Gandhi Bazaar’s true treasure is Subbamma stores. A one-stop shop for requirements of delicious crispy snacks, traditional cuisines and all the possible masalas of a South Indian kitchen. Subbamma ajji’s secret recipes are sold at this tiny, old charm store located in H.B Samaja road, Gandhi Bazaar. The store has been a matter of pride and delight to the people of the town. So, let’s discover more about Subbamma, the maker of the stores which carries the legacy of the loved by all Subbamma ajji for over 70 years.
#1 A 70-Year-Old Store
Subbamma Angadi, today known as Srinivasa Stores, has been spreading joy with their packets of handmade crispy eats, kitchen masalas and traditional condiments that have earned legendary status. The store better known simply as Subbamma Angadi has now turned 70, having opened its doors to the public in April 1947. The recipes of the late Subbamma still survive and delight old Bengalurians.
#2 Started by a young widow named Subbamma
Let’s look into the history which is as old as Independent India. The story begins with Subbamma. During 1947 as a young widow, Subbamma went door-to-door selling her handmade snacks, pickles and masala powders to homes around the Basavanagudi area. Soon, she became a household name and set up a hole-in-the-wall shop a short walk away from Basavanagudi’s famed Gandhi Bazaar.
#3 Subbamma stores to Srinivasa Stores
Subbamma Angadi has now passed onto the third-generation proprietor, K.V. Ananth Rao and his son, Raghavendra Karthik. It may now officially be called Srinivasa Stores but the tiny establishment continues to recreate Subbamma’s classic recipes. Subbamma was famous for her epic chutney pudi and also known for her homemade snacks like chakli, nippattu, kodubale, delicious pickles and much more.
#4 An Entrepreneurial Venture
Today her grandsons, K.V. Anantha Rao, and K.V. Ramachandra, sell at least 12-kg each of her three signature products chutney pudi, hurigaalu (a spicy variety-bean fry), and congress kadlekai every day. Subbamma turned a cuisine that was seen only in south Bengaluru homes into an entrepreneurial venture that proved a success at a time when women entrepreneurs were too few.
#5 How it all Started?
The story of Subbamma, who landed in Bengaluru from Kallur in Hindupur after her husband’s death in the 1930s, is an inspiring one. A mother of three children, she was a feisty woman who had settled down in an out-house at Basavanagudi. At a time when women entrepreneurs were rare, she decided to cash in on her talent – cooking to earn money and raise her children.
#6 Breaking Stereotypes
“Those were the days when widows feared social restrictions, but Subbamma was unstoppable, in that she went door-to-door selling her masala condiments,” Mr. Anantha, one of the age-old customers said. This shows what a strong inspiration and a role model Subbamma was to the then generation.
#7 A Turning Point
Advocate Lakshmi Narasu later offered her this present space at the Harikathe Bhajana Samaja building for a monthly rent of ₹5. “This was the turning point for my grandmother who could store and sell her products,” says Mr. Ramachandra, who sells 200 food items from the tiny space. Subbamma, this way was helped by society as a matter of honor appreciating her strength and courage rather than mere sympathy.
#8 Subbamma’s eye is the only measure
Mr. Ramachandra and Mr. Anantha remember the days when as six and eight-year-olds they sautéed pulses in a large pan kept on a charcoal fire and hand pounded the powders at home with Subbamma’s eye being the only measure. We follow her exact recipes even to this day Mr. Ramachandra added. Subbamma was indeed expertise in probably all the south Indian masalas and powders cooking requires.
#9 Everyone’s Favorite
Subbamma’s clientele included the who’s who of Karnataka, including Diwan M.N. Krishna Rao. “I distinctly remember Subbamma helping my grandmother and chatting with her in the kitchen,” M.R. Narendra, grandson of Krishna Rao, said. Not just this, literary giants like Masti Venkatesha Iyengar, D.V. Gundappa, and G.P. Rajarathnam have enjoyed Subbamma’s specialty hurigalu.
#10 A Must-Visit Place in the City
No matter the time of the day, you’ll always encounter a large crowd at the shop during its operational hours. Make your way to the front and you’ll quickly have to rattle out what you need in the two seconds the proprietor focuses on you, before moving on to the next customer. Subbamma Angadi’s list of must try’s include chaklis, holige, kodubale, the out of the world tasting chutney pudi, sandige, and pickles.
Recommended: Head to Subbamma Angadi for Bits and Bites of History, And A Taste Of An Irreplaceable Legacy
Today, Subbamma’s legacy of entrepreneurship against all odds lingers in her spices. Hats off to the great inspirational women of the 1940s. And if it’s the traditional South Indian masalas that tickle your taste buds then this is the store to explore.
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