Play all audios:
“Okay sir, one Mutton Whopper. With cheese or without cheese?” asked the man at the bill counter while punching in the figures vigorously. “With cheese,” I answered. “Extra patty?” “No.”
“With fries or without fries?” “Without fries.” “Anything to drink?” “No.” “Sir if you add ₹50, _aapko ek fries mil jaayenge.”_ “Man, just give me my burger!” No, that I said to myself. To
him, I just said ‘No, thanks’. As I waited for my order, my mind went to simpler times. Had it been a _bun-tikki_ instead of this burger they were trying to sell like an elaborate work of
art, things would have been way simpler. It’d have been just one nicely done _aloo tikki._ Some onions. Some tomatoes. And bun. That’s it. No questions asked. What you see is what you get.
I see people going gaga over the burger customization these burger joints keep rolling out every now and then. To all such people I would strongly recommend a short trip to the nearby
_tikkiwaala._ Believe you me, the permutation and combinations he offers you with an array of chutneys and sauces, are unparalleled. And they’re cheap. They’re quick. And for all I know,
they’re way fresher than any burger in town. Just look at the crowd around any _tikki_ stall and you’ll know what I’m talking about. What really grinds my gears is the fact that some people
refer to _bun-tikki_ as an _‘aloo tikki burger’._ Please don’t do that. It’s _bun-tikki._ Don’t demean this beautiful dish by adding burger to it. It has a simple identity of its own. Let
it remain that way. ADVERTISEMENT Yes, burgers are fine. But _bun-tikki_ will always be bae.