I don’t know if you are a samosa fiend like me. If you are, this is a place that you should visit. It’s in the centre of town, and the samosas are among the best I have eaten.
Of all Indian snacks, it’s the samosa that gives me the greatest pleasure. I like it when the weather is cold or when it rains. I enjoy biting into a crisp hot samosa, with a cup of tea by my side, even when the weather is hot. And I like samosas of all kinds – the ones you get in the regular sweet shops, big and filled with potatoes; and the kinds you get in Calcutta, with some cauliflower florets and bits of peanuts. I love the ones we make at home, with a spicy keema filling. I like samosas with a dry pea stuffing, too. And this week, I came to the conclusion that I really like the Janpath samosa that I had heard about – but never eaten.
It was a discussion in a food group on Facebook that started it all. Someone mentioned samosas sold in a lane off Janpath, and I thought it needed looking into. So one day, when I was in the neighbourhood, I went in search of the samosa seller that everyone was raving about.
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If you know the lane that connects Janpath with Kasturba Gandhi Marg, you’ll be able to find this small samosa place. If you take this lane from KG Marg, you’ll spot a Peepal tree on the left after walking down some 50 yards or so (near a mechanic’s workshop called Silencer Garage). Under the tree, a mother and son fry the best small samosas that you can get this side of town.
The family has been frying samosas there since 1992. They reach the spot with all the paraphernalia sometime around 9.30 in the morning and fry samosas till the stock is over. The mother rolls out the dough, makes the moulds and fills them with some boiled and spiced potatoes. The son, Yogesh, fries them in bubbling hot oil.
Twenty years ago, they sold 20 samosas for Rs.10; now for Rs.10 you get six samosas.
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And what samosas they are! The casing of the bite-sized savouries is thick and crisp. The filling of potatoes is delicious – not too hot, but nicely spicy. They serve this with two kinds of chutneys – one sweet-and-sour red saunth, the other, a green-chilli coriander and ginger chutney.
I asked for 12 samosas – and that was a real mistake for I didn’t realise how they’d get gobbled up at home. I was planning to have them with my tea, but even before I could say cha, the samosas had almost vanished.
I finished the last few and decided that the small samosas needed an encore. I’ll get some while the weather is cold, and then some when the weather warms up. And, of course, when it is really hot, the small samosas will gladden the heart and lighten the soul.
(the writer is a seasoned street food connoisseur)