SURAT: In this age of air-fryers, at least one deep fried dish will be adding more crunch to every munch of the gooey ghee covered ghari. Surtis who have invested in thousands of kilos of gharis - the melt in the mouth mawa filled delights flavoured with almonds, pistachios and saffron to celebrate Chandi Padva today - have also bought in similar numbers, if not more, packets of the good old 'bhusu' selling at Rs 200 per kilo.
These two treats have come a long way from the 1960s when gharis cost Rs 20 per kilo and bhusu sold at Rs 10 per kilo according to the Gujarat State Gazetteers.
For the newbie, bhusu is a farsan that can be stored. A mixture of pressed rice, chana dal, spicy sev, ganthiya, peanuts, papdi ganthiya - all of which are fried till crispy. Bhusu is slang in the local language - also used for sawdust. City businessman Jaywadhan Lekhadiya, 72, says, "My grandmother used to tease us saying bhusu has derived its name from how the cows chew the cud, because people eating it look the same while munching on it endlessly." As is the case with all other farsans, bhusu can be relished before, along with and after any meal. But it tends to particularly bring out the best when altered with each bite of the ghari - which is rich and pretty sweet on the taste buds.
Commercially, the earliest and Surat's most popular bhusu destination is available at Ramji Damodar Bhajiyawala at Bhagal. This farsan shop that began in the early 1900s has been selling it on popular demand since inception. "Along with our special preparation, we keep all the different ingredients of the mixture separately available for a custom-made mix for our clients. Some do not prefer the sweet boondi in it while others ask us not to add any puffed rice," says Deepak Thakkar, who represents the present generation at the shop which is over a century-old.
Homemakers often prepare chivda at home on the day after Sharad Poonam - where traditionally the pressed rice is has been savoured with sweetened milk - doodh poha on terraces along with galka (sweet gourd) bhajiyas, to enjoy the year's brightest moonlit night. On Chandi Padva, which falls on the next day (today) , Surtis gorge on gharis, bhusu and often team it with some more piping hot pakora preparations - gram flour goodies made by mixing it with various options like fenugreek, brinjal, potatoes, onions and gourd. A word here on the sweet gourd bhajiyas. If you have never tried them, this is the time of the year when you get the freshest batch sprawling on farm vines after the monsoon.
Coming back to bhusu, the other joints in suburban Surat that will be selling the crispiest avataar by the kilo plus special accompaniments are Jani Farsan at Parle Point. I urge you to try their methi ghatiyas - a tasty bitter crunch prep; G-Dada at Nanpura and Adajan, who have special green tuver ghooghras to go with ghari-bhusu and Surti farsan on Ghod Dod Road who make the best petis in town.
Weight-watchers might get away with just sniffing or nibbling at gharis, but when it comes to bhusu whether you are going to wash it down with tea, coffee or any other banned beverage, you will not be able to stop after the first spoonful.