UJJALA CHANACHUR, KALIGHAT, KOLKATA

On the way to Gariahat shopping, one might come across the oldest and most famous chanachur shop of Kolkata in Kalighat, which has been reigning for over ninety-five years now. Ujjala Chanachur stands in its glory on Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Road, Kalighat. Ramchandra Prasad is the current proprietor of the shop. Aged Arjun Prasad and his partner can be found sitting inside, occupying opposite sides of the shop. Their day begins at 7 o' clock in  the morning and goes on till 7 P.M. One might be curious as to how the journey of Ujjala Chanachur began. The originators were from Benaras and Gujarat. Their legacy is still being carried by their descendants.   
The shop itself not very large and dainty. Infact, it is quite small with minimal decorations. Decorations include pictures of various deities, a small menu card, a lot of samples for display. 
All of sorts of snacks ranging from classic Chire bhaja, Badam bhaja (fried peanuts), Chola bhaja (fried chana),  to mouth-watering chanachur (savoury snacks). Their very own creation of Kochu bhaja is a must have! Their Chire bhaja is unlike any other ones of the city. It has the perfect crunch, the perfect fry, just the perfect snack of all times. Their chanachur is an unparalled gem. It is not too spicy, or too sour, having the ideal taste ratio. One might even taste intermittent sweetness in between bites! What makes chanachur here even more special is their usage of minimal spices and refined oil and comparatively larger number of badam. There is a beautiful aroma to them even without the addition of any external aromatic agent. It tastes a lot like Bombay bhel. They always serve hot and freshly prepared items. 
They fry it on spot and pack it for the customers. On trying even one of the various items of Ujjala Chanachur, the taste of expertise and decades of experience can be discovered. The variation of the snacks are still the same, which is huge.


There used to be a cinema hall just beside it, which lies desolated now. When it was lively and had people come in regularly, Ujjala Chanachur was extremely successful in their sales. Along with lockdown in the recent years and the desolation of the cinema hall, they did have a setback. Despite that, they are gradually rising to their glory again and shall very soon reach their prime position.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

HARD ROCK CAFE , KOLKATA.

Image
T he weather was warm , enthusiasm was high and fear was not covered. It was a long waited outing , after a tiring , monotonous and prolonged pandemic. Hard Rock Cafe , one of the original rock and roll restaurants, came to our minds immediately. It is a huge cafe, with a vibrant bar, and a spot for live performance  . What makes this place unique and different from most others cafes is its live music. Along with meticulously prepared delicious delicacies, on Thursdays there is live western music performance, on Fridays hindi and on Saturdays  remix bollywood songs. Interestingly , in contrary to the popular belief of music pubs being smoky and stuffy , Hard Rock Cafe had a glass box for the smokers. They also own a shop, dedicated to merchandise, accessories, apparels, collectibles etc. , named "Hard Rock Store".  There was a wide variety of food, mainly continental. The non veg platter was meticulously prepared and served. It had a value for money and was sufficient for...
Read more

HIMUR HESHEL, PATULI, KOLKATA

Image
Every new year comes bearing gifts, lessons, values, and of-course resolutions. One might even want to add trying out more kinds of food items from around the world. The best place to try out food of Bangladesh origin is Himur Heshel , Patuli, Kolkata. Chilly, wolly afternoons are best accompanied by the exquisite spices of Bangladesh and classic Bangal foods.   Himur Heshel is a cozy, hospitable, small diner. The staff members are very kind and approachable. The owner of the place was very genial too. The place gave off classic  Bangal  vibes, with old as well as modern bengali songs playing on speakers. There were pictures of various types of paintings of Bengal, like  Patachitra , and a range of photographies as well.  Fulkopir pakora should be a must have veg preparation in the "Prothome shuru" , that is the starters. Made up of not only cauliflower, but also Moong Dal , is fried with a besan coating, served wi th ketchup. Dhakai Chicken Pakora is cr...
Read more