Kuku Da Paratha

Kuku Da Paratha sits right by Ananda Rao Circle, near Dhole Patil Road and Sheshadri Road. It’s a very noisy intersection. There is always a lot of traffic and people rushing to the station or their offices. We open up early because that’s when people want their breakfast before starting work. Making parathas is a lot of work on the arms. You’re rolling dough and standing over the hot tawa all day long. My hands are usually covered in flour by nine in the morning. We don't have much of a seating area, just a few spots for people to stand and eat. It gets crowded during the morning rush. You can hear the buses braking outside and the street vendors shouting. Sometimes the rain splashes inside if the wind is blowing the wrong way. We just put out some mats and keep going. The recipe we use is just what we learned at home years ago, nothing special or secret about it. It’s just flour, butter, and whatever filling we have that day. We try to keep the prices fair because we know the people living around here don't have much to spare. It’s a simple life for us. By the time evening comes, we’re usually quite tired and ready to head home. We pack everything up, scrub the counters down, and get ready to do the same thing tomorrow morning. It’s a small business, but it’s ours.