A little stall in the bustling Camac Street neighbourhood of Kolkata brims with foodies all throughout the day. Known as Chauhan Victoria Vada, the stall serves deep-fried, crunchy moong dal vadas. The vadas in this shop are so popular that they even attracted the former British Prime Minister, David Cameron. On his 2013 India visit, Cameron checked out the food stall to relish its signature snack. He stepped out of his posh car and walked up to the vada stall, taking the bystanders by wonder. The shop also has a photo of David Cameron enjoying the vadas.
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Serving Crispy Moong Dal Vadas In Kolkata Since 1950
Badrinath Chauhan had established the vada shop in 1950, after coming to Kolkata from Uttar Pradesh. In 1971, his son Rajender Prasad also joined the business. Rajender’s five sons now assist him in carrying forward the family tradition. Earlier, the stall was nestled outside the gates of the Victoria Memorial Hall. It used to be the favourite street food joint among many locals and foreigners. Later, authorities ordered food vendors to vacate Queens Way and the shop was shifted to its present location, adjacent to Vardaan Market.
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Victoria Vada Is The Signature Dish Here
Back in 2013, Cameron had a plate of vadas at just ₹30. The vada prices have increased a bit now, but they won’t hurt your pockets much. While the Victoria Vada is the star of the menu here, the shop also sells other kinds of vadas like Green Chilli Vada, Jain Victoria Vada and Capsicum Vada. At present, it offers vadas at prices between ₹50 and ₹70. Most street food shops in Kolkata sell snacks like phuchka, kathi rolls, chop, churmur, bhelpuri, jhal muri and ghoti gorom, among other options. But the vadas served at Chauhan Victoria Vada are absolutely distinctive and can get you smitten with their flavour.
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Chauhan Victoria Vada is a must-visit spot on Camac Street when you’re in Kolkata. On that note, did you know that aloogappa is also a food trend in Kolkata?