All is Bhel

“My father,Prabhakar Mendhale,set up shop way back in the year 1935 at the present day location of the Bank of Maharashtra,near Tulshibaug and began selling snacks and other eatables to supplement the family income. However once the bank came up,we moved a block away,in 1947,and have been here ever since then,” says Mendhale.

The wet Bhel that the joint dishes out is prepared individually for every customer.

“The ingredients of the Bhel are simple and yet Mendhale manages to whip out a magical creation every time,” says Pushpa Bhosale,a customer who has been a regular at the store since the last 13 years. When asked about the ingredients,Mendhale says,”It consists of the regular items,Churmure,Farsan,onions,coriander and the tamarind water. But the secret lies in the consistency of mixing the ingredients. That is a reason why we create each Bhel separately and then serve them in the Dron (leaf bowls).”

Mendhale who took over the reins of the shop from his father in 1960 says that little has changed as far as the Bhel is concerned except its pricing. “When we began selling the Bhel initially it used to cost two annas and currently it is priced at Rs 20 per plate,” he says.

The transition from selling Pohe to Bhel has been a long one for the Mendhale family. “We used to initially sell Pohe for the customers,but after the strict rationing rules came into being in the late 40s,we switched to selling Bhel and have been doing it ever since then,” Mendhale says,adding,”The store opens in the evenings from 4.30 to 8. No matter how much the rush,or the crowds,we have a fixed time of operation. And we would like it to stay that way.”

As far as expansion plans are concerned there are no plans on the anvil as of now. “Maybe once my son who is currently helping me run the shop,takes over he might decide to take Pushkarni Bhel out to the other parts of the city,” he says.