Think you are the biggest fan of Sony Sab’s Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma(TMKOC)? Wait till you meet this gentleman from Nagpur who decided to dedicate his street food stall to his favourite comedy show. TMKOC recently completed 3300 episodes, it has been on air since July 2008, and holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-running Indian daily sitcom on television by episode count. But even more fascinating is the show’s reach, the show has a massive fan following across the country. A Nagpur man, admires Jethalal, the lead character of Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma so much, that he has his pictures on his t-shirt, phone cover and street food stall. Moreover, he has also named some of his Farsans or snacks after the famous characters of the TV show.
A video of Ramanuj Fafdawala, a humble street food shop near Itawari City post office, Nagpur posted by popular YouTube channel Aamchi Mumbai is going viral on the internet for its interesting concept. As of Tuesday, the video has clocked in more 450K views. In the video, we see Ramanuj, making frying fresh Jethalal Fafdas. Fafdas are rectangular Gujarati crisps made out of besan or gram flour. Laced with carom seeds or black pepper, a semi-solid paste of besan is rolled out on a flat surface using hand, which is scraped out and put in hot oil. Once they are crisp and golden, they can be eaten by itself, or paired with another snack for a more wholesome experience.
Fafdas are best paired with Jalebi, in this stall, however, you would have to pair it with Babita Jalebi, named after Babita Ji, another hit character of the superhit TV show and Jethalal’s evergreen crush. “Sabse Meethi Babita Ji (Babita Ji, sweetest of them all)”, he says. And what is named after the legendary Dayben, you ask? It is the Gujarati favourite Khandvi, a soft and delicious roll-up made of besan again. It is finished off with mustard seeds and desiccated coconut, making it a mild and marvelous snack. He also chose to call batata vada, Taarak Mehta Batata Vada, because “sabko pasand hai(everyone likes it)” and the green chillies served with the same are called Popat Lal, the excess of which can shake up your world, “duniya hila sakta hai”, he cautions. You can have a look at the video here
Arent you drooling for some ‘farsans’ already? We don’t blame you, the weather is such. Here’s a lovely recipe of fafda that you can try at home.
