Many of us have our favourite street food stalls whose snacks bring comfort that restaurant food never can. Let's face it: most of these stalls use certain ingredients and techniques that are not exactly great for health - but we frequent them anyway because taste conquers all. Besides, eating spicy fried food in a crowded "khau galli" is a special experience in itself. Even when it comes to chaat, we would much rather go to a tiny roadside shop than a fancy restaurant to enjoy it. Moreover, street food stalls have evolved with the times - apart from Indian dishes, they also offer their creative takes on "western" dishes like pizzas and burgers.
(Also Read: 5 Healthy Chaat Recipes Under 15 Mins; You Won't Mind Having These On Repeat)
Recently, a fitness influencer on Twitter (@chiragbarjatyaa) shared a video of a roadside vendor claiming to sell "desi burgers." He captioned it "Dekh kar hi arteries choke ho gayi" ("seeing this only has choked my arteries"). He had such an extreme reaction because the cook was deep-frying the burger bun before slicing it and adding inner layers. That felt naturally unusual to him. Here is the full video:
Dekh kar hi arteries choke ho gayi pic.twitter.com/gQHo2EBI1R— Chirag Barjatya (@chiragbarjatyaa) February 16, 2023
(Also Read: From Aloo Tikki Burger To Paneer Burger: 5 Desi Style Burgers For Ultimate Indulgence)
Deep-frying the bun implies that the bread would absorb an unhealthy amount of oil. Some would argue that this method is unnecessary as bread can be warmed in other ways. While some Twitter users were of this opinion, others claimed that it was part of the charm of such street food. Here are some of their reactions:
"This is a common way to prepare a burger in Delhi streets and it does taste better than a Mcdonald's, etc."
"That's for the young heart, you better stick to your salads."
"At least no mayonnaise, no overdose of cheese and those weird sauces..."
"Bye heart! It was nice beating with you."
20 year old me would've devoured 5 of these and then move to the next stall. Ah youth, I had taken you for granted!— Kanav Gulati (@thekvgulati) February 16, 2023
Support local business, and support our doctors as well..😂— vks (@vikasharma173) February 16, 2023
“No thanks, I choose life” - Sid (Ice Age)— Saransh Anand 🇮🇳 (@saransh_xD) February 16, 2023
Okay but who fries Pav like that???
And how is it not soaked??
What waterproof pav is this???— Gauri Tanushree Rane (@RevolverRane) February 16, 2023
The video has received over 190K views so far. What do you think of this so-called "desi burger"? Let us know in the comments.
About Toshita SahniToshita is fuelled by wordplay, wanderlust, wonderment and Alliteration. When she is not blissfully contemplating her next meal, she enjoys reading novels and roaming around the city.