Landmark joint at st francis college

“Cooking is love made visible,” believes Babulal, the famous chaat-wala of Kundanbagh. This 40-year old hawker fills hundreds of tummies everyday by serving delicious chaat. Some people eat to live, while others live to eat. Babulal Bhaiya derives a sense of satisfaction by feeding others, which he feels is better than any job.

His day starts at 5 am with preparation of items that takes about 4-5 hours to cook. He starts from his residence on foot, which is at Mayuri Marg, serving people on the way. His main spot is St. Francis College for Women, Begumpet where he stands between 12-4 pm daily.

Students eagerly wait for their favorite ‘papdi chaat bhaiya’; the taste multiplied ten times over when one eats with friends. Come evenings, Babulal Bhaiya goes street-to-street beating the evening hunger pangs of people.

One might think how he manages it all on foot; Babulal Bhaiya smiles and says that it has been his routine for quiet sometime now and he is habituated. He sells around 90-100 plates per day and earns about Rs 7,000-8,000 per month and also takes special orders for birthday parties and weddings.

His other source of income is farming, which is taken care of by his wife in their village and fetches them around Rs 1 lakh per annum. His specialties are papdi and kachori chaat and his summer special dahi-wada is the perfect way to beat the heat.

Babulal Bhaiya hails from a village in Rajasthan. Being the sole-bread earner of a family of seven members, what is commendable is that he is keen on educating his children (two boys and girls); he himself is educated till grade 12.

His eldest daughter is in grade 11, followed by his second daughter in grade 10, while the boys study in grade 7 and grade 4. People from all walks of life enjoy his pocket-friendly delicacies. In case you missed him during your busy week, he’ll be there for you near GVK mall and outside Annapurna Studios, Banjara Hills on weekends. Go grab your plate of chaat, soon!

By Sherya Nair and Mitali