Bholi is essentially a soft flatbread filled with a sweet stuffing made from chana dal and coconut. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, bholi also goes very well with a hot cup of coffee.
And it’s a dish that’s practically impossible to find in Malaysia, unless you know the founder of Madurai Munchies, Nandhini Gangainathan who makes them from scratch in her kitchen in Penang.
The 30-year-old recently shared with FMT how she would spend hours as a child, attentively observing her mother make the most colourful and delicious South Indian snacks.
“My mother hails from Madurai, India and she’s well-versed in making the snacks she grew up eating,” explained Nandhini, while adding that she decided to sell bholis after her murukku sales dropped.
She was also spurred on after noticing that there was no other Malaysian selling this sweet treat. Within a few months, her bholis became a smashing success.
She makes the flatbread from wheat flour and the dough is packed with all sorts of South Indian staples such as chana dal, jaggery (coarse dark brown Indian sugar), cardamom, and coconut.
Once the balled up pieces of dough are ready, she flattens them into circular, chapati-like shapes and bakes them on a searing hot pan until they turn into a light golden hue.
To Nandhini, bholis are more than just a weekend side hustle or an afternoon tea time snack — it helped the full-time purchasing assistant build confidence in herself.
Nandhini shared with FMT that she has suffered from hearing issues since her primary school days, due to the deterioration of the nerves in her ears.
“I used to feel extremely depressed. My self-confidence was at an all-time low because I had to deal with people who knew I had this hearing condition but still teased me. I’d return home in tears most days,” confessed Nandhini, who nurtured her confidence by impressing others with her bholi-making skills.
These days however, Nandhini has found comfort in using hearing aids after initially resisting the idea.
“I was afraid people would judge me for wearing hearing aids but I knew I could not trouble my friends to raise their voice in order to speak to me, so I opted to use them in the end.”
Despite juggling a full-time job, she wakes up extra early on Sunday mornings to whip up her tasty bholis to cater for orders that come from Penang, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. As tiresome as it may be, Nandhini hopes to continue expanding her deliveries to more areas.
After all, she has come a long way in disproving her fair share of naysayers. This is why she tells other budding entrepreneurs to ignore negative comments and to persevere.
“Never look down on yourself and never keep those ill words in your heart. Instead, push yourself and work even harder.”
Eager to get your hands on some bholi? You can contact Nandhini through her Facebook page, Madurai Munchies or through WhatsApp at 010 3913016.