Indian chaat, dosa, rolls tickle Bangladeshi palate

The tangy taste of Indian chaat, crisp dosas and mouth watering rolls are gradually becoming a rage in Bangladesh's fast food market that has been dominated by hamburgers and hotdogs.

More and more restaurants and fast food joints in Dhaka and other cities are introducing light Indian snacks as chefs from the two neighbouring South Asian nations compete to attract the taste buds of Europeans and Americans.

Indian items "are fast replacing the European menu as the favoured grab-and-go food of choice, not just because of the taste but its healthier make-up, and has spread around the world", Mashhura Chowdhury writes in magazine Trends.

"No longer satisfied with hamburgers, hot dogs and fries, Bangladeshi eating out habits, never to be left behind, has also caught on to the trend," she says.

She noted that Indian snacks that were "once spicy delicacies sold by roadside vendors" are now making it to the swank and trendy restaurants.

At Roll Xpress' only outlet in downtown Banani, the menu's main focus is Indian cuisine though there are some dishes which are purely Western.

"The signatory dish is, well, rolls. In the Indian way of cooking, rolls are a bit different from what you may have in mind. These are made by wrapping juicy, tender delicacies made with eggs, mutton, chicken, vegetables, etc, in delicious round chapattis."

There are 32 different types of rolls to choose from.

Made with a diverse array of ingredients, they include Special Chicken Tikka Roll, Special Chicken Hariyali Roll, Chicken Paneer Roll and Beef Paneer Roll.

Competing for attention are chaats and phuchkas, including the Papri Chaat, Raj Kachori and Dahi Phuchka.

Food lovers visiting the Dhaba restaurant have seven different types of Kolkata rolls to choose from. They are made with chicken, beef, egg or a combination of any two.

But when you are in Dhaba what you must try are its delectable kebab items, hot chaats and piquant phuchkas, says the writer.

Dhaba is famous for Chur Mur, a special type of chaat. Also among its chaat and phuchka items - the Bhel Puri, Garam Phuchka and the Dahi Phuchka.

Dhaba also has Pani Puri, Dahi Papri, Papri Chaat, Aloo Chaat, Aloo Tikki and Dahi Bara.

"These mouth-watering treats are all served up to you with a smile," says the writer.

For dessert, the menu at Dhaba has Kulfi, Dahi, Jelabi and Jira Pani, also called Jal Jeera, a refreshing drink made of tamarind, ginger, cumin and spices.

Although the name Chaat Street indicates a focus on chaats, it also has South Indian dishes.

Located in Gulshan, another swank locality, it offers tangy and crispy Puris, Chaat Basket, Chana Bhatura, Calcutta Chaat and Pav Bhaji.

It also specialises in 16 types of dosa and uttapam, including the Butter Special Masala Dosa, Cheese Special Masala Dosa, and Butter Capsicum Masala Dosa.

Bangladeshi models Ruma, Shokh, Junaat and Laboni are among the lovers of Indian chaat, says the writer.

Last updated on Nov 2^nd, 2009 at 10:51 am IST--IANS