Quirky bites

Though the kulfi-cart bell still brings chidhood memories back,ice-creams have modified in flavour,taste and look dramatically. The kirana shop in every muhalla will have refrigerators full of cones,cups and candies of the usual flavourings. Bur for that quirky twist,head to Naturals ice cream,that has quite established itself as the haven for fresh,and some odd flavoured ice-creams. From chikoo to malai,to watermelon to papaya,this cold treat place is a delectable destination to re-define the ice-cream experience. “I love the fruit chikoo,and was pleasantly surprised to find that there was an ice-cream flavour available to cater to my taste at Naturals,” says Ajay Patil,a student with a self-confessed sweet tooth. And if that’s not quirky enough for you,how about some pepper ice-cream?“Having spice in my ice cream is not my ideal kind of dessert. So,I was a little apprehensive before trying black pepper ice-cream. What if the spice hit me? But nothing of the sort happened. The black pepper just left a tingling sensation in my throat after I had the whole scoop,” says Ritu Mehra,a media professional.

Another food item high on the quirky quotient is the vodka pani puri. It is,arguably,quite impossible to quantify the sheer number of gol-guppa walas in the city,standing grandiose with their faint yellow channa hill platters and buxom puris. The ultimate combination with this dripping wonder will be that fascinating beverage called vodka! Richa Sharma,who works for an NGO,chirps,“It was obviously a very different taste. The regular ingredients were all there in it,like the boondi and the mashed potato. But the ‘pani’ was laced with generous doses of vodka. It was like the Russian revolution in Indian garb.”

As you set out on a gastronomic journey on the regular streets of the city,umpteen number of paan-walas catch your fancy. Shiny dry paan packets,and those lovely green packages of juicy betel nuts are out on display well enough so that no one misses it. But what if you dip this simple paan into sumptuous chocolate? “Oh you must try the chocolate paan at Ganesh paan in Baner It is a must have! It sounded like a garish combination in the beginning,but the taste beats all doubts.” The lovely chocolate has boldly flirted even with the drab toast,to reproduce truly scrumptious chocolate toasts. The tiny Flavours chaat shop on FC road is the favourite haunt to try out this unusual coupling. Ujara Patel,a student at Bhartiya Vidyapeeth,trying out the chocolate sandwich for the first time,starts vigorously nodding her head at her friend the moment she takes the first bite. “Its yum! The chocolate just melts in the mouth,” she exclaims. And from the look on her friend’s face,she seems to agree too.