The Hindu Business Line : For the roving foodie

All food lovers need to be enlightened on the little-known ubiquitous eateries of Kolkata. Dig a little and you'll find there is more to the Kolkatan's palate than the home-cooked delicacies and the festive specialities.

It is said that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach — all the more true for a Kolkatan. The mention of the very word `food' is enough to turn friends into foes, be it during an office or party or at home, with everyone having his/her own opinion. One needs to see the spread that the Bengali mother-in-law lays for her son-in-law during `jamai shasti', or the one which the parents lay for their child's `annaprasan' (child's first taste of solid food, never mind that the child does not partake of it), or even the one which is prepared for the final-day ceremony after the death of a loved one. Socialising in Kolkata generally focuses on food or it is in the periphery. It is just that one needs an excuse to throw a feast, enjoy it and talk about it long after it is over.

But there is more to the Kolkatan's palate than the home cooked delicacies and the festive specialities. In the lanes and bye-lanes of every city can be found the city's unique offerings — be it the Katchori Gali of Benaras or the Parantha Gali of Old Delhi or the Juhu-Chowpatti of Mumbai. This is true for Kolkata, as well, with items so special and distinctive, that you won't get them in any other city in India. Many guides have been written about the food haven that is Kolkata, but one also needs to enlighten food lovers on the little-known ubiquitous eateries all over the city.

Many of these sustain themselves on the reputation and sale of maybe one item only, for which people flock from all corners. We will stick to the non-institutionalised eat-outs of Kolkata.

There is an item for every part of the day, every cuisine that one can think of and for both the vegetarian and non-vegetarian palate. One can start off with a Chinese breakfast at Tiretta Bazar — a large variety of authentic dumplings, pork or spring rolls and rice puddings. But this food market assembles in the wee hours of the morning and winds up by 7 a.m. For those who miss this, there is always the omnipresent singhara (samosas are no match) or kachori for their first meal of the morning. Every para (locality) boasts of their own shop, but Mrityunjoy near Lansdowne Market has its own niche. It dishes out delicacies such as Cauliflower Singhara, Karaishutir Kachori, and Radhaballabi with each of its own distinct accompaniments of Alur Dom or Cholar Daal or Tarkari. These items are generally snack items, but are now available throughout the day in commercial business districts as a snack lunch for office goers. In fact, these and the local variety of `chineez' is the staple lunch of many.

A favourite snack of the Kolkatan is the puchka — pani puris and golgappas come a distant second. The crisp puchka, with its mashed potato filling and dipped in tangy tamarind water and eaten out of saal leaf rolled into cups, is an experience to be savoured. Favourite hangouts are near Victoria Memorial and Vivekananda Park in South Kolkata. My own favourite is Panditji near Birla Academy. Another delicacy from the puchkawallah is the churmur — crushed puchka with potato and masala, which has not yet found its way to other cities.

Jhalmuri or masala muri is a favourite item of all. Its acceptance lies in the fact that it is easy to make, available everywhere, safe on the stomach and best of all, can be customised to suit every palate. An item, made even at home and the focal point of many an adda and party.

Come monsoon season and shops go out of stock of Telebhaajas — anything fried in batter — all-time favourites being those of potato, onion, brinjal or boiled pulses. These and hot tea are `made for each other', often the evening snack in offices for late-stayers and for the hungry office-goer coming back home. Variations are the chop, cutlet and kabiraji cutlet. The chop is an oval potato and fish or meat stuffing dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and fried to a crisp finish. The cutlet is a marinated flat-pounded piece of fish, meat or prawn, fried crisply. Kabiraji earns its name from the word coverage as these cutlets are covered with egg. Famous items are fish fry and roll from Bijoli Grill, kabiraji cutlets from Radhubabu's and Regent, chops and cutlets from Apanjan's, and Putiram and prawn cutlets from Allen's Kitchen.

The home of every person from Kolkata, be it in India or abroad stocks a savoury called the Chanachur — a mixture of different savouries made of besan and sprinkled with fried peanuts. Many have tried unsuccessfully to steal the formula, MNCs included, but this sustains itself on its simplicity. An all-time favourite is Ujjala Chanachur, where it is mixed in front of you as per your choice and where ones needs to queue up today, even on a Sunday.

If one says snack on the move, one's mind goes to a piece of pan-fried bread (parotha) with succulent pieces of mutton or chicken or paneer with onion rings, green chillies and a dash of lemon — universally known as the roll or the katti roll. The most consumed one is the egg roll. The roll joint is the first venture one thinks of when starting a small food joint, because it is in great demand from noon to dusk. Recommended outlets are Nizam's in Central Kolkata and Begum's in the south, among others.

A recommendatory guide is incomplete without mention of the sweets of Bengal, found in every lane of Kolkata. There is a distinct north-south divide in this regard with old-time favourites spread throughout Kolkata. Favourites are Kacha Golla (Nakur), Mishti Dohi (Bhim Nag, Bowbazar and Jadab, R.B. Avenue), Sandesh (all types) from Balaram (Bhowanipur), Pantua from Bancharam, Indrani from Ganguram and the list could go on and on.

Come winter and Kolkata goes berserk with sweets made out of Natun Gur (jaggery), Sandesh and Rossogollas, various combinations of Pithes and Patishapta (delicate crepes with a filling of coconut and gur) and the much coveted Moa (a sweet ball of jaggery and puffed rice).

The city also has its hangouts for other cuisine — prominent being chaats and South Indian snacks. Recommended joints are located on Lord Sinha Road and Camac Street for chaats and Jyoti Vihar and Malgudi Junction near Camac Street for South Indian delicacies. Other unique items include chilla and Dal Vadas available near Vardaan market on Camac Street, Kosha Mangsho (mutton in a spicy gravy) from Golbari, Shyambazar, Chicken Rezala from Shabbir (off C R Avenue) and Shammi Kabab from Rahmania.

Pictures by Parth Sanyal

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