Only in Kolkata!

Kolkata’s culinary landscape was shaped by historical events. Founded in 1690 as a trading outpost, ‘Calcutta’ served as the capital of British India from 1772 to 1911.

Nearly 150 years of colonial influence led to a new genre of ‘club food’ — fowl cutlets, fish chops, kabiraji cutlets, chicken stew to Continental fare like Chicken a la Kiev and Devilled Crab.

By the late 18th century, Chinese traders, tanners and shoemakers started pouring into Kolkata, which birthed Indian-Chinese cuisine in Chinatowns at Tiretta Bazaar and later, Tangra.

The exile of the Nawab of Oudh Wajid Ali Shah from Lucknow to Metiabruz introduced the potato to the biryani and infused the city’s palate with Mughlai flavours.

Be it Muslims from UP-Bihar, Odiya thakurs (cooks) from Odisha, mog cooks from Burma, Punjabi transporters to Marwari traders, each community enhanced the city’s flavours. Beyond jhalmuri, rosogolla, kathi rolls and kosha mangsho, Kolkata boasts a plethora of lesser known dishes unique to the city.

When the British built the railways and a shipping route to expand trade in tea and Burma teak, they employed mogs, a community of Buddhists from the Arakan region who had migrated from Burma to Bengal. They had no taboo in cooking pork or beef, and soon picked up European flavours aboard these ships.

Over time, this ‘steamer cuisine’ crept into Kolkata’s colonial clubs. The Baruas of Bengal, who trace their ancestry to mog cooks, were employed in affluent households of babus who often entertained British officials.

And thus, mutton pantheras was born, a breaded cutlet of mutton mince filled with caramelised onions and raisins. Oddly, it’s served without any sauce or mustard, as it’s considered flavourful enough on its own.

In 1935, some zamindars of North Kolkata started Theta-Feta Club and appointed Nakul Chandra Barua as a cook, who had just retired from the Great Eastern Hotel. When club culture went on the wane after Independence, Barua started his own snack shop. His son Bidhubhushan Barua continued the business with his partner Phatik Chandra Dey, and today Barua and Dey is perhaps the only place in Kolkata serving mutton pantheras.

Adam’s Kabab Shop on Phears Lane have been serving their legendary suta kebabs for over a century. No other eatery in Kolkata offers it. Mohammed Salahuddin says that his grandfather Subhani Miyan came from Patna and set up a kebab shop in 1918, naming it after his son Mohammed Adam.

He used suta or soft cotton thread to bind the melt-in-your-mouth beef and mutton kebabs, skewered and grilled on charcoal. The thread is removed and the kebabs tumble onto the plate to be relished with sliced onions, green chilli and a squeeze of lime.

Chinese influence 

Eau Chew, India’s oldest family-run Chinese restaurant, began at Bow Barracks as a hostel for Chinese immigrants in 1922. Third generation owner Josephine recounts how her grandmother Chun ‘pak-meh’ (aunty) started a tiny eatery with a set menu of soup, rice and Chinese staples.

The name Eau Chew literally translates to ‘Europe’ in Mandarin as it catered to mostly British officers and clerks. Their chimney soup and Josephine noodles/rice is legendary!

Fish liver gin!

Formerly a Chinese eatery that opened in 1945, New Cathay is known for its weirdly named fish liver gin. Rectangular slices of batter fried bhetki are served with beans and carrots tossed in butter garlic.

Portion sizes are humongous. Second gen owner Abidur Rehman says that Kolkatans eat with their eyes first. Interestingly, there’s no liver or gin used in the preparation; the name was coined by him as a bait to entice people. 

Set up in 1874, Sir Stuart Hogg Market or New Market is a hub for bakeries. When the British were leaving India, many bakeries were sold, shut or handed over to their karigars (workers).

Imperial Bakers and Confectioners is one of the few places in town doing fish bhetki patties since its founder Mohammed Yaqub’s time. “Nobody else bakes our unique crocodile bread, a croc-shaped fruit bread,” reveals third generation owner Asif. 

Chicken bharta is another inimitable specialty of Kolkata. Perhaps borrowed from Dhaka, the shredded chicken dish is cooked in a rich makhani sauce. One of the best places to try it is Azad Hind Hotel or Sharma Dhaba at the late-night haunt of Ballygunge Circular Road.

Gopal Chandra Saha came to Kolkata from Bangladesh as a 10-year-old. In a field dominated by pice hotels, he saw an opportunity for East Bengal cuisine and started Kasturi with just four tables in 1994; today it has 13 outlets across town. The star dish is kochupata chingri, a typical East Bengal preparation of colocasia leaf and prawns!

Where else will you find chicken Afghani cutlet at Sangu Valley, hans’er deem’er devil (devilled eggs using geese eggs) at Niranjan Agar, kabiraji cutlet at Bholanath Cabin, moghlai paratha at Anadi Cabin, mutton rizala at Sabir Hotel, tikia kebab at Shiraz Golden, or proprietary sweets — abarkhabo at Gupta Brothers, golabpak at Nepal Sweets and madhurpaka at Chittaranjan Mistanna Bhandar. Only in Kolkata!

(The authors are travel/food writers and culinary consultants “loosely based” in Bengaluru. They customise solutions for the hospitality industry, have authored guides and coffee table books, curated TV shows, set up an award-winning restaurant and are working on a book on heritage eateries of India. Follow their adventures on Instagram: @red_scarab)