Shops and premises

Sarafa BazaarIndore

A jewellers' market that becomes a food street at night

The jewellery shops shut and the food carts set up in the same lanes in the evening, running late into the night. The arrangement works because the shopkeepers wanted the street occupied and watched after closing — a security scheme that turned into a food institution.

Chhappan DukanIndore

Fifty-six food shops in a single planned row

The name is simply the count. Laid out in the mid-twentieth century in New Palasia and now open from breakfast to late night, it is the daytime counterpart to Sarafa.

Joshi Dahi Bada HouseIndore (Sarafa)

Dahi bada thrown and caught at the counter

The toss began as a way of shedding excess curd and water; it is now the performance people come for.

Johny Hot DogIndore (Chhappan Dukan)since 1978

The fried-bun "hot dog" and the egg benjo

Nothing to do with a sausage — the name was borrowed, the food is entirely local.

Vijay Chaat HouseIndore (Sarafa)

Garadu in winter and khopra patties

Prakash Namkeen and the Indore namkeen housesIndore

Barik sev, laung sev, ratlami sev and mixture by the kilo

Namkeen is the single largest food export of the plateau, and Indore is where it is packed.

The sev shops of RatlamRatlam

Ratlami sev, made with clove and black pepper

The product holds a geographical indication; the town has three more.

Bherugarh batik workshopsUjjain

Wax-resist printed saris, dupattas and yardage

Buy at the cluster rather than in the bazaar if the point is to pay the printer.

The Mahakal Lok marketUjjain

Rudraksha, bhasma, temple images and papier-mâché work

Almost entirely rebuilt with the corridor in 2022; older shops still trade around the Chhatri Chowk end of the temple approach.