Waking up to hot 'kochuris' in Kolkata

'Kochuris' are popular as they are delicious, filling and affordable; and (below) 'kochuri' at Nandy Sweets.

- Shirin Mehrotra

What is Kolkata's favourite breakfast, especially on a Sunday? For many, it is cha, kochuri and mishti.

On my first morning in the city during a recent field trip, I hit two out of the three: a hot cup of milky, sweet tea from a roadside stall followed by a breakfast of kochuri (Bengali for kachori) at Adi Haridas Modak in Shyambazar.

If you walk around the city's neighbourhoods in the morning, you'll find a kochuri shop at every corner of the street. For someone raised on a steady dose of the legendary Lucknow-style kachoris, the Kolkata experience is uniquely different. Unlike the wholewheat, dark brown ones of the former, the kochuris here are more delicate and made with refined flour. The khasta-ness—the thin and crumbly top layer that forms upon frying—is identical.

Kochuris for breakfast almost comes as a second nature for Kolkatans. It's a staple across age-groups and social class—those heading home after their morning walk, college students, office-goers, and daily wage workers—can be seen enjoying a plate or two.

"People in the east wake up earlier as dawn is around 5am, setting the breakfast time to around 7am, and lunch is usually around 1pm. So, a kochuri-torkari (vegetable side or subzi) keeps us going. It's also affordable, and costs about ₹20 for a plate," says Sanhita Dasgupta Sensarma, a city-based food documentarian.

In a scene from the 2015 film