Mirchh Masala

A stone’s throw from the ethnic providores of Balaclava St is this Indian, Pakistani, Desi and Nepalese grocer by day and seller of delicious takeaway street food in the evening.

The cavernous interior holds a vast array of fabulous snack foods such as potato papad (pappadam chips), packets of mini samosa, fried lentils, khukhara (roasted cracker bread) and tiny coloured sweet mukwas.

The small Nepalese section carries dried and fermented veges, Himalayan basmati, sweet and sour fermented plums, tokla tea and churpi – a traditional hard dried cheese snack that was the precursor to chewing gum in Himalayan communities.

As well as the usual chapatti mixes, chutney powder, ready to cook spice mixes, lentils and flours are soya chunks, mustard oil, roasted vermicelli and moth (sweet brown) beans, boiled and puffed rice.

Between 4pm and 8pm cooked Indian street snacks such as chole tikki, pav bhaji samosa chat and lassi are on tap for takeaway.