A tale of two homes

MiD DAY goes grocery shopping with film director Kiran Rao, a shopping novice, and Chandan Vora, a Lalbaug housewife, to see how they deal with mehengai dayan

IT is a sight to behold when a seasoned vegetable shopper and one who rarely steps out to shop are pitted against each other and asked to buy food supplies for a week.
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Name: Kiran Rao
Profession: Director
Area of residence: Pali Hill
Market: Pali Market


Name: Chandan Vora
Profession: Housewife
Area of residence: Lalbaug
Market: Byculla

While the seasoned housewife tucks in her pallu and haggles away in a bid to save every rupee she can - especially in light of the sky-high prices - the vegetable shopping novice readily pays any price the shopkeeper quotes.

MiD DAY was witness to one such study in contrasts yesterday when we took Dhobi Ghat director Kiran Rao and Lalbaug housewife Chandan Vora shopping at their favourite bhaji bazaars.
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While Rao spent Rs 2,523 on getting what she needed for the week, Vora spent a mere Rs 335.

Here's a look at what the two women bought and how they bought them:

Armed with a list of items jotted down by her cook, Rao decided to do her shopping at the Pali Market in Bandra. The market, she said, made her nostalgic as she used to shop there nearly five years ago.



Her excitement was palpable as she hopped from one stall to another and then made a sudden decision to enter a provision store to buy ready-to-fry samosas, Chinese rolls and other fried foodstuff.

u00a0"I love vegetables despite being a non-vegetarian. A lot of vegetarian preparations are made at home," said Rao.

As we entered the market, Rao decided to make the fruit stalls her first stop. She bought everything that caught her eye and then scoffed when she looked at her list and found that her cook had asked for 6 kg of papayas.

"Who eats so much?" she asked, bewildered. Another item - half a kilo of garlic - also caught her eye and she said, "That much is definitely not needed."

At the vegetable stalls, it became evident that Rao hadn't shopped for veggies in a while when she asked the shopkeeper for half a kg of dhaniya.

The shopkeeper pointed out to her that coriander leaves are sold in bunches and that was when she decided to buy two bunches.

She also bought onions, tomatoes and then started hunting for a shop that sold potatoes at a cheaper rate as she thought the shopkeeper was quoting a high amount.

She did not buy tendli (gherkins) despite every shopkeeper asking her to because she said she wasn't fond of the vegetable. However, she finally gave in at the last vegetable stall because hubby Aamir Khan likes it.

'Insane prices'

"I am surprised to see the prices. They have increased manifold. I cannot imagine how a common man manages with such insane prices," she said.

"I rarely go out to shop but now I will keep a constant watch and see to it that food doesn't go waste in my home."

Asked about her likes and dislikes, she said tomatoes are her favourite and she does not like bitter gourd too much.

Penny wise

Housewife Chandan Vora from Lalbaug shops at the Byculla wholesale market every Saturday because she says she gets foodstuff cheaper there.

Any doubts we could have had about her being cautious with her money were erased when we saw her bargain for onions.

Despite the prices having come down from a high of nearly 100, she made the shopkeeper climb down to Rs 60 per kg from the Rs 64 he was quoting through intense bargaining.

Vora wanted to buy fruits as her kids and in-laws love them but visits to only two or three fruit stalls were enough to deter her.

"Since Byculla is a wholesale market I expected the rates to be less here. But, apples cost not less than Rs 70 per kg here while I can get them for Rs 55 per kg at Lalbaug."

Hats off, we say.

Vegetable rates

Pali Market
Potato: 11-15
Onion: 60-70
Tomato: 48
Peas: 40
Ladyfinger: 60
Tendali:60
Beans: 48-60

Byculla
Potato: 16
Onion: 60
Tomato: 35
Peas: 30
Ladyfinger: 50u00a0u00a0
Tendali: 55
Beans: 40-50

Kiran's List

commodities
Potato (2 kg): Rs 48
Carrot (500 gm): Rs 24
Beetroot (300 gm): Rs 12
Ladyfinger (1 kg): Rs 60
Beans (1 kg): Rs 80
Cabbage (600 gm): Rs 24
Coriander (2 bunches): Rs 30
Tendli (1 kg): Rs 80
Onion (3 kg old + 2 kg new): Rs 240 + Rs 120= Rs 360
Parwal: Rs 30
Sweet Potato: Rs 40
Brinjal (1/2 kg): Rs 18
Tomato (5 kg): Rs 240
Chawli: Rs 33
Total: Rs 1,049
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Fruits
Oranges (1 kg): Rs 150
Grapes: Rs 150
Guava (1 kg): Rs 100
Bananas (1 dozen): Rs 40
Apples (1 kg): Rs 200
Total: Rs 640

Provision store
Cheese mushroom roll (1): Rs 85
Veg spring roll (1): Rs 55
Chinese roll (1): Rs 85
Veg samosa (2): Rs 110
Potato Wedges (1): Rs 59
Brown Rice (1 kg): Rs 40
Salsa Sauce (1 jar): Rs 300
Dusters (5 nos): Rs 100
Total: Rs 834

Grand total: Rs 2,523

Chandan's List
commodities
Onion (1 kg): Rs 60.
Garlic (250 grams): Rs 55
Turmeric pieces (1 kg): Rs 40
Green Peas (2.5 kg): Rs 60
Ladyfinger (500 grams): Rs 25
Carrot (1.25 kg): Rs 20
Tomato (2.5 kg) Rs 75
Total:u00a0 Rs 335