Journalism of Courage
The Shanbaug Tea Stall on Tilak road reaffirms that all good things indeed come in small packages
Drive down the busy Tilak Road,and chances are that one might miss it. However,during the wee hours of the day,the sight of three people furiously handing out dishes to hungry bystanders may prompt a passer-by to stop and take a second look. The ensuing chaos and cacophony is one that is generally associated with the office and college-going crowd. But it’s all in a day’s work for Madhu Shanbaug of the Shanbaug Tea Stall.
Take a look at the fare on offer – Idli Sambhar (Rs 20),Wada Sambhar (Rs 20),Dahi Khichidi (Rs 20),Upasachi Bhel (Rs 25) and Pohe (Rs 12) on Mondays,Thursdays and Saturdays,Mattar Usal and Bread (Rs 18),Bhajiya (Rs 14) and the Pomegranate Sheera (Rs 12) and Misal Pav (Rs 26) on Wednesdays and Sundays. The items on the menu are all prepared early in the morning. My day begins at 4 am,when my helper Ravi Bhurte comes in and starts preparing the daily menu. Right from deciding the spices that go into the dishes to the time period for which the dishes need to be cooked,it is all done before six. We open the stall at seven, he says.
Started in 1993,Shanbaug says that the difference between the dishes served here and from the ones that are served in the other parts of the old city is that the spices are a lot more mellow here. People in the Sadashiv Peth area prefer to eat less spicy food. That is a reason why the food here is less spicy, he adds. The Mattar Usal is the specialty of the place. Cooked with green peas,and a coconut based gravy served with chiwda and bread,all the ingredients have to be cooked separately before they are put in together. We usually soak the pulses for an hour before using them. It gives the Usal its characteristic taste.
