Savouring the Sangam

There are no metros, no proper pavements and no big city airs in this small town, but if a foodie happens to stumble across Prayagraj, he won&rsquot be disappointed. Prayagraj, besides being religiously famous for the convergence of the three rivers- Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati is also known for its insanely delicious street food, sweets and snacks. Be it the widely popular Hari k samose&nbspor the lip-smacking flavours that Netram ki kachori sabji exudes, Sangam Nagari, as it is popularly called, is easily any food lover&rsquos paradise. 

Hari Ram and Sons-&nbspNestled in the heart of the old town area of Prayagraj, Hari Ram and Sons has been a part of the city for over a hundred and thirty years. &ldquoHari Ram and Sons was established by my grandfather Hari Ram in 1890 and the masala samosa recipe was his own. Many people come here and ask for the recipe and how we have managed to accomplish so much. I tell them it is all hard work and dedication to making good food for people which is what we have been doing,&rdquo says Sriram Purvar, who runs the shop situated in Loknath, which now has also expanded to selling various mixed spices like the hugely popular&nbspDum Aaloo masala. The masala samosas are these unique specimens without the potato filling inside but with a special spice mix which is equally delicious and has a really long shelf life.

Netram Moolchand & Sons-&nbspAfter witnessing a spectacular sunrise at Sangam, one tends to feel hungry on the way back. This dilemma of most people who go out on morning walks is solved by a small eatery on the way, after which an entire crossing is named. Netram Moolchand & Sons, which is located at the Netram crossing in Prayagraj is known to serve the best kachori sabji&nbspin the city, which most swear by. This 160-year-old shop was started by Netram Agrawal and is now run by his grandsons- Mukesh, Mayank, Manoj and Manish. &ldquoOur customers are very loyal and we do good business throughout the year. The one thing that has kept us in demand is that we have always maintained the quality of our food. The recipes that our family started is something that we have never compromised and that, you could say is our secret to success,&rdquo says Manoj Agrawal. 

Shiv Chat Bhandhar -&nbspWhile visiting the city if you don&rsquot taste the chat&nbspof Prayagraj, you have missed the essence of the place. &ldquoWhatever we do, we do for our customers and their response is what keeps us going,&rdquo says Gopal, who runs Shiv Chat Bhandhar in Bairana which is perpetually packed with people. This tiny chat corner also boasts of being verified as one of the best places to eat in Prayagraj by 93.5 Red FM. &ldquoThis place is my personal paradise and if I have to live off of just aaloo tikkis&nbspfor the rest of my life, I would gladly do so,&rdquo says Astha who is a regular customer of the famous chat joint. 

Sulaki Lal Srinath & Sons-  Dahi jalebi&nbspmeans serious business in this small town and if you have that pesky sweet tooth which keeps dragging you to sweet shops, Sulaki Lal Srinath and Sons is the place for you. The place is about a 100 years old and sells the best dahi jalebi&nbspaccording to the customers who throng the shop. &ldquoDahi jalebi&nbspis the customary Sunday morning breakfast for us and we cannot start our day without it,&rdquo says Ashish, an ardent fan of the place.