Mumbai delicacies with a local twist

Hitesh’s Speciality is, of course, the poochka, a lovely crispy golden fried orb, hollow in themiddle and stuffed with spicy potatoes or lentil fillings. The street treat is novel in that there’s a twist to the preparation before the eating – the poochka is submerged into chilled, spiced water then popped into the mouth for a taste sensation. Word has spread fast about these unusual and authentic Indian street specialities, with customers returning regularly to get their fix. Hitesh has gained 4 539 organic followers on Instagram, and has had the pleasure of serving celebrities and influencers alike.

HITESH SAYS I met my wife, a South African, in my restaurant back home in India. She brought me to South Africa and I made the big move from Mumbai in 1997.

The concept for the Kapoochka brand was borne during the Covid-19 epidemic. I’d been retrenched and didn’t know how I was going to feed my family. I had always wanted to start an Indian street food restaurant in South Africa. I’d tried it in Durban, and it had done well, but I didn’t have enough money to sustain the business and operated at a loss. When I shared the idea with my wife and sons they all said it wasn’t going to work and it wasn’t a good idea. I persisted though, and asked my sons to come up with something creative. They initially wanted me to start up a dessert shop. That’s when we came up with the idea of selling dessert poochkas along with the traditional ones.

Poochka is the name of the king of Indian street food called ‘pani puri’ in Mumbai, ‘gol gappa’ in Delhi, and ‘poochka’ in Bangalore. It is a crispy ball made with semolina and flour. We make a hole in it and stuff it with lentils, potatoes and chickpeas – there’s also a prawn version – and then we add in our three signature sauces. The version that is called ‘pani puri’ is served with a spiced chilled water in a tot glass that has to be poured into the ball. The whole thing needs to go into your mouth to enjoy the burst of flavours. Our tag line is ‘an explosive pop’ for a good reason.

Other unusual foodie experiences to try that aren’t served anywhere else, are our dessert poochkas. We stuff the same crispy golden orbs with sublime fillings – a twist on South African flavours with chocolate mousse poochkas, banoffee pops, and many more exciting ones. We also made a special signature pop for a regular client inspired by his favourites – masala steak and potato mash. We love strengthening relationships with our clients, innovating our menu and keeping with trends.

When you visit Kapoochka for the first time I’d definitely recommend the Dahi batata puri and the Dahi samoosa, which I tell my customers is a samoosa dressed up in an Indian sari. I suggest they buy it. If they don’t like it – I’ll pay for it! I can guarantee that everyone will like it. We offer Indian street beverages, too, that we recently introduced. They’re kid-friendly and especially loved by Indian children. Our dessert pops go down well and there are the faloodas (Bombay Crush), and
the Gola sherbet’ – a shaved ice lolly and volcano soda – that are favourites for children. Our menu includes snacks that people can take away or nibble at while enjoying a beer or gin at Makers Landing’s Ukhamba Beerworx and Pienaar & Son Distilling Co. – things like Indian teatime snacks, nuts and sesame brittles called chikki.

Kapoochka flavours are Indian street flavours and we’ve refined these down to a fine art like nobody else. I see a lot of other restaurants that have tried to copy our concept by selling Indian street food. Regardless, my mom, sister and my wife have contributed different recipes and these are entrenched in the family and make it an original, one-of- a-kind brand. In Indian cooking this sets us apart from our competitors. We’re different in that we cook from the heart as a family and that shows in our flavours. Our special nuances make clients come back for more.
My passion for street food began in Mumbai and motivated me to start an Indian street food business. I have always had small restaurants in India and Durban, and a small business in Cape Town, but worked with partners. This time around we run a family concern, which for me, works better, and we put in a lot of hard work. The Indian street vendors definitely had a strong influence on me when I grew up. I only realised this recently at the age of 52!

We recently expanded the business and moved into a space that is five times larger at Makers Landing. Our plans are to open franchises across South Africa and share our flavours and culinary experience with the whole country.

Find Kapoochka at Makers Landing at the V&A Waterfront’s Cruise Terminal and Oranjezicht City Farm Market (Granger Bay Boulevard)

as well as The Neighbourgoods Market at The Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, Cape Town.