Kachri Bateta/ Babu Kachri

EVENT: SUNDAY FUNDAY

THEME: CHIPS

RECIPE: KACHRI BATETA/ BABU KACHRI

 Kachri Bateta/ Babu Kachri

Kachri Bateta/ Kachri Babu is a tangy, lip smacking spicy potato stew served with a dry coconut mango chutney and topped with ganthia and crushed potato crisps or chips.

Kachri Bateta, also known as Kachri Babu is a famous street food from Mombasa. In fact, it’s believed that this dish is influenced both by the Swahili and Indian Cuisine. Probably, the potato stew is of Indian origin but addition of grated or minced raw mango to the stew is from the Swahili cuisine. Specifically, the topping of  ganthia or thick sev and potato crisps is Indian. The chutney is very coastal. Before we go into my early memories of Kachri Bateta/ Babu Kachri, its imperative to explain some of the terms I’ve used in the description.

Explanation of some of the terms:

Kachri 

Kachri is the Gujarati word for crisps or chips. Lot of confusion there right? Well, what the British and many of its former colonies call crisp is Chips to the Americans. In regard to this street food, mostly potato crisps or potato chips is used. Actually, Kachri Bateta/ Babu Kachri is incomplete without a generous topping of potato crisps or chips.

Bateta 

Bateta is the Gujarati name for potatoes.

Ganthia 

Ganthia, Tikhi Sev, is a famous Indian snack which looks like noodles but the similarity stops there. Generally, salt, spices like red chilli powder, turmeric powder, ajwain and oil are added to chickpea flour. Also water is added to make it into a paste like consistency. Then, this paste is pressed through a sev sancha or machine into hot oil for deep frying. After frying, the noodle shaped ganthia is then broken up into smaller pieces.

Kachri Bateta/ Babu Kachri – Famous Street Food From Mombasa

Especially in the old parts of Mombasa and at Lighthouse (which is now called Mama Ngina Waterfront Park) are filled with vendors selling different types of street food. Kachri Bateta/ Babu Kachri is one of them. Look out for little glass covered carts if you ever want to taste kachri bateta.

In fact my in laws and their friends always mentioned kachri bateta with nostalgia. According to them there use to be a man with his cart selling kachri bateta outside the famous Naaz Cinema. Interval time every one would buy the hot and fresh tangy stew.

photo shared by a friend

On the whole, there is not much information available on the internet as to how this famous street food began in Mombasa. Therefore I felt the best place to ask was on the Facebook Group Friends of Mombasa. Well, from the response by a few members I gathered that Kachri Bateta was started by a man named Huseinbhai Visram. How it got the name Babu Kachri, is perhaps as a reference to the man who made it. Babu in Kiswahili means grandfather but also is a respectful way of addressing a man. Nowadays it common to find so many people making it and selling on the street from their doorsteps.

But, if you’re reading this post and know how this dish became so famous, please leave a comment below.

Memories

Certainly, as a kid, coming down to Mombasa from Nairobi was always filled with excitement. Besides enjoying the sand and sea, we definitely ate the variety of  street food to our heart’s content. During our stay with my aunt, we’d look forward to a snack of Kachri Bateta or Babu Kachri in the afternoon. Patiently, my cousins, siblings and I would sit by the windows keeping our ears open for that bicycle ring. As soon as we’d hear it, we’d shout ‘ting ting ting’. That was a signal for my aunt to go out and buy kachri bateta.  Back then no one was really concerned about newspaper ink being bad for health. The vendor selling it would make the stew a little dryish so that it would not seep out of the newspaper. Back then, plastic was unheard of and paper plates a rarity.

Other Mombasa Street Food Recipes You May Want To Check Out

Fried Mogo/ Fried Cassava –deep fried cassava served with salt, red chilli powder and a generous drizzle of lemon juice.

Kaimati– is the Swahili version of doughnuts. Deep fried sweet balls are soaked in sugar syrup.

Mamri/ Mahamri– Golden Brown puffed up triangles that are usually enjoyed as breakfast with some hot tea or coffee.

Mbaazi– pigeon peas are cooked in a coconut curry. Its usually enjoyed as breakfast or a meal with Mahamri.

Vatidar Bhajia – lentil fritters served with coconut chutney.

Mombasa Mix – another lip smacking street food. Brown Chickpeas are cooked in a coconut and mango curry. Its served with vatidar bhajia, coconut chutney and chevdo (Bombay mix).

Sunday Funday

Sunday Funday is a group of Food Bloggers who every Sunday share some fun, traditional, hearty or easy recipes to make Sunday Family Meals a bit more exciting. To join this fun group, visit the Sunday Funday Facebook Page. Request to join in. This Sunday the theme is CHIPS  suggested by Rebekah. March 14th is National Chip Day and Rebekah suggested we share dishes that incorporate chips or any homemade chips recipe. My contribution for this theme is the famous Mombasa Street Food Kachri Bateta/ Babu Kachri.

Check Out What Fellow Members of Sunday Funday made: 

• Butterfinger Potato Chip Cookies by Palatable Pastime
• Cheesy Potato Chips Skillet Pie by Sneha’s Recipe
• Doritos Taco Salad by Making Miracles
• Kachri Bateta by Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Parmesan-Garlic Pita Chips by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Parmesan Potato Chips by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Potato Chip-Crusted Abalone by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Potato Chip Crusted Cod by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Salt-and-Vinegar Chip Crusted Cod Fingers by Food Lust People Love