The Darshinis of Bengaluru

Here is traditional ‘tiffin’, served quickly and with no frills, at affordable prices

The “Darshini” seems a concept unique to Bengaluru. It started in the early-1980s. It is a small eatery where you pay first and go for self-service. The first such to come up was named Cafe Darshini and it became so popular many others followed, each one named something-or-the-other Darshini to cash in on the popularity. An alternative to the Darshini tag is “Sagar”. The concept is the same. Traditional “tiffin”, served fast and with no frills, at affordable prices.

The dishes available are the common ones such as idli, vadai, dosai varieties, khara bhath, kesri bhath, some rice/roti dishes and simple plate meals during lunch hour, tea and coffee. There is no seating in a typical Darshini, but nowadays many have areas where you can be seated and be served, for an additional charge.

Take, for instance, the most popular breakfast item this side of the earth: idli-vadai. A plate comprises two idlis and one vadai, accompanied by sambar and coconut chutney. The protocol is like this — when you hand over your ‘paid’ bill at the service counter, the chap in charge will ask you if you want a “dip”. This will mean the idli and vadai will be placed in a bowl and sambar poured over them, half-submerging them. You may ask for a cup of chutney and it will come at no extra cost.

The idli begins to disintegrate in the sambar and the vadai becomes softer. You pick up a spoon, or two spoons if you wish, from the strategically placed spoon-holder, which is a stainless steel receptacle filled with water. A tube runs steam from the idli-steamer through the water and keeps it bubbling hot, so the spoons come to you clean. You proceed to separate and shovel spoonfuls of the mash into yourself with a flourish.

The other option

If, however, you don’t really prefer disintegrated idlis or sambar-slathered vadais, you can ask the chap to give them to you “separate”. He may look askance, because nine out of 11 prefer the “dip”. But he will oblige you by placing the idli and vadai in a plate, along with a cup each of sambar and chutney, and hand over the plate to you with a smile. Or, if pressed for time, he may slide the plate across the counter and shout out, “idli vadai, separate”. You pick up the plate and collect one spoon, or two, from the receptacle described above and proceed to cut the idli and vadai into small bits, dip them in the chutney or sambar or both, in any order you like, and wolf them down.

Khara bhath and kesri bhath are but upma in savoury and sweet form respectively. When ordered separately, they are known by their individual given names. But when ordered together, they go by the name “chow chow bhath”. “Chow chow” is Kannada slang for “mixed” or “put together”, and a plate consists of khara bhath and kesari bhath in equal measure. Each item is packed tightly into a cup and the cup is then up-ended on the plate. So you get an inverted cup-shaped mound of each. Chutney to accompany the savoury twin, nothing to accompany the sweet one.

Dosai comes in three main varieties — the crisp golden brown plain or saada, the one that carries the potato-onion stuffing or “masala”, and the “set” of two (even three) spongy pancake-like dosais. Other varieties too, which, to me, are not really Darshini-eligible, are nowadays available.

The beverages

You wash it down with tea or filter coffee. Tea is tea. But filter coffee can be had just the way you want — strong, weak, with sugar, less sugar or with no sugar at all, and in full or fractional measures. If, say, there are five of you, you may order four cups of coffee and ask the coffee-maker to divide those four into five parts. And tell him to make the first one strong, the second regular, the third without sugar ... Tell me, where else will you get this kind of service? Nowhere except in the Darshinis of Bengaluru.