Visakhapatnam: Ragi malt stalls are present outside every walking park's gate here. These provide breakfast at a low cost.
Most of these stalls are run by rural women. They earn a good monthly income to support their families.
Nagamani wakes up at 2am and boils the soaked chana (sorghum), corn, eggs and ragi malt in a big bowl. she chops carrots into small pieces.
She mixes these and packs them in small packets. Boiled ragi malt is poured into a big pot. After packing lemons, salt and pepper powder in a bag, she boards an auto and gets down outside the port stadium gate.
She ties a banner that read 'Nagamani Ragi Malt Boiled Eggs and Sprouts' to a table, places all the food items on the table and waits for customers.
By seven in the morning Nagamani arranges all these. After ten minutes, a customer walks in asks for two eggs, two packets of sprouts and two glasses of ragi malt.
Nagamani charges Rs 40 for two glasses of ragi malt, Rs 20 for two boiled eggs and Rs 40 for two packets of sprouts. She continues to sell her items till 10 in the morning.
"I am a marginal peasant in Chodavaram. Since agriculture was not profitable, I worked as a sales girl in a department store six years ago. The salary was not enough to meet the family needs. so I set up this stall.”
“Currently, my income is Rs 80,000 per month. After 10 am, I reach home, eat and sleep for a while. In the evening, I go to the market to get the things I need for tomorrow. I am doing better here than in Chodavaram."
Sportsmen, daily wage labourers, old men working women depend on these ragi malt stalls. They finish their morning walk and drink ragi malt and eat sprouts and eggs as their breakfast.
"I stand in the Labor Chowk for work by 7.30am. I cook lunch at home but I can't make breakfast. I drink a glass of ragi malt and eat an egg in the morning, I feel like I had some breakfast in the morning," says Ammoji.
"My wife stays with our daughter in Bangalore. I love Vizag and I can't stay anywhere else. It isn't easy to cook in the morning. A sugar patient can't eat idly or dosha. These Ragi malt stalls are so useful for me," says 60-year-old Raghuram.
"I am practising sports and I rented a room. I can't afford to make breakfast. These ragi malt stalls are so helpful to me.” Boxer Kavya said.
