KhaneChal, Bangalore - Parantha Paradise

Being lovers of North Indian delicacies our quest for a good parantha shop has been never ending. Especially when you have stayed away from home for around 4 years, its intensity grows beyond expression and every opportunity is welcomed with open arms. Something of this sort happened to us around 2 weeks before. While visiting the neighborhood “COSMOS” mall the hoarding of a new “parantha” shop caught our attention. “KHANECHAL“ is located on the first floor , above the kundalahalli post office, opposite to Cosmos mall in Brooke field.

Without wasting any time we gathered with the few people (who like us are in constant search of good food) and planned to have our dinner there itself. We went in a group of 6 so that everyone can order a different type of parantha and we can have a feel of all he has to offer.

The first view of the place isn’t that impressive, specially to people used to eating at high end food joints. You’ll find the minimum interior done to enhance the surrounding. Tables with four chairs are placed in around 4 rows. We joined two tables and made sufficient place for all of us. The menu came and it was a delight to find that All but 2 items in the menu comprised of Parantha’s, ranging from the typical Potato, Radish, Onion, Methi stuffed to the less common Boiled egg, even including the rarely found Tomato and green peas parantha. The remaining two things in the menu were A Thali and a must soft drink, “Lassi”. To top it, the menu was not at all heavy on your pocket. It promised a couple of paranthas ranging from 40 to 60 bucks.

To start off we ordered a variety of 5 different types viz. Aloo, Onion, Boiled egg, Tomato and radish parantha. We cant help but mention that every type was a marvel in itself. One of the best parantha’s I layed my hands upon while staying in southern part of India. They were a big 8” in diameter and every bite came with the perfect mixture of flour and stuffing. The salt and spices were perfect with a hint of chillies. The good thing was, that green chillies were used instead of the powder, so if anyone has a disliking (like Mayank) for a nose-watering treat can always part with the chillies and enjoy. It was served with Raita (mixture of yoghurt and cucumber), a pudina chatni and one of a kind chilly pickle.

To be specific the top rated was the boiled egg and the onion paranthas. The egg was perfectly boiled and was cut in fine pieces so as to stay in between the flour. A little increase in size could have made the stuffing penetrate out and ruined the fun. The onion parantha was sufficiently filled with one of the finest forms of onion. The main thing about onion parantha is the type of onion used, if it’s a little bitter, it may ruin the whole taste. The onions chosen were sweeter and were homogeneously distributed.

A tummy filling parantha treat can never be complete without a thick sweet lassi. The lassi was near to perfection. It was more of a curd battered with sugar with minimal amount of water, so thick that we had to use a spoon to enjoy it. The perfect dinner had a perfect end with a perfect sweet lassi.
Coming on to the rating business for analytical minds to judge on the restaurant, we’ll say (on a scale of 10)
Ambience – 5
Taste – 9
Value for Money – 9

Shehtoot

Shehtoot ke saare patte jhad jaate hain
Jab patjhad ki rukhi saansein padti hai uspe

Agle saal uspe acha fal aaye, ye soch k
Maali uske neeche ke tane kaatne lagta hai

Zameen se teen – 2 gaj tak
har shaakh juda kar di jaati hai ped se

ped ke upri hisse pe baithi
apno ko juda hote dekh
bezubaan shaakhein kurlahti rehti hain

basant ki rut aate he
har murjhai hui shaakh
khushi me jhoom uthti hai

pichle saal ke mukable zada fal aaya hai uspe

is patjhad me mai bhi apni purani shakhein kaat dunga
is basant mujhpe bhi zaada fal aayega

Adhoora

Purane ghar ke bahar ek lamp post tha
Sadak ke kinare pe, usi k neeche
Baithne ko kuch footpath sa bana hua tha

Hum ghanto wahan baithe apni yaadein taza karte
Raat ka kaunsa pehar nikal jaata, malum he nahi padta tha
Use to bolne ka mauka he na milta,
Meri bak bak band he nahi hoti thi.

Wo bas sir hilake, muskurati
Aur meri taraf tek lagaye dekhti rehti

Mai kehta “pyar ho jayega tumhe mujhse”
“tum” kehne se chid jaati thi wo.
Thoda gussa karti aur meri baat ko taal jaati

Jab ruksati ka waqt aaya to bahut royi thi wo
Aankhon me ashk bhare bhare,
apni sab bhavnayein bayan kardi


mujhse kuch kaha na gaya,
naa hi mai kuch kar paya.
Chup chaap but bane baitha raha uske pehlu me.

aaj jab mera dil kurlah utha, to uski yaad aayi
kuch kehne sun ne ko man kiya.
Use pukara, to awaaz door tak jake laut aayi.
Aur apne sath uske un ashko ki nami le aayi

Wo jaa chuki thi kahin, mujhse door, bahut door
Ab bas mai akela us lamp post ke paas
Kabhi kabhi raat ke kuch pal guzaar leta hu
Man halka ho, to kuch bad badaata hu
Par us muskurahat ke bina, kuch mukammal nahi hai

Sab adhoora hai yahan, sab sunsaan, man ab bhi bhaari hai.

Laal gulab

Har shaam jab ghar wapis jaata tha
Raaste me ik nursery padti thi
Bahar se dekho to har rang k phool khile dikhte the usme

Ek din mai bhi jake ik gulab ka paudha le aaya
Bade armaano se seencha use.
Har shaam paani diya, zarurat same pe khaad daali
Us k alawa har ek cheez us gamle se ukhaad fainki

Maali ne kaha tha laal rang ke honge gulab
Aaj uspe phool aya hai
Sab rang nazar aa rahe hain, ik laal k siwa.