Punjabi Chulha

Our place, Punjabi Chulha, sits right in the E-22 block of the Shopping Arcade in Agra Cantt. If you’ve ever walked around Sadar Bazar, you know how packed those streets get with people looking at shops and all the general noise of the city. We are tucked into that corner where the locals go about their daily business. It’s not like the big restaurants near the monuments; it’s more of a regular spot for people who live and work right here in Agra. The arcade has its own rhythm, and we’ve become part of that over the years. We start early when the shops are just opening their shutters. Most days, it’s just us managing the kitchen and making sure there’s enough room for whoever walks in. The air in Sadar Bazar always smells like a mix of things, but we try to keep our little space feeling right. We don’t use any fancy machines, just the basic stuff you’d find in any real kitchen. Being in Agra Cantt means we see all sorts of people, from workers on their break to families out for the day. We aren't trying to be anything we’re not. It’s just a simple room with some chairs and a kitchen that stays busy from morning till night. Sometimes the power goes or the street gets blocked, but we just keep the chulha going regardless of what is happening outside in the arcade.