Thirsty Thursday and the Chakna story.

A Chakna, or finger snack, is common among regular drinkers. I often find myself ordering not just one but a couple of different snacks when I go out drinking with friends. However, that’s not the case when I drink alone at home. At home, it’s usually a single snack that satisfies me for a couple of drinks, possibly because the session isn’t too long, and I finish my few pegs within half an hour. What prompted me to write about “Chakna, as we routinely call it — any accompanying finger food with drinks — is my fond memories from bachelorhood days when money was tight. I used to frequent the local Desi Bar, which served country liquor. No, I never got addicted to country liquor, but I used to visit for a bottle of chilled beer, which was cheaper than at other regular bars, and the finger snacks here varied from boiled chickpeas or groundnuts (seng) to seasonal fruits like guava, lightly drizzled with red chilli powder and salt. That certainly makes me nostalgic. Today, Chakna has taken on a whole new meaning, including items like Melvin Fries or French Fries, Cheese Chilli Toast, Waldorf Salad, and Caesar Salad. Still, some dishes remain absolute classics and likely will never disappear from the drink scene, such as Chana Garlic Fry, which I enjoy in both versions – one with a chatpata sweet and spicy Chinese sauce, and the other fried in a gram flour batter. The crispy fried garlic pods taste heavenly with a drink, along with other favourites like Mandeli (silver fish) fry, pomfret fry, prawn fry, and chicken liver tawa fry — which is also popular in my kitchen. I also enjoy some vegetarian Chakna, like sprouts salad with a generous squeeze of lime juice and chilli, and sometimes Alu Vadi (particularly when I’m at home). Few Bars serve exceedingly well Soya Chilli fry ( another favorite ) There’s no better time to enjoy your drink than during Mumbai’s monsoon, with the fragrant aroma of crisp fried Chana Garlic Fry being simply other-worldly. Talking about aroma, Egg Burji also ranks high on my list along with crisp fried Bangda fry & Bombil Fry ( that literally get me down on my knees ) Next time, do raise a toast in honour of the ubiquitous “Chakna… Cheers.