Ritesh Kumar/Samastipur: As soon as the cold weather begins, people’s attention turns towards spicy snacks. And if they can find a variety of hot pakoras, especially made from onions, then nothing can beat that. In Kalyanpur block of Samastipur district, the onion pakora available at Bhatti Chowk is incredibly delicious. People gather here to enjoy these pakoras, and they come from as far as 30 kilometers away. It is believed that Khobhari Rai, the vendor, possesses a magical touch that makes his pakoras extraordinarily tasty.
In just three hours, he sells 500 pieces of onion pakoras. It should be noted that Khobhari Rai does not own a fancy restaurant or a dhaba; instead, he operates a small mobile stall. He has been selling his pakoras at the same spot for the past 25 years. Due to the exceptional taste of his pakoras, people from distant areas also come here to indulge in this culinary delight. Remarkably, Khobhari Rai only runs his stall for three hours a day.
The crowd is so large that people have to wait after placing their orders. Onion pakoras not only have a delicious taste but are also spicy. Khobhari Rai sells them for 10 rupees per piece. While he prepares other types of pakoras as well, the onion pakoras are the most popular. He sells around 500 pieces of onion pakoras every day.
How the crispy onion pakoras are prepared: Khobhari Rai, the shopkeeper, revealed that he has been operating his stall at the same spot for the past 25 years. He has arranged everything on a small cart. To prepare the onion pakoras, he first peels and chops the onions. Then, he makes the spice mix, which includes onion paste, garlic paste, ginger paste, garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric powder, chili powder, and kasuri methi, among other ingredients. Once the spice mix is ready, he mixes it with the chopped onions. The batter made from rice flour is then sifted and partially cooked before being flattened and coated with gram flour. Finally, the pakoras are deep-fried in oil and served to the customers.
समस्तीपुर जिले के कल्याणपुर प्रखंड में भट्टी चौक पर मिलने वाला प्याज का पकोड़ा लोगों को खाने के लिए बेहद पसंद है। खोभारी राय ने पिछले 25 सालों से यहां अपना ठेला लगाकर प्याज के करारे पकोड़े बनाना शुरू किया है। उनके पकोड़ों का स्वाद बेहद लाजवाब है और लोग इसे दूर-दराज इलाकों से भी खाने के लिए पहुंचते हैं। प्याज के पकोड़ों की रोज़ाना 500 पीस की सेल हो जाती है। खोभारी राय यहां ठेला लगाने के लिए दुकानदारी महज 3 घंटे करते हैं और लोगों को 10 रुपए में एक पीस पकोड़ा खिलाते हैं। यह भट्टी चौक पर स्थित एक चार पहिए वाले ठेले का रेड़ी है और यहां प्याज के पकोड़े के अलावा अन्य प्रकार के पकोड़े भी बनाए जाते हैं।
