TOP 10 THINGS TO EAT IN SARAFA BAZAAR, INDORE

The city of Indore in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has a rocking night food scene albeit vegetarian in the form of Sarafa Bazaar. This place is a jeweller's market by the day but around 9 pm transitions into a street food paradise that attracts tourists and locals alike for its delectable offerings.
​From my food escapade in Sarafa Bazaar I have picked up 10 things you must eat amongst the numerous food delights this place has to offer.

1. GARADU
In the streets of Sarafa, Indore you will find yam (garadu) fries being sold as a popular chaat item. The yam is cubed, double fried with powdered spices including the famous, local jeeravan masala and served piping hot. Forget counting calories if you want to indulge in garadu as these fries are highly addictive and it sure takes a great effort to stop munching them.

2. BHUTTE KA KEES
Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chillies, asafoetida are heated in oil and grated corn gets added to this spice mix. Then, milk not water gets added and this is the liquid in which corn is cooked until tender. A garnish of Indore's famous jeeravan chaat masala, fresh green coriander and coconut shavings finishes off this sweet & tangy chaat. I have fallen in love with corn in an altogether new way cause of this preparation.

3. JALEBA
When in Sarafa, Indore don't forget to indulge in these gigantic jalebis. One can choose the grammage to arrive at this jaleba. Seen here is one such piece approx. 300 grams in weight being deep fried in ghee before being chucked into chachni or sugar syrup for soaking. Once done this jaleba is crispy, oozing with sugar syrup and has a lovely flavor of green cardamom. We ended up eating this on a hand cart run by a vendor named Ashok Gupta.

4. POTATO CHIPS CHAAT
This super spicy, pleasingly tart & sweet chaat made of potato chips on Sawariya Seth handcart is a must try. Indore's famous jeeravan masala, chilli powder, salt, sugar, juice, fresh green coriander are loaded over the chips to arrive at this highly addictive, flavorful preparation.

5. DAHI BADA
This savoury treat of lentil fritters topped with thick curd and spices from Joshi Dahi Bada House is a hot favourite of people visiting Sarafa Bazaar. The flavours of the dish are stellar with sweetness from curd balanced by the spiciness of jeeravan and a secret blend of spices that the creator of the dish puts forth with quite an animated performance.

6. MOONG KE BHAJIYE
Right at the beginning of Sarafa khaugalli is Swadisht kachori Corner dishing up pakodas and kachoris. But my pick would be their bowl servings of pebble shaped, deep fried, crunchy moong ke bhajiye with spicy chutney.

7. COCONUT CRUSH
Though a bit unusual to find coconut in interior parts of the country like Indore but this drink blew my mind away. Made with tender coconut water & coconut meat or malai churned in a mixie with sugar and crushed ice, this was one refreshing drink for a hot summer evening.

8. INDIAN CHINESE
Fancy oil and masala laden noodles and fried rice then of the different stalls offering Indianized Chinese, Shri Balaji Chinese Centre is your place to go. They do a sincere job with their food and I have no qualms admitting the food they dished up does work well with the Indian palate.

9. ALOO TIKKIS
There was literally a mob waiting to gorge on these in the form of Chole Tikiya Chaat. Just cannot get over this sight & inviting aroma of the tikkis yet.

10. MATKA KULFI
Wrap up the night of eating some awesome spicy food with a sweet creamy matka kulfi from Nema. They have some kickass kulfi flavours like kevda, rabdi, sitaphal and kesar pista.

So, do try out these foods if you are in Indore and let me know what you think about them.

Till then HAPPY TRAVELLING...