There's A Tang To Kolkata Phuchka

Small fluffy crispy stuffed roundels filled with a spicy mixture of lentils, potatoes, onions, and spices with that heavenly tamarind water! Yum!?

Phuchka in Kolkata is the lifeline of street food, and unlike pani puri, golgappa, gupchup, or any other variant we find in other cities. It is a spicy treat packed with flavors.

Maybe you're wondering why I'm trying to give you a virtual taste of Phuchka??

In June, 2020, when Covid-19 was exhaling its venoms all around and killing people in thousands everyday and keeping us in our rooms locked while wearing masks, cleaning hands every now and then and teaching us all a new way to live, we're counting down every second, keeping our fingers crossed! I had no idea if I was going to be its next victim!?

Phuchka suddenly appeared as a beacon of happiness amid that sea of grief. One Sunday morning in the month of June, I vividly recall going to our nearby "super restricted" vegetable market, where a vendor was selling phuchka packets on the other side of the road. I went up to him and bought two packets from him, each containing 20 pieces. Even though I intended to buy only one packet, I bought two when he said Covid left him unemployed.?

As we sat around in the evening, filling out those small fluffy crispy stuffed roundels with spicy mashed potatoes topping each with tamarind chutney to give our tongue a good tang, laughing at the idea of “physical distancing,” it struck me that it was phuchka that served as the veritable medicine to joyfully navigate that disaster.?

Whether this was non-compliance with Covid guidelines or not, it was a super experience for me.

Life cannot stop even during those times when the world is breaking apart, right? I still remember the lines of 'In Time of 'The Breaking of Nations.''??

Experience this small joy of Kolkata whenever you are there!

#phuchka #panipuri #covidsidegig #sidegig #sidehustle #golgappa #gupchup,