26 June,2011 06:59 AM IST | | Anjana Vaswani
Whether you live in this city, in Ahmedabad or way off in Antwerp, chances are you've heard of this tiny shop in the diamond district of Opera House that makes what are, arguably, the city's best Jalebis. Sunday MiD DAY visits the unpretentious eatery to educate the rest
It's nearing the end of the work day, and ravenous office-employees have completely taken over the streets of South Mumbai's diamond district. We turn the corner at Roxy Cinema and struggle to stay afloat amid the sea of bobbing heads that Khau Gali has now been transformed into. And as we manoeuvre through the mob, we note that spotting a woman here would qualify as no less a feat than spotting a snow leopard in the Thar Desert. "Ladies stop by during festivals," shares 50 year-old Bakul Gandhi, who set up Pancharatna Jalebi House back in 1992, adding a sympathetic, "They prefer to avoid the rush-hour." And as he tells us about the three amply-stocked warehouses in the vicinity from where provisions can be sourced post haste to cater to any unforeseen surge in demand, we begin to understand there really is no "rush-hour" here -- there may be a somewhat-slower-hour on the occasional Monday though, according to Gandhi.
The savoury-sweet combination is essential in Gujarati cuisine.
Patrons working in the diamond district flock to Pancharatna Jalebis to
have their daily fix of Jalebis and Papdi Gathiya (also known as Fafda)
interspersed with a bite of a long green chilli pics/Prathik Panchamia
"Sundays are the busiest," says Gandhi with an air of pride, as we smack away a relentless swarm of flies in this unpretentious shop that sells snacks such as Gathia and Bhajiya -- besides the Jalebi, of course -- and nudge our way through the masses to get a peep of what's showcased behind a glass pane on the counter.
Jalebis fried in pure-ghee and Papdis are the stall's hottest sellers (Jalebis are priced at Rs 260 per kg and Papdis at Rs 170 per kg) but Bhajiyas and stuffed Kachoris (both priced at Rs 170 per kg) are also available here. A small storehouse beside the counter holds the day's stock of Papdi in dozens of over-sized, grease-marked, brown-paper bags. Pandu, the head chef, who's worked here from 'day one' watches us somewhat suspiciously as we enquire about the kadais he's working over.
"One's reserved for savoury stuff, the central kadai holds sugar syrup and the last one's filled with the pure ghee we use to fry our Jalebis in," explains Gandhi's 25 year-old son, Devansh, offering us samples of the delicious treats. The Jalebi House only prepares Jalebis, Gathiyas, Bhajiyas and Kachoris. Crisp and hot, the Jalebi is absolutely divine. Freshly-fried spicy Kachoris and deliciously spongy Bhajiyas offer a pleasant break from the sugar-spurt and almost as if on cue, Gandhi tells us, "The Farsan-Mishtan (savoury-sweet) combination is absolutely essential in Gujarati cuisine."
Gandhi's is an old affiliation with spices -- "My grandfather set up Harilal Velji Masalawala in Bhuleshwar about 100 years ago," he tells us. "Their special pickle masalas are immensely popular, especially among the Gujarati community." Emphasising the importance of location as he explains why he hasn't extended his stall to include a seating area over the years, Gandhi tells us,u00a0"I did experimented with the idea at first and even opened a place just nearby, but I found people were reluctant to step out of this lane... most of our customers are anxious diamond merchants looking for a quick snack. But we also have a lot of foreign visitors -- many from Antwerp -- who've heard about our dishes through local relatives and friends."
Jalebi cartel
How popular does a food-item have to be to earn a Facebook Page? Jalebi has one that 7,600 people "like". But the page would, no doubt, have a bevy of International fans too had the founders included its worldwide variants in the label. Zalabia is an Egyptian and Lebanese version of the dish that we like to believe is our own exclusive specialty, while Jilapi is how it's referred to in Pakistan. Jalebi variations are available locally too, we learnt. Here are some places that make some of the best Jalebis in town.
Kesariya baalam at bhuleshwar
Arbuda Jalebi House in Bhuleshwar has a reputation for serving some of the best Jalebis in the area. Two varieties are available here -- the usual orange jalebis (Rs 200 per kg) and a kesar variant (Rs 350 per kg).
At: 457, Dwarkadas Mansion, Veg Market, D D Sathe Marg, Khetwadi, Bhuleshwar,
Call:u00a0 23818718
The marvel of Mawa
Burhanpur Jalebi Centre, an unobtrusive place off Mohammed Ali Road is one of the few places in the city that stocks Mawa jalebis, in addition to the usual variety. Owner Mohammmed Ilyas, whose family has had a Jalebi shop in Madhya Pradesh for 40 years now, tells us these are hot sellers and often ordered for special occasions such as weddings. (Mawa Jalebis: Rs 160 per kg; Regular Jalebis: Rs 100 per kg)
At:u00a0 27/74, Memonwada Road
Call:u00a0 98193 12072
The Parsis like it like this
N Lookmanji's Mithaiwala Pvt Ltd that specialises in large festival-orders and which is a big hit with members of the Parsi community is where you'll find a special large, juicy, reddish Jalebi variant (similar to the Imarti, a favourite treat of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir). These are priced at Rs 75 per piece while the ordinary Jalebis are priced at Rs 300 per kg.
At:u00a0 91 Rangoonwala Building, near Issabhai Fireworks, Mohammed Ali Road
Call:u00a0 022 23410814
North indian dairy style
Vidya Dairy Farm, a North-Indian shop at Fort also serves fresh, hot North-Indian style, crisp and juicy jalebis. (Rs 140 per kg)
At:u00a0 9/B Patel Chamber, Gunbow Street, Fort
Call:u00a0 22654749
u00a0
Our favourite haunt
Swati Snacks at Tardeo can't be left off this list, what with gigantic queues of faithful fans visible outside the spot every Sunday morning. At Rs 360 per kg of Jalebi and Rs 240 per kg of Papdi, both these items draw hordes of people here on Sunday mornings, the only day of the week they're sold.
At: 248 Karai Estate, Tardeo Road, Opposite Bhatia Hospital, Tardeo
Call: 65808405, 65808406, 23524994
Don't miss out on these, while you're there...
The perfect crust of the tiny-sized kachoris was the first thing that drew us to them. Served on a shallow pool of spicy red chutney, the hot kachoris exude an aroma that reminds you of all things yummy, and your stomach rumbles for more. The dal and masala filling insideu00a0 isn't too pungent or sweet. In fact, it's perfect.
The joy of popping garma garam bhajiya into your mouth on a rainy Mumbai afternoon is unparalleled. The Methi Bhajiya at Pancharatna Jalebi House isn't too oily, so it passes our first test. The freshly prepared aroma of besan and methi is divine, and it's the only type of bhajiya they sell.
