Bakse Wale Khaste (2022)Lucknow Bioscope
A popular and filling snack, it is made from refined flour, leavening, black lentil and spices. The flour is kneaded into a dough to which salt and oil have been added. Soaked and ground lentils or boiled and mashed potatoes are stuffed into the balls of dough. These are rolled out and deep fried till they puff up into golden rounds and are called khasta-kachori. They are served with spicy potatoes on the side. This is usually a breakfast item and pairs well with jalebis as a sweet. A jalebi is a crisp, fried, golden round of flour batter, soaked in sugar syrup.
Lucknow Bioscope Khasta Kachouri Banner (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
1. Bakse Wale Khaste
“Our home is on the Kudiya Ghat—Sahebdeen and Radheshyam Gupta were the only two people who used to sell khasta from a box. Of these two pioneers who introduced the people of Lucknow to this box-style, Radheshyam was my grandfather.
We set up the box by 6am, filled with khasta, dry curried potatoes and green chutney. We don’t use ginger, garlic or onions. Our khastas are made in three styles—first karari (well-done), second mulayam (soft) and third, medium. My grandfather taught us the art of cooking khasta to suit the strength of everyone’s teeth. The soft ones are for the toothless, the medium ones for those whose teeth aren’t that strong, and for those who have strong teeth, the karari!
Box filled with Khaste (2022)Lucknow Bioscope
Earlier I would work with Papa (Manoj Gupta), but now I work alone, my working hours are from 6 am to 2 pm. Papa used to serve pooris as well. Earlier, we used a wooden box, but now the box is made of steel. A khasta used to cost 25 paise then. There is a 90 year old gentleman who lives near Gol Darwaza, who comes to me at 6 am every morning for his khasta. Even though he has no teeth, he has one soft khasta. I derive great satisfaction by serving him.”
Khaste with Aloo (2022)Lucknow Bioscope
Manoj gave us this information during a conversation in November 2021. A few days later, the team came to know that he was ill and hospitalized and passed away in November ‘22, a victim of coronavirus infection. The fourth generation now carries forward his legacy.
2. Mullu Khaste
Monu Singh relates, “Our shop has seen three generations. It was started by my grandfather Moolchand (Mullu). After him, my father Vishwanath (Bisso) took over, and now I am carrying the tradition forward. My grandfather had passed away before I was born.
My father had started helping at the shop since he was a child, and I too started when I was seven or eight. I have learnt the art from my father.” Bisso used to operate from a hand cart placed further inside the lane and later shifted to the current, more viable location. Earlier, they dealt only in khasta. Now they sell matar, chole, kachauri,poori, bhatura and gulabjamun.
Khasta (2022)Lucknow Bioscope
Preparations begin early in the morning at 5 am. The khastas are fried in mustard oil. Onions and garlic are not used as an ingredient for cooking chole and matar, however sliced onions are served to customers on demand. “As far as I recall, I myself have sold a khasta for 50 paise. Now it costs Rs. 10. Even if I am not in the shop, our employees are expert in cooking as per our recipes and handling the shop. We have recipes that have come down from my grandfather to my father, and now to me.”As we talked, an old customer came up. He confirmed that he had been buying snacks from here since his childhood.
3. Jagdish Mishthan Bhandar
About 60 years ago, when he was only about six years old, Jagdish's father passed away. His mother Lalita Devi left her native Lakhimpur Kheri for Lucknow. In Lakhimpur, Lalita used to augment the family income by grinding soaked lentils into a paste for use in various dishes.
She started this business in Lucknow as well. Soon, she started making khasta by herself, and her six-year old son would hawk them in the winding bylanes of the old city. Very soon, they could afford to put up a stand and then a hand cart near Karari Tola. The business grew, and they acquired proper premises. Jagdish’s son, Sachin, also started helping out at the shop from a very young age.
Outside photo of Jagdish Mishthaan (2022)Lucknow Bioscope
About 20-30 years ago, Sachin took over the responsibility for the shop. Jagdish works only in a supervisory capacity. Sachin admits that many things have changed since his father’s time. Food used to be cooked on a coal-fired clay chulah and is now cooked on a gas stove. Spices that were ground on a grinding-stone are now processed in a mixer.
Chole were served in a clay crock earlier; now they are served in a bowl made of palaash (flame-of-the-forest) leaves. Diverse kinds of pooris and kachouris are their speciality. Some are stuffed with spiced mashed potatoes or soaked lentils, or during the winters, the dough is mixed with bathua leaves and rolled out into pooris. They have an additional business of making dalmoth and other savoury snacks.
For a few months in the winters, they also sell green peas, the way they were prepared by Lalita Devi. Sachin’s mother Urmila Devi prepares them now.
4. Pardesia Khaste Wale
Shatrughan Rathore relates “My home-made khastas were appreciated by my friends and they advised me to start a business of my own. In 1986 I started this business. I used to sell khastas from a big basket which I carried on my bicycle. My wife helped and the business grew. Perhaps I would not have been able to accomplish anything but for her support.
Khatar with matar (Chickpeas) (2022)Lucknow Bioscope
It was very hard work in the beginning, because we had no understanding of what the public wanted. As time passed, though, we grasped the kind of taste that people prefer. Today, we are known even outside Lucknow, thanks to the love and good wishes of the people of Lucknow.
We blend all the spices ourselves. Apart from khasta, we make and sell chaat, matar, bhelpuri, aloo and papdi chaat. The khasta is the best selling item-- khastas keep well for up to four days. People who have lost their teeth can still enjoy our soft khasta. We serve them with sweet curds, hari chutney and matar on the side, which everybody enjoys.
I feel very happy when customers from out of town come and tell me that they come here for khasta every time they are in Lucknow. They enjoy some here, and take away packed khastas for their families back home. All we want is that the people continue to give us their love and blessings.”
5. Durga Khaste
Ajay Kumar Sahu relates the travails of his father, who fled Sitapur to escape illness that plagued the city. By 1972, he had managed to support his family, selling khasta, poori and mungaudi off a hand cart. “Father died in 1985, when I was just about 18 and in High School. I dropped out of school midway and took over the business, becoming the only earning member of the family. I have learnt everything from my father.
Front photograph of Durga Khasta (2022)Lucknow Bioscope
I have learnt everything from my father. We did not use onions or garlic earlier, but now we do use onions for preparing chole. I believe that the customer is like God. If I state it in another way, the business is a temple and I am the priest. If God doesn’t design to visit the temple, who would I worship ?
The other important thing is good manners. Even if we have excellent stuff to sell, nobody would come to us if we behave rudely. Earlier people enjoyed eating their khasta off a leaf for 10 paise a piece. Now the same khasta costs Rs. 17 .
6.Bajpai Kachouri/ Mishtaan Bhandar
The Bajpai Family of Barabanki has been running these two establishments for 20-40 years, with the fourth generation currently in place. The Bajpai brothers have a remarkable grasp on the preferences of their clientele. Only pooris are sold at the younger brother’s establishment, while the older brother makes sweets and savouries as well.
Outside photo of Bajpai Mishthan Bhandar (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
Rakabganj and the adjoining Pandeyganj is full of shops that trade on a very large scale. Traders who visit these shops to deliver or procure goods like to spend quality time with the local shopkeepers. This group of people prefer food that is cooked ‘just as it is at home.’ No garlic or onions are used in the food prepared for this clientele, but the Balaganj outlet uses these condiments liberally. Thus, each distinct clientele is served food of their choice.
“When I started working in the shop, a kachouri used to cost 25 paise. The same thing sells for Rs. 10 these days. We have never had a complaint from our customers. But, there is no accounting for tastes. Suppose a meal is cooked at home and four people sit down to eat. It often happens that some like the meal more and others don’t enjoy it as much. This is no cause for complaint—this is just because everybody’s preference is different.
We get 500 customers a day. 99 of every hundred like the food. If one customer doesn’t enjoy it as much as he expected to, we don’t think that it would be called a complaint, would it?”
7. Lakhpati Kachouri Waala
Satish Chandra Lakhpati (millionaire) as he is known to the people of Balaganj, has been running the shop for the past 25 years. “I used to sell chaat in Balaganj earlier, but it has been 15 years since that stopped. I was born in Unnao, but my childhood and youth were spent in Lucknow. I was very fond of good food as a child, and I have learnt all the recipes from my home kitchen.
Front photo of Lakhpati Kachari (2022)Lucknow Bioscope
My father used to have a shop in Sa’adat Ganj when I was little, and later in Daulat Ganj. He sold chaat for 3 or 4 paise a serving. I have sold pani ke bataashe for 10 paise myself. People didn’t have much money those days, but enjoyed a good dish even as they do today.
Chaat used to be eaten with the fingers, and the act of licking the fingers gave the name to this dish. Or, they would shape a leaf into a spoon. These days, everyone wants an actual spoon. In the early days, we used to roam through the bylanes with a large basket of chaat on our heads. Today, I tell my customers, ‘brother, please come over if you want to have something.’ We are still very reasonable—a kachori is only Rs. 5 and people queue up to buy them. I employ 10 people.
Pani bataashas sells more in the evenings and jalebis in the morning. Nobody in Lucknow would have sold as many jalebis as I have. There was a time when I used to keep the shop open all night and shut it only at 6 am. When one is in difficulties, one works night and day. There is no snack that I have not sold in my time.
If a late night customer happened to arrive after the stock had finished, I cooked khichdi so that he didn’t go away hungry. This has always been my endeavour. Now things are better, but I am not fond of money. I spend whatever I earn, which is why they call me a millionaire. I arrange for a free bhandara feast( a free of cost meal served to the public) twice every year. We’re setting up a shop to sell pizza soon. I have presented cars to both my sons-in-law. As for me, I still don’t have even an ATM card!”
