don’t believe in re-heating them and serving,” says Syed.
To ensure that his customers do not block traffic, Syed offers a super quick service.
