New Delhi – A street food vendor’s unusual technique of preparing parathas has caught the Internet’s fancy, eliciting humorous responses from netizens and brands like Swiggy.
A viral Instagram reel shows the vendor vigorously slapping and twisting the cooked parathas before serving them to customers in what seems like a punishment. This distinct style of making the flatbread led to it being termed ‘pitai paratha’ (beaten paratha) on social media.
Instead of using traditional preparation methods, the vendor is seen almost laundering the parathas with his bare hands. The bizarre vision has left thousands of viewers both bemused and amused.
“Is he making paratha or washing clothes?” quipped one user, while another jokingly asked if the vendor had aspirations of being a laundry worker. One comment remarked that the paratha probably owed the vendor money.
Popular food delivery app Swiggy also joined in the banter, anthropomorphizing the hapless paratha by writing: “Paratha be like mujhe kyu toda?? (Why did you break me)?”
The vendor’s unique style comes across as a rather rough treatment of the poor paratha. But it hasn’t stopped people from having some laugh at the expense of the twisted flatbread.
Such curiosities highlighting the Indian street food landscape often go viral for the sheer ingenuity or talent displayed by vendors. Whether it is mixing drinks or preparing Chinese dishes at blazing speed, these vendors spawn mass interest through their distinctive skills.
The ‘pitai paratha’ joins the array of sights and sounds that characterize the country’s lively and unpredictable street food culture. And netizens can’t seem to get enough of these talented vendors and their next amusing offering.
