Mallika Rale takes a trip to entrepreneur Sangeeta Pundlik’s ‘sweet’ home that has been dishing out delectable savouries for Puneites for over a decade now
Just a stone’s throw away from Neelayam theatre, tucked away in a little lane, lies a gastronomical paradise. As you walk into Anandashish bungalow in Snehnagar, you can’t miss the tantalising aroma of freshly-made sweetmeats.
And it is heartening to know that even in this world of glitzy, over-the-top marketing, Sangeeta Pundlik’s business thrives, on plain old, reliable word-of-mouth publicity. “We haven’t even put up a board,” she says with a chuckle, adding, “Yet, our hands are full, so much so that we have a loyal clientele who insists on calling upon our services for any occasion.”
Always interested in culinary arts, Pundlik gave wings to her dream in 2000. “I was a school teacher before. Once, I helped a friend of mine to put up a stall of food items and other products. That was when I thought, why not try it out myself? So, I gave it a shot and put up 26 food items in my stall. People absolutely loved the Gulachi poli I had made and took my number. Slowly, I started getting orders. But managing school along with this became difficult. My son encouraged me to take up the food business as a full-time venture and I am glad I did,” she recalls.
Her specialities include traditional Maharashtrian delicacies like Puran poli, Khava poli, Sanjyachi poli, Gulachi poli, Karanjis, Chirote, all types of laddoos, barfis and so on. “People don’t have time or patience to make these sweets at home nowadays, so they prefer ordering it from us,” she explains. Rest assured you will get your money’s worth. All the polis, which are 10 to 12-inch in size and stuffed with dreamy fillings, are priced at Rs 15 each.
Pundlik also supplies around 50-60 kg of satoris to a renowned sweet shop in the city every day, since 2006. “That is just on usual days. During festivals, it could go up to 150-160 kg too. We have to keep aside our own celebrations and ensure that all those who are counting on us to make their festival special are happy with our work. Everyone chips in — my husband, son and daughter-in-law are involved in the entire process. They are my biggest strength,” she adds.
Such is the family’s dedication that just a day before Pundlik’s husband underwent an angioplasty, he had helped her make 5 kg of puran. “None of us knew he was facing a problem. In fact, even he did not realise it,” she says.
Pundlik now has a staff of eight to help her make the items. “However, I ensure that most of the preparations are done by me. That is the only way I can control the quality of my foodstuffs. We taste all the dishes too,” she says. That is also why she does not want to set up shop anywhere. “Automatically, you start delegating your work because you cannot be manning the shop throughout the day. I don’t want to do that because my customers trust the quality I serve. I won’t be able to live up to their expectations,” says the enterprising lady with all honesty.
Pundlik also takes orders for small get-togethers. “Our only condition is that the number of people should be more than 20. We suggest a few combinations, but people can also tell us what exactly they want. Sometimes, they don’t want full meals and prefer items like idli-chatni or pav bhaji, etc. We provide that too. Our aloo parathas are quite popular,” she tells us.
Talking about how important it is to keep a positive attitude while cooking, Pundlik says, “I want people to enjoy my food; for that it is imperative that I enjoy making it, right?” Definitely, and by the looks of it, she seems to be relishing every bit of the experience. To contact Pundlik, call on 9890532919.