Foodie joints in KGP - Part 1

It's been a few months that I started on this blog and it's been a year that I have been at KGP. So this post was kinda inevitable, and running along nature's course, here I am, with a list of the awesome and the not-so-awesome food joints in Kgp each of whom has in a different way contributed to my memories and experience of the awesome campus I live in. And here it goes:

1. Dulal Nandi a.k.a Tikka's - Just outside our hostel gate, it had indeed become an extended mess for most of the MT girls. It was almost a routine withus to go to the mess, check out the menu, nod our heads in dissapointment and head out to Tikka's for a quick bite. This place serves awesome and most importantly cheap but not so hygenic (but who cares) food. For the after class 5 pm hunger pangs, we have awesome dosas, vadas, chowmein etc. For those mornings we woke up late and missed the morning breakfast, there was puri-sabzi and idlis and really nice double egg omlettes. They also have samosas and gulab jamuns. And this is the only place which stocks Melto chocolates - some Karnataka cocoa beans cooperative or something makes them. They are different, but nice and cheap. And the most important item on the menu that has sustained generations of students, teachers and employees is undoubtedly the Rs 3 chai. It has been the drug of choice for many during exams, between classes and for a quick pick-me-up during the day.
2. Vegies - As the name suggests, it's a veg place, but it does turn into eggies at night. Not too popular, but happens to be one of my favourite places on campus. It's a fun quirky place that serves a large variety of eatables. They serve the usual juices and milkshakes, but their grape juice made with fresh crushed grapes wins hands down. But what I like most is their range of chaats. The dahi papdi is incredible and their pani poori is nice too, but loses out to the fuchka, at least for me. They have the regular fried rice-roti-sabzi menu too, but you should ideally go there for the chaats, juices, milkshakes and sundaes. One thing I forgot is the really nice mom like cheese parathas they make. Try one w/o oil. You'll love it. They also happen to keep a wide variety of those funny imported chocolates and candies. P.S.- they have recently introduced daal-bati-churma as a weekly delicacy. Do try that out.
3. Bimala Sweets, TechM - Bimala Sweets is the only sweet shop at Tech Market. They make good, really really good sweets. And this is coming from a Bong, who has experienced amazing sweets on both sides of the border. The milk based sweets are to die for. Even the simple norom paker sandesh (the soft sandesh) they make melts into the mouth and has the right sweetness and the perfect texture. This is their simplest creation and easily their best. They have several mouthwatering variants of this. One of their unique sweets is the one made of lotsa nuts with date and gur. It looks like a chikki, but is a much softer version of the same. The other stuff including jalebis, samosas, kachoris, dahi etc are impeccable. Try going there in the evening to have the nice hot savoury stuff.
4. Phuchka wala, TechM - This is again, the sole phuchka shop in Tech Market, and one of my favourite places on campus. When the late afternoon hunger strikes, I often start dreaming about lovely fuchkas, the perfect not-too-spicy alu mix, that perfect slightly lemon scented tamarind water, the yummy crispy fuchkas. By 5 pm I am usually there. But he has just started his preparation. I check back every 5 mins till around 30-40 mins later he is ready. And then I go on and on..Oh !! The thing about Kgp I miss most. :(
5. Pakoda wala, TechM - This place is just outside the smaller TechM gate, towards the sabzi market. It opens in the evenings and serves really hot heavenly fries of all sorts. The good thing is that the oil is fresh and so are all the other ingredients. You can actually feel the freshness when you eat it. The mirchi bhajji is very popular there and it costs only 1 Re. However, it is not my type and somehow I still haven't acquired the taste for it. The dimer chop is extremely filling, with boiled egg and potato filling coated in crumbs and fried. It has the regular Bengali telebhajas like beguni (brinjal slices dipped in besan and fried), mochar chop, peyaji (onion bhajji) etc. It also serves really hot jalebis and I get them without the sugar syrup on special request. Everything here is fried right infront of you and served right from the kadai to your plate. On many a rainy evening, this has served as a comforter to students and profs alike. Btw, do not forget the green chutney they make. It gives a whole new dimension to the fries.

Well, it seems the list is too big to fit into one post. So I shall be carrying it over to my next post. Till then, happy eating !!!