‘I Loved Chhole Kulche So Much, I Quit My Job to Build a Vending Machine That Serves Them in 60 Seconds’

“There will be failures, but I realised that if I hang around long enough, I will see success,” says Sagar Malhotra, a banker-turned-entrepreneur, who has become a viral sensation in the food industry because of his innovation. His journey sets an example of how persistence, coupled with a passion for what you love, can push you to achieve anything in life. 

Imagine spending over a decade in a well-established career in banking, working your way up to the position of Vice President at Credit Suisse, but feeling that something was still missing. That was the 39-year-old banker’s dilemma. While he had everything many would envy, there was one thing that tugged at his heart — his undying craving for the authentic chhole kulche (spiced chickpeas served with soft leavened flatbread) he grew up eating in Delhi.

In 2024, Sagar took a leap of faith, leaving behind a secure career to pursue a project he wasn’t entirely sure about. Motivated by his love for food, he decided to turn his passion into a business. “It all started with my desire to bring the authentic taste of Delhi’s chhole kulche to the rest of the country,” he tells The Better India. That one thought eventually led to the creation of India’s first-ever chhole kulche vending machine. 

From Vice President to building chhole kulche vending machine

Born and raised in Janakpuri, West Delhi, Sagar always had an unshakable love for food, especially the chhole kulche from his hometown. “Growing up in Delhi, chhole kulche was a staple. But when I lived in cities like Bengaluru, Pune, and Mumbai, I could never find the same authentic taste,” he remembers. The craving for that delicious and spicy chhole never left him. He would often wonder why North India’s iconic food is not available everywhere.

For over 14 years, he worked with prestigious banks like Citibank and Credit Suisse, steadily climbing the corporate ladder. Even though he was fond of his full-time job, he couldn’t shake off the idea of doing something of his own. “It was during a senior management programme at the University of Cambridge in 2023 that I met people who were doing things beyond their regular jobs, including CEOs, entrepreneurs, and bloggers. That made me realise that if they can do it, so can I,” he says.

After much thought and countless conversations, Sagar decided to create a chhole kulche vending machine that would make the customers feel like they were eating from a roadside vendor in Delhi, without compromising on the consistency, freshness, and authenticity. “When I thought of vending machines, I knew they had the potential to solve three big problems: hygiene, time, and consistency,” the entrepreneur shares.

But the successful banker had no experience in engineering. He didn’t have any technical background, and building a machine that could prepare chhole kulche seemed like a colossal task. Most people around him doubted it. “I often heard, ‘You are going to make a chhole kulche vending machine? But you don’t even know how electronics work!’” he recalls. Despite all the discouragement, he kept doing his research. 

Come March 2024, Sagar started working on a prototype.

“I didn’t know how motors worked, how to wire the machine, or even what material would be best for food-grade machines. But I knew I had to invest time in learning,” he admits. He spent countless hours reading up on electronics, speaking to engineers, visiting manufacturing hubs, and learning everything he could. “I didn’t let the lack of knowledge stop me,” he says. “It was about finding solutions to every problem that came up.”

An innocent arrangement to win hearts

Creating the first prototype raised quite a few challenges for the food entrepreneur. His initial machine could only handle 30 to 40 plates before needing to be reset, which was not his vision. “I didn’t want to create a machine that required constant attention. It had to be something that could serve hundreds of plates, all without manual intervention,” Sagar explains.

So, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work, fixing, tweaking, and improving the machine wherever required, to achieve his vision. And after months of trial and error, he finally built something he could be proud of in November, a machine that dispensed the same perfect plate of chhole kulche every time.

That’s when ‘Chakh De Chole’ was born — a food cart venture where the vending machine took centre stage. He officially quit his banking job the following month, in December 2024, to focus on the venture full-time. 

However, that was not the end of all problems. Sagar now had to convince people that a vending machine could deliver the same fresh and delicious food as a vendor. “When I first launched Chakh De Chole, I didn’t tell anyone that the food was coming from a vending machine. I wanted people to experience it first. When they tried it, I saw that they loved it. So, I revealed the truth a month later,” he laughs. 

So, how does it work? The Chakh De Chole vending machine is designed to mimic the actions of a street vendor, but with precision. The machine dispenses exactly the right amount of chickpeas (chhole), spices, onions, and chutney, every time. The best part? It is all automated. Customers can choose between three spice levels by pressing the buttons, including less spicy, medium spicy, or spicy. The machine then assembles the perfect plate within 60 seconds.

“It’s exactly how a vendor would make it by hand, but with the consistency of a machine,” Sagar shares. “We use fresh ingredients every day, and nothing is stored overnight. The chickpeas are boiled fresh in our kitchen every morning, and the machine is cleaned and loaded with fresh ingredients every day.”

As of now, the kulchas are grilled manually, but Sagar is already working on the next version of the machine, which will bake them too, making the entire process fully automated. “I want it to be easy and convenient for my customers. Everything should come from the machine, both the chhole and the kulcha. That’s the future,” he says.

‘What if this doesn’t work? What if I fail?’

When discussing the experience of building a machine, juggling time as a full-time banker, the entrepreneur shares the countless moments of doubt and failure. “I had no idea how to build a vending machine. There were times I thought, ‘What if this doesn’t work? What if I fail?’ But I kept pushing forward and got motivated by little wins,” the entrepreneur recalls. “I had to learn everything from scratch, and it was exhausting, but I was focused on achieving my goal.”

And that determination is paying off. Chakh De Chole officially launched at two outlets in Delhi — one in Vikaspuri and the other in Rajouri Garden — in December 2024. The vending machine has become an instant hit, providing fresh chhole kulche with the same authentic taste to every customer. Sagar is now planning to expand to other cities like Jaipur and Bengaluru, with more machines on the way.

“We have been getting inquiries from places like Norway, Canada, and Dubai, but for now, I want to focus on building the brand in India. There is a lot to do here first,” he shares.

Delhi-based Rajat Kapur, a Chartered Accountant, recalls his first visit to the Rajouri Garden outlet, “At first, I was a bit hesitant about whether chhole kulche from a vending machine could capture the real taste and flavour. But I was genuinely surprised. The taste was spot on, better than I expected. I have already been to the outlet twice, and I can’t get enough of it. The spices are perfectly blended, and the best part is that it’s ready in just 60 seconds, which makes it so convenient. It’s a quick and delicious meal that has made a place in my heart.”

The heart behind Chakh De Chole

The former banker credits the venture’s success to his family. “My family has been incredibly supportive. My mother, especially, was a huge inspiration for me. When I told her I wanted to quit banking and do something of my own, she did not hesitate to back me up,” Sagar says. 

In fact, his mother, Sneh Malhotra, along with his team, helped boil and prepare hundreds of kilograms of chickpeas for testing. “We even weighed each ingredient to ensure consistency,” he adds. The company currently runs with a small team of five people. It also holds essential certifications, including the FSSAI food license for both outlets, GST certification, PAN number, and company incorporation number.

Poonam Thakur (38), one of the core team members, shares, “After 14 years in the IT sector, I have found a new sense of purpose with Chakh De Chole. Leading the expansion into the South, starting with Bengaluru, has been an exciting journey. CDC brings the true taste of North India to food lovers in the South, and I am glad to watch this happen.”

She adds, “The brand’s asset-light and automated model provides authenticity in taste and upholds hygiene at scale. Working with Chakh De Chole and this team has given me the chance to work on something I am passionate about while making a real impact on the food industry by letting people taste a part of India.”

As the brand continues to grow, the entrepreneur is prioritising to make it a household name in India. He wants to introduce more outlets, improve the technology, and eventually make the machine fully automated, so that no part of the process, from chhole to kulcha, requires human intervention.

With a revenue of Rs 10 lakh so far and a rapidly growing presence, the future of Chakh De Chole looks incredibly promising. “My goal is to create a brand that people trust for authentic chhole kulche, wherever they are. Whether you are in Delhi, Bengaluru, or Pune, I want people to experience the same taste they would get from a vendor in Delhi,” says Sagar.

Edited by Khushi Arora; All pictures courtesy Sagar Malhotra

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