Age is just a number for UP’s ‘Kachori Wali Amma’ who runs a footpath shop at night

Shahjahanpur: With sheer courage and determination to feed her family, Anju Verma sets up her small shop to distribute delicious ‘kachoris’ every night, earning her the nickname “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 left with no means to support their four children.

Not one to accept failure, Anju (60) decided to go ahead and continue her husband’s ‘kachori’ (snack) business. Every night at 10 pm, she sets up shop on an empty platform in front of closed shops and serves hot ‘kachoris’ with potato stuffing, soyabean with garlic chutney – all for Rs 30 a plate.

People, especially during winters and monsoons, line up to taste the kachoris and also get them packed for home. The elderly woman earns around Rs 2,000 a day. When asked why she chose to set up her outlet at night, Anju, who lives opposite Sunehri Masjid near Kotwali in Shahjahanpur, says the main reason was the unavailability of a proper shop or rental vehicle.

The woman says that she has three daughters and a son. She says that she married off one of her daughters with the earnings of her kachori business. Their youngest child is 20 years old and a college student. Talking about her daily routine, she says, “I close my shop after 3 in the morning and sleep till 5 in the morning. I wake up in the afternoon to buy vegetables, before opening the shop at 10 in the night First I prepare the dough and stuffing. ,

Abhinav Gupta, who runs a social organization in the city, says, “I am a big fan of Kachori Wali Amma. She cooks food with cleanliness and I often visit her shop with my friends to enjoy fresh Kachori ” Superintendent of Police S Anand told PTI that he has given special instructions to provide security to the shop.

“A woman setting up shop at night is a big deal. Police officials have been instructed to ensure her safety as well as that of her shop,” he said. BJP district general secretary Anil Gupta, who is also a regular customer of the shop, says that whenever he passes through the area, he waits for Amma’s Kachori shop to open to enjoy the Kachori.

School principal Anurag Aggarwal says that if he feels like eating outside, he goes to Kachori Wali Amma. He further added, “The kachoris they serve are of superior taste and their prices are also reasonable. Even the poor can eat their fill at their shop.”