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As a young child, I would often stand by my grandmother in the kitchen watching her make crisp buttery uttapams for me, every morning of every June when I visited her in Hyderabad during my summer vacations. She would often narrate mythological stories to me as she churned the dosa batter, cut vegetables and poured them all together in the pan and drizzled it with chilly powder. As my eyes watered from the steam and onions, she would very gently wipe them away with the pallu of her saree, ushering me to the dining table where the story would continue.
I do not know when these uttapam traditions ceased to exist. Perhaps it was when I went away to college and subsequently started working that I no longer found time for long summer vacations and hearty breakfasts were replaced by vada pavs. I had given up eating dosas and uttapams altogether, indulging occasionally in western and then unfamiliar delicacies like waffles with which I slowly fell in love. So when a friend asked me out for a lazy waffle tasting breakfast at a new cafe, one rainy Sunday morning, I happily agreed.
Ironically though, this new cafe is located at Matunga which happens to be the south Indian mecca of Bombay. One can see it in the mounds of chrysanthemums in early morning flower markets, hear it in the cacophony of veshti-clad men and gold-ornamented women as they head to temples on Sunday mornings and can most certainly smell it in the wafting subtle scents of the food at a dime-a-dozen authentic eateries – amongst which stood this funky and casual eatery called ‘Grub Shub’. Little did I know that this cafe happily upheld the characteristics of South India in more than just one way. They had an entire range of ‘Dosa Waffles.’
Instantly intrigued to try everything, I was first served with the Madras Masala Dosa Waffle – crisp, buttery with a generous stuffing of potato masala and mustard leaves. It tastes very much like an authentic masala dosa. But the difference lies in the texture that the waffle batter lends to it. It’s crunchier, wholesome and more filling.
Next up was the simple yet delicious 15th Cross Dosa, that takes its name after the streets of Chennai. Piquant, crisp and dripping with buttery goodness, it is served with gunpowder and gives the plain dosa an interesting twist.
However, the dosa waffle that stole my heart was the Grub Shub Uttappam – the waft of which was reminiscent of my own childhood. Stuffed with tiny chopped pieces of tomatoes, onions and coriander, it tasted slightly sour, was perfectly spiced and went really well with the three chutneys served alongside – chilli tomato, mint coriander and the onion chutney. As I devoured this waffle uttapam, it fondly reminded me of my grandmother’s cooking. Turns out that this connect to ‘grandma’s food’ is the very essence of Grub Shub.
“All the recipes and methods of cooking chutneys, the gunpowder (podi masala) and the batter are those passed on by my grandmother,” says Chittaranjan Gohokar, one of the founders of Grub Shub. With his matriarchal side being traditional Tamilian Iyers, he has spent countless summers in Pallakad relishing his grandmother’s cooking.
I am told that the chutneys and the gunpowder served at Grub Shub are unique to Tamil Nadu. Most eateries in Matunga are known to use a Karnataka style of cooking. However, the Iyers of Palakkad are known to use a mixed style of cooking that comes from both Kerala and Tamil Nadu. This is evident in their cooking by use of black pepper, green chillis and coconut oil. What is perhaps interesting to know is that the chutney was a way to spice up the competition between small hotels in South India. The more variety they served, the more customer attraction they got.
Talking about how the idea of waffle dosas came about, Chittaranjan says, “My brother and I were having breakfast in the morning and just wanted to experiment a little. We saw a waffle machine and thought about what would happen if we put dosa batter in it. Surprisingly, the result was not half bad. After several trial and errors we were able to make the perfect batter that tasted like dosa but actually became a perfectly crisp, golden waffle.”
And then, Grub Shub was born. Claiming to be the pioneers of dosa waffles, they bring together the fun of waffles with a twist of international and traditional Indian recipes, fused to create a truly distinctive indulgent experience. All their batter is made fresh from scratch and they do not use any pre-heat waffle mixes. The gunpowder is still made at their home.
While the Dosa waffles are certainly a hit, Grub Shub also serves a range of savoury waffles like the middle eastern ‘Mezze Waffle’, the eclectic ‘Delhi Style Waffle Chaat’ and the mouthwatering ‘Fully Loaded Tex Mex’ that I enjoyed the most. Desserts include really tempting delights such as the Wow Waffle Tukda that inspired from one of India’s most classic sweets – the Shahi Tukda and the Black Forrest waffle in the form of rich chocolate ganache, whipped cream loaded with cherries. They also have a variety of milkshakes in unique flavours (Homegrown recommends the Key Lime Pie Shake) and ice cream sodas dispensed through specially designed Retro Soda Taps available at their outlets.
After spending a good few hours at Grub Shub devouring the most unique delicacy of Dosa Waffles and exchanging hundreds of stories about the venture, the food, the south Indian culture and Tamilian idiosyncrasies, I realised what a wonderful space it is to unwind with nothing but good, affordable food (dosa waffles start at just INR 69) and great conversation. At the face of it, Grub Shub may seem like just another casual cafe, however, a culinary experience here is nothing short of a cultural one.
Grub Shub’s landmark outlet is situated at Kings Circle, Matunga in Mumbai with other quaint settings at the lively neighborhoods of Andheri Lokhandwala and Kothrud in Pune.
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