Kachori wali Amma: A woman's tale of beating the odds

Asked why she chose to set up her outlet at night, she said the main reason was the unavailability of a proper shop or the means to rent one.

With steely courage and determination to provide for her family, Anju Verma sets up her humble shop every night to dole out mouth-watering 'kachoris', thus earning the moniker "Kachori wali Amma".

Her husband Vinod Verma, the sole earning member of the family, died of a heart attack five years ago, leaving her distraught and with no means to raise her four children.

Not one to accept failure, Anju (60) decided to march on and continued with her husband's 'kachori' (snack) business.

At 10 every night, she sets up her shop on the empty platforms in front of closed shops and serves hot 'kachoris' with potato stuffing, soybean along with garlic sauce -- all for Rs 30 per plate.

People queue up, especially during winters and monsoons, to savour the kachoris and also get them packed for home.

The elderly woman manages to earn around Rs 2,000 every day.

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Asked why she chose to set up her outlet at night, Anju, who lives in front of Sunehri Masjid near Kotwali of Shahjahanpur, says the main reason was the unavailability of a proper shop or the means to rent one.

The woman says she has three daughters and a son. She says she managed to get one of her daughters married with the earnings of her kachori business. Her youngest child is 20 years old and he is a college student.

Talking about her daily routine, she says, "I close my shop after 3 am and sleep by five in the morning. I get up in the afternoon to buy vegetables, and prepare the dough and the filling before opening the shop at 10 in the night."

Abhinav Gupta, who runs a social organisation in the city, says, "I am a big fan of Kachori wali Amma. She prepares the food hygienically and I often visit her shop with my friends to enjoy fresh kachoris."

Superintendent of Police S Anand told PTI that he has given special instructions to provide security to the shop.

"A woman setting up a shop at night is a big deal. Police officials have been instructed to ensure her safety as well that of her shop," he said.

BJP's district general secretary Anil Gupta, who is also a regular customer of the shop, says whenever he passes by the area, he waits for Amma's Kachori shop to open to relish the kachoris.

Anurag Aggarwal, a school principal, says if he feels like eating out, he only visits Kachori wali Amma. "The kachoris served by her are of superior taste and are reasonably priced. Even the poor can have a hearty meal at her shop," he adds.