As the name suggests, Nasta (meaning breakfast in Hindi) is a quintessential vegetarian breakfast place located in one of the by-lanes of CIT Road, Kankurgachi, Kolkata. Easy to locate, Nasta is a must visit snackery for all Kolkatans. It is pretty much a stand-and-eat place or a take away shop without any seating space. It is open from 6 am in the morning and the breakfast is available till 10:30-11 am but head there early to avoid the crowd. On weekends people usually queue up to the main road often obstructing the free movements of the vehicles. Such is the popularity of Nasta. Kochuri (kachoris)-Torkari (aloo sabzi)-Jilipi (jalebi) is the famous breakfast trio that all Kolkatans wake up to on Sundays and Nasta does not fail to impress this breakfast cravings of the Kolkatans.
They serve small bite-sized dal kachoris (5 in a plate) along with steaming aloo sabzi and pickled chillies all for Rs. 30. The crispness of the kachoris and the aroma of the perfectly seasoned aloo sabzi will leave you crave for more. I tried making the aloo sabzi at home but the end result was not even near to the real one. Then, there is the hot samosa served along with a tangy tamarind and coriander and green chilli chutney priced at Rs. 10 a piece.
To finish it off, there are the huge, sweet and extremely crispy jalebis which they make on the spot in no time. You just cannot have one. The after taste of the crispy jalebis refuses to die. The Marwari breakfast shop also has in store an assortment of different snack items ranging from mixtures, papads, bhujias and much more.
The only flip side of this place is that it does not provide any seating space for the masses and so the happiness of eating such sumptuous breakfast is slightly marred by the uneasiness caused on hot and sultry Kolkata mornings during the summertime. But nevertheless, Nasta is a must visit for everyone.
To me; the breakfast at Nasta is ‘early morning happiness on a plate on Sundays’. Fear not the calories for a morning and delve into the sinful breakfast that this place provides. Once in awhile it is good to break the healthy regime and pamper oneself with the oily stuff. Nasta is thus sheer happiness for the early morning hungry souls.
