Stories from Bengal

Snack 'n' tell

With delicious mouthwatering sweetmeats and snack options, ‘Moyra’ in HRBR Layout, is a must place to visit for those who would like to explore traditional Bengali delights.

One will be surprised by the number of options that are available here, considering the humble ambience. Tushar Kanti Mukherjee, the proprietor, always wanted to open up a sweetmeat shop though he was a mechanical engineer and it was after he moved to Bengaluru where his son lives that his dream came true.

His ancestral place in Burdwan, West Bengal, is home to numerous sweets. He wanted to bring this sweet tradition to Bengaluru. “Whenever people think of Bengali sweets, they always think of sweets from Kolkata. We brought a small team from Bengal to make these specialities here,” he says.

‘Moyra’ means a ‘halwai’ and Tushar decided on this name as it had a trendy zing to it. This is also how a  traditional sweetmeat dealer is called. “Even people back home don’t use this word anymore,” he says.

While sweets like ‘Malpua’ and ‘Chitrokut’ are enticing options one can dig into here, even the popular Bengali sweets are made different here.

“Our sweets are from the villages of Bengal. When one thinks of ‘rosogollas’, it’s the spongy version that comes to your mind. But ours are soft ones which melt in the mouth. Traditionally, they were made the spongy way but due to commercialisation, the texture of the sweet changed,” he narrates.

Another interesting addition is their ‘Misti doi’, which is the thickest version of the sweet one will find in the city. “It is almost like cheese. You cannot scoop it out, you has to cut through it,” he says.

The ‘Raj bhog’ is a softer version with a saffron-filling which is unique and appealing to all palates.

‘Lovongo latika’, a traditional puff pastry sweet with a sweet like ‘rosogolla’ within, fried and soaked in sugar syrup will blow one’s senses out.

“Even our ‘Sandesh’ are soft. Our specialities also include ‘Sita bhog’ and ‘Mihi dana’ which are consumed together. The ‘Sita bhog’ is a ‘pulao’ made of ‘paneer’ and the ‘Mihi dana’ is a broken form of ‘motichoor ladoo’,” he details.

For those who want to bite into some interesting snacks, one would love the ‘Singara’, which is different from the ‘samosa’ as it is a more fluffier and flakier version.

The ‘Veg chops’, which is made of a mashed mix of vegetables and beetroot and coated in bread crumbs, is also worth the try.

“For an elaborate breakfast, one can choose from our varied options like ‘Hing kachori and aloo dum’, ‘Dal kachori with aloo sabji’ or ‘Green peas kachori with aloo dum’, which are served based on a timetable for the entire week,” says Tushar.

Though the place offers typical Bengali food, the customer base is wide with people from all age groups enjoying the menu.

“I always wanted to tell stories and make people indulge in traditional sweets and snacks that Bengal offers. We have clicked well with the local community because of the variety of items we offer,” he vouches.

‘Moyra’ is located at 502, CMR Road, 5th A Main Road, HRBR Layout. It is open from 9 am to 10 pm.