On the Bun Tikki Wala near IPCW and the Warmth of Campus Food
The facade of Alipore House is dotted by glass windows and arched wooden doorways. A century ago, the space between its unstained, white marble walls would be rife with the hurried movement of veterans and hushed whispers of army strategy. This building, constructed during the later years of the Great War, originally served as the residence and office of the Commander-In-Chief of the British Troops in India. The chaotic silence of Alipore House persists today, in a far less brutal form, for the property was handed over to the Indraprastha College for Women in 1932, who continue to occupy it till this date. The troop drills in front of the pristine mahal have been replaced by University students basking in the sun, taking some respite from their hectic routines whenever possible. The gate to its entrance continues to be guarded, not out of fear of the Commander having to come face-to-face with hordes of Gandhians on satyagraha or a brave Communist revolutionary planning his demise, nay, the guards of the gates opposite Alipore House have a far different job on their hands – to maintain the sanctity of the college, and to ensure this all-girls college remains a safe space for its students.
University spaces are uniquely interesting microcosms when it comes to the aspect of food. They are the confluence of certain characteristics that are very rarely ever replicated. Its long operating hours and high footfall, both on regular days and during cultural events, which tend to be quite frequent in Delhi University, ensure that the demand for food remains high. Its population is residential, comes from a diverse set of backgrounds, is mostly young, and is fairly temporary – most students will remain a part of this institution for around three years. There is space to evolve, to cash in on the hottest Instagram trend, to fuse two dishes in an attempt to create the next viral concoction – much like the Maggi Bhajiyas sold outside Ahmedabad’s HL College of Commerce, or the Tandoori Momos that were allegedly invented by QD’s in the University of Delhi’s South Campus*. Not every food cart near a college has to be outlandishly revolutionary in its presentation, but there are some core elements of what makes up campus street food that are visible even in its extremities. It must be quick to prepare, as students need to grab a bite in a 15-minute break they get between classes, and also because a higher demand means that items that can be quickly whipped up are preferable to the vendor as well. It must be cheap enough that enough students can afford it, and “cool” enough that students want to afford it. Being convenient to grab-and-go helps, but may not be necessary. Some students might want to grab a roll to have on their commute from their college to work, others might crave fried chicken momos with mayonnaise and red chilli chutney, leisurely dipping each bite of the dumpling in the sauce before popping it into their mouth. The sort of fast food that campus spaces pioneer are trend-setters in their own right.
There is visible commotion outside the gates of Indraprastha College. The twelve-thirty class has just ended, and a flock of students gathers outside the university gates. The crowd is not identical in its purpose. Some of them advance towards the Civil Lines Metro station, perhaps because their day at the college is over, or because they have a spare period sandwiched between two classes. Others are relishing a change of scenery, huddled in groups and pairs, chatting about the latest campus developments or the impending burden of being an English major during a recession in a neoliberal economy with Nirmala Sitharaman as your Finance Minister. Some occasionally raise their cigarettes to take a puff, hoping that the brief nicotine release from the tobacco will relieve them of their troubles in life (spoiler alert : it did not).
Please note that we at spicydabeli do not endorse these actions. Smoking is dangerous to human life and we encourage all readers to stay clear of tobacco for their own benefit. We do not want our readers to grapple with the perils of nicotine addiction. Living in Delhi is bad enough for your lungs, you need not make it worse for yourself. Back to the review.
A small, red cart is stationed by the college wall, to the right of its main gate. A huddle of teenagers assembles beneath its umbrella. Behind the attached brass handi stand the Mohoto brothers, taking orders and cash from customers and serving hot and greasy street-food in return. Affectionately termed the “Bun Tikki Wala”, this cart has been serving the Indraprastha student community since the 1950s. They serve a variety of items, but are most known for their Bun Tikki and Aloo Chaat. A Bun Tikki is essentially the North Indian version of a vegetarian burger. A ball of mashed potatoes is flattened and deep-fried in oil, and served with cooked chickpea (chhole), finely diced vegetables such as onions, chaat masala, a squeeze of lemon and a heavy pouring of a sweet red chutney inside a burger bun. It is quite good, although not as the same plane as a vadapav from Bombay or a Dabeli from small towns in Kutch. The dish is on the oilier side, and the flavour of the sweet red chutney tends to be one that I do not enjoy – slightly overpowering and not a good contrast to the rest of the dish. The onions aren’t the perfect match for it either. That it isn’t to say the dish is bad. The tikki is fried to perfection and the blend of masala used is rather nice, so are the wonderfully soft chhole that only make a cameo in this dish – yet instill confidence that their chhole-kulche, which I’m yet to sample, are worth a try.
I enjoyed their aloo chaat much more, as it does not suffer from the complications of the bun tikki, but allows the fried potatoes to shine on their own, nay, improves on the bun tikki’s fried potatoes. Here, the potatoes are chopped into pieces before frying, increasing the surface area of the crispy outer layer. The blend of masala is the perfect amalgamation of spiciness and tanginess, and is the only addition required, apart from a bit of lemon. I have not tried all that “Bun Tikki Wala” has to offer, such as their kulcha rolls, papdi chaat and chhole kulche, and I shall update this review in case I try more, but its fare is fairly satisfactory to me. It offers quick, cheap, filling meals in less than 50/- apiece. It is everything that you demand from a campus street food outlet and even more. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit IPCW twice for cultural events, and the “Bun Tikkis” remain my second-most favourite impression of the place. The first, of course, being the posh, green expanse of the sprawling, historic campus, which is difficult to beat for someone who spent three years of college (okay, a year and a half cause of COVID) in a matchbox-sized campus.
Of course, some students of Indraprastha might scoff at this review, questioning the necessity to over-analyse the flavour profile of the Bun Tikkis, which is fair on their part. Campus food spots such as the Bun Tikki Wala near IPCW or the Mini Market near DCAC are often less about the food and more about the social interactions that surround it. Even if they’d add vegemite to their black bean banana sandwiches, who cares? You always bump into someone familiar, striking up conversations with an old friend, staying up-to-date on campus politics, exchanging viral gossips or setting the stage for the newest campus romance. A familiar, comforting taste to go with comforting memories. The everlasting emotions are “Wo humaara adda hai”, “that is our spot”, and it is this feeling of belongingness that makes campus food spots such a nice place to be around.
Recommendations : Aloo Chaat (8.5/10), Bun Tikki (7.5/10)
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*Do note that I have no way to check if QD’s claim of having invented the Tandoori Momo is correct or not. I have seen other places make this claim and Delhi fusion food in the late 2000’s does not seem to be documented to a point of accuracy.
Thanks to Megha for proofreading this piece.
And yes, in case anyone was wondering, I am this insufferable about smoking irl.
