Desi street food in London (and beyond)

Sounds (and tastes) pretty nice, just like the yoga-asanas, jhal muri from Kolkata enters English palates (and hopefully lexicon). Perhaps Londonistanis can compare notes and serve a few new pointers as well.

So what’s on the menu? Horn OK Please has been proudly serving dosa
and chaat since 2011; along with the classic Indian soft drinks like
Thums Up and Frooty that both delight the uninitiated and make long-time
fans come over all nostalgic. Rava, rice, and mung dosas, bhel puri,
pani puri, aloo tikki and samosa chaat form the core of a menu that’s
won them a legion of hardcore supporters.

When it comes to influences, Angus Denoon of The Everybody Love Love
Jhal Muri Express draws his from Kolkata’s culinary artisans. He learned
his finely-honed craft in that city, observing and absorbing. Angus
might be an Africa-born, British bloke; but, as many delighted customers
insist, his heart is Indian. As are his tools, and the gloriously gaudy
signs he commissions from his Bengal-based signwriter. All that would count for little were his food not also authentic. His
chaat captures the streetfood spirit; freestyling, applying andaz,
ever-evolving. Signature jhal muri is shaken into newspaper cones,
puchkas are piled onto palm leaf plates, deep cups of ghughi dal feature
a layer of crispy muri, chewy coconut chunks and a thick thatch of sev.


Outside the capital, England is enjoying Indian street food fresh
from the Rajah Grill – ‘Urban Rajah’ Ivor Peters’ roving pop-up project.
Manchester has Aarti Ormsby’s Chaat Cart; Birmingham the Keralite
Pop-Up Dosa; and Leeds the unstoppable, award-winning Manjit’s Kitchen,
whose legendary Chilli Paneer Wrap now merely needs referencing by
acronym.

regards