Idli to aam panna: Bhandaras raise their cool quotient

LUCKNOW: Variety has become the spice of bhandaras at Bada Mangal. Breaking the monotony of the staple poori-sabzi, organisers of the community feast in the Old City served up a fare ranging from idli-sambhar and chhole-kulche to aam panna, kulfiand ice cream on the third auspicious Tuesday in the month of Jyestha.
While the trend of rustling up more than the ubiquitous poori-sabzi has been on for a few years now, devotees this time upped their game by choosing dishes and desserts that keep the body cool in the blistering heat.
The Khet Gali Jan Kalyan Samiti’s bhandara in Chowk served chhole-kulche after 7pm to ensure that even rozedars could partake of the refreshments. “We believe in humanism above everything else,” said Mukul Verma, a Samiti member. “We have been organising bhandaras for 10 years now. Of late, on the third Bada Mangal, we have a special fare. It is part of our tradition,” pitched in Ridhi Gaur, another member, adding that last year, they had served pasta, noodles (without onions) and burgers.
Ice cream was a big hit in Rakaabganj, where Rajendra Kumar Gupta’s bhandara offered it in vanilla flavour. “Boondi is served at almost every bhandara in the city. So, we decided to distribute ice cream, which is like the sanjeevaniin this heat,” he said. Rajeev Kumar, a resident of Rakaabganj, agreed. “As soon as they brought out a carton of cups, it went empty in no time,” he said. Some bhandaras serving ice creams made special announcements on loudspeakers to draw crowd.
In Chaupatiyan, a huge turnout was witnessed at a bhandara serving idli-sambhar. Pramod Bajpai, a resident, said the special menu attracted many commuters. “Idli is not commonly served at bhandaras. I found the idea exciting,” Bajpai said. The hydrating aam panna was also on the list of favourites. Sourabh Singh of Chowk said: “It is a highly refreshing drink and comes to the rescue of twowheeler riders like me .”