Indian 'samosa', 'gulab jamun' luring food lovers in Finland

Samosa, gulab jamun, dal tadka and paratha are among a host of Indian preparations liked by people of Finland who crowd over two dozen Indian restaurants in the capital city.

But, they come only at a fat price.

While vegetable samosa costs 3.10 euro a piece (about Rs 185), gulab jamun is available for 5 euro (Rs 305) per piece, according to the menu of popular Indian restaurants in Helsinki, the capital town of Finland.

"I visit an Indian restaurant 'Annapurna' which is close to my home almost once a week for tasty samosa, chicken curry, dal tadka and paratha," Arja Suominen, Senior Vice President, Communications and Corporate Responsibility, Finnair, told PTI.

"I like Indian dishes made with good amount of spices," she added.

'Namaskaar', 'Annapurna', 'Gandhi', 'Samrat', 'Maharaja' and 'India Tandoor' are some famous stopovers here for the Finnish people, Europeans as well as Indians.

The menu of these hotels have full stocks of Indian meals, snacks and desserts to offer to food lovers. They give English details of these items for the convenience of the consumers.

Veg samosa is described as triangle-shaped pastry stuffed with vegetables and dal tadka as lentils and herbs made in Punjabi traditional style.

Raita, aloo puree, tadka dal, chapati and puree are other attractions in these restaurants located in prominent places of the city.

Richard Strohm, a tourist guide, said he often visits Indian restaurants in the city with family for delicious cuisine like chicken curry, chapati and kulfi.

Nordic air carrier Finnair also provides dal tadka and paneer makhani on the flight in dinner on Helsinki-New Delhi route.

These popular Indian vegetables items are prepared by Finnish cooks at Helsinki airport and loaded on the plane, a Finnair crew member said.

"Initially Finnair brought Indian chefs who trained their Finnish counterparts to prepare these delicacies," he said, adding the items are equally popular among non-Indians going to New Delhi.

Finland does not have vast Indian population. There are around 2,000 Indians in the capital city. Considering this, existence of over two dozen Indian restaurants in Helsinki itself reveals popularity of Indian food among people of other nations.