Nishek Jain and Chef Prakash Dhanmeher of Twenty Nine

LOOKING FOR LOCAL Street snacks in Amalapuram in Andhra Pradesh, Mumbai-based Nishek Jain was disappointed to find the same old samosa and patties until he spotted Punnu Gullu on one of the food carts’ menus. Curious about the unusual sounding snack, he ordered a portion only to be told his order would not be ready before the following morning. “Punnu Gullu is made with a batter of urad dal and crushed poha left to ferment overnight. Sadly, it seemed that the people of Amalapuram would rather have a samosa than their own local food,” recalls Jain.

Amalapuram was the first stop on Jain’s 21-state-wide journey to discover regional favourites that he could serve at his pan-Indian vegetarian restaurant Twenty Nine.

THE PEOPLE OF AMALAPURAM WOULD RATHER HAVE A SAMOSA THAN THEIR OWN LOCAL FOOD, AND IN A WAY THE DISH WAS WITNESSING A SLOW DEATH.

Shaped like an onion ring, the shallow fried snack is now one of the most popular appetisers at his Kemps Corner restaurant, which also has a Manipuri Lal Hara Chaat, Rajasthani Litti Choka, as well as UP’s Double Roti and Haleem on the menu.

This passion for lesser known regional favourites is just as easy to spot in the kitchens of Bombay Canteen, set up by Chef Floyd Cardoz, Sameer Seth and Yash Bhanage last February. As is obvious by his Instagram feed, Executive Chef Thomas Zacharias takes every opportunity to visit the country’s hinterland. The food he samples on his journeys sometimes makes it to the menu at their Lower Parel restaurant.

It is no longer a surprise to find pani puri served with syringes and pav bhaji served in cones.

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