Soya rolls on the street

I’m a born Brahmin, brought up in a house where garlic was a forbidden item; married in a family where eggs are considered something that destroys your dharma, or religion! So, u can well understand my exposure to carnivorous stuff. The sight of tandoori chicken or kebabs arranged on skewers fills my olfactory senses with all sorts of foul smells.

Lately, I have been spotting many outlets with the usual stuff (looks like chicken parts) hung on skewers. But wait! the signboard mentions 100% vegetarian! Wow! My friends tell me soya tastes almost like non veg. I decided to give these a try.

Mom in law was super skeptical. The sight of the usual things on skewers made her cover her nose in anticipation. I reassured her it’s just soya, the one we cook at home.

There were no chairs, no classy crockery, yet I was amazed to see the crowd which grew as dinnertime neared. Just six round tables with a pack off tissue papers on each. The waiters wore no uniforms but could be easily identified as the busiest lot, hopping between the tables, cash counter and kitchen, making a mental note of the order sans any order pad. There are no errors; the right dish goes to the right table, or the car.

There is something about street food. The outlet opens by 7 each evening and the daily footfalls might give any restaurant an inferiority complex. Delhiites can go to anywhere as long as the food suits their palate. Its futile waiting for table there, so people mostly enjoy their treats in their cars.

We managed to get a corner table, below a peepal tree and the waiter hurriedly kept a menu card and left. Mom in law and I felt like total amateurs. So many treats to offer out of the simple soya!

Hubby ordered Soya rolls while we went for the malai soya chaap with rumaalis.  Succulent soya wrapped around ice cream sticks, marinated in a blend of spices, immersed in creamy gravy, here was malai chaap. I told mom in law, “this is what you looked at covered your nose, I am sure you wouldn’t want to have this!” She smiled and pounced on the treat accompanied by unlimited onion rings and green chutney!

But I went gaga over their rolls! You see I’m a rolls afficionado. From the street side corner below my office to wah ji wah, soya express, I try ‘em all. But this was simple and yummy, no greasy sauce, no oil dripping out of the rolls. I enjoyed the chemistry between soya marinated and roasted to perfection, and soft, warm, thin layer of the wrap. I could actually concentrate on the original taste of soya without irritated by the oily, greasy sauce. To add to this, the onion rings and chutney kept me asking for more and the waiters obliged with a smile every time. At 120 bucks, the treat was just not bad! One of the best soya rolls I had so far!

We have become regulars now, though now, we too enjoy the rolls in the comfort of our car. The Amritsar chaap corner is definitely must a visit for those who love rolls sans the greasy sauce and oil!