Chai Chai

As Indian Railways is promising a major revamp in all segments of its behemoth service, food appears to be where the buck stops. Suchayan Mandal travels the length and breadth of the country, gastronomically on wheels, discovering the fragrance of kulhars, the packed meals now served and much nostalgia for the hot food from the various base kitchens

Sanchayan Mandal, on his way back from Kolkata in Sealdah Rajdhani Express, had, what he described, a nightmarish experience. Not only did he find stains on the bedsheet, rats under his side of the lower berth but the food he was served was stale. The samosas in the evening had to be accompanied by Gelusil. The evening meal was even worse. 

Another passenger, Ramanathan, traveling from Coimbatore to Delhi, was happy with the vada served soon after the train departed. As the long journey proceeded, the quality and taste of the snack changed till he discovered that maida had later been added to the vada dough. Time was when railway food had that unique taste and could be relied upon for quality and quantity. Base kitchens at major junctions would keep trays of hot food ready for the hungry passengers on board. In fact, most travelers preferred to order this food rather than open their food hampers. 

Now, with the base kitchens having been dismantled and food supply contracted to commercially-run caterers, that charm of eating on trains has vanished. “Chai” supplied in mini-flasks for the higher classes and brought around in a drum and served in plastic cups has been replaced by tea-bags and hot water. The only constant is the call “Chai, chai”, accompanied by a variety of cooking smells wafting around at almost all stations across the country. 

Change in taste 

Till 1990s, when there were not many direct trains, people from, say, Bangalore going to Bombay, would wait at Guntakul in Maharashtra for hours, passengers from Kolkata to Coochbehar would take a ferry and then wait for three hours at Maldah in West Bengal. Similarly, those traveling to Madras (now Chennai) from Lucknow would spend some quality time at Jhansi. With direct superfast trains coming in, things have eased but the slow train, which allowed one to finish a novel, could be called a great teacher as well. 

"To learn a thousand dialects, eat a thousand cuisines and meet a million people, you need just one berth", is an age-old Railway proverb. And if you get a chance to travel in a train for 35 hours that connects Himalayas to the Indian Ocean, not only would you feel the inertia of motion even after deboarding, but would also end up wiser and less judgemental than 35 hours ago. And the food, whether bought on the train, off the platform or packed from home, would be a taste of mini-India. 

Itarsi is the virtual turn-around as far as food is concerned. As the Himsagar Express enters Madhya Pradesh, crossing the Vindhyas, one can relish North Indian alu bondas for one last time. A few hours later, the bondas  will become tangy with tamarind and samosas with tamarind chutney will be replaced by idlis served with coconut chutney. All South-bound trains, no matter wher they come from ~ East, West or North ~ have to pass through this otherwise irrelevant town. Same is the case with Mughal Sarai, Jhansi, Guntakal where trains stops but none get off. Only the food changes. 

On board food 

Vivek Express, the longest running train linking Seven Sister Hills to the Indian Ocean (Assam to Kannya Kumari) takes three days 10 hours 40 minutes to cover 4,278 km. Unfortunately, erstwhile Railway minister Mamata Banerjee’s dream project had no food being cooked in the pantry car when this reporter took a trip in early 2013. So food had to be ordered and was outsourced from various kitchens pan India. This turned out to be a great way to relish regional cuisine. So, it was lunch from Guwahati, dinner at Alipur Duar, breakfast at Durgapur and so on. At Alipur Duar, the first station in Mamata country, the silence of the coach was broken by a chaiwalla selling a cup of tea for Rs 10. 

Ramal who sells Misti Doi in Durgapur station in West Bengal revealed that misti dois were often sold for two days but that he used no adulterated stuff to prevent it from going bad. 

 While Rajdhanis and Shatabdis, the premiere trains connecting the country’s never ending geography through tunnels, bridges, tracks and fishplates, have their own all inclusive food service, the menu is fixed by the Railway Board. Unlike before, when food was served by Railways-run kitchens, now they are outsourced on contract basis. There is always announcement inside these trains that menus are available with attendants and that passengers could order as per choice.  But class disparity still exists in the trains. If one were traveling in 3-tier AC or Chair Car one won’t have access to these menus and would have to survive on what was being served. 

In Kolkata Rajdhani, Bhubaneswar Rajdhani, Dibrugarh Rajdhani, Kalka Shatabdi and a few more premiere trains, the evening begins with Samosa, Soan Cake, Sandwich with tea. If one wants coffee instead, the attendant would have to be coaxed and cajoled for a sachet of Necsafe. The dinner will be rice, roti, dal and chicken/ paneer depending on your preference with dahi and ice cream. Now, if one has paid more to travel in first class, brands of curd and ice cream will be better and the dal will be thicker. 

 Now a small tip for amateur travelers: Make sure to demand the bread to be toasted and egg poached when they ask preferences for breakfast in 3 AC. 

In some trains south Indian breakfast is also available, but as said, money is directly proportional to food served, you won’t be offered much. In the Executive chair car and first class the breakfast includes cornflakes with milk, bread basket, marmalade or Chana Kulcha, or stuffed paratha, or Besan chilla with chutney. 

For dinner there is an option of Rasgulla or Gulab Jamun but that’s all on paper  but not in reality. Railways lists a varied menu from cream soup to hakka noodles but one would have to reach to ministry level to be served so. 

A colleague joked, “Railways official menu on Internet is like the syllabus of a 3rd grade B school! The students are enthusiastic in the beginning about the prospect but soon faces trouble once it gets applied.” 

Good old days 

When the express trains were still brick red in colour, and mineral water bottles were yet to decide their market capturing strategies, green, red Milton water jar were the signature holiday symptoms. Each station the train made a stop, elders would rush forthe nearest tap to refill. Food would be loaded in Aluminium or steel plates with depressions to hold dal, sabji and chutneys. The waiters would balance 8-9 plates of hot food and distribute them. Flared tempers were common as food often fell short. Things changed when thermocol and plastic plates replaced them on the plea of hygiene but ended up ruining the environment with white plates flying across the tracks. “The flavour and fragrance, both were better and hygiene not taken into account whenever train food had to be consumed. No matter what you cook and carry, the train food had some amazing tastes,” believes food enthusiast Sayantani.  

Also, the journeys are not about traveling for journey’sake but also about getting acquainted with each other’s cultures. Marwaris, when they travel as a  large family, would carry a stock of food that would last  the entire journey. Piles of pooris will be in proportion to number of traveling members and number of meals required. Just when you await the pantry boy, the boxes would be opened and the entire compartment filled with a distinct aroma. Tamil families usually carry their stock as well. Bundles of idlis and chutney powder besides lime and curd rise makes up their packed meals. Bengalis, on the other hand, rarely carry food during travel. It is another reason for them 

to have “bahar ka khana”. After eating they would burp a little and wonder if the chicken served was as good as Rajdhani served six months ago ~ in most of the cases it isn’t. 

Trend is in 

Good old days have been overtaken by blindfolded consumerism. Several portals, including TravelKhana and Comesum, are delivering restaurant food on train. One just needs to download the app and fill in the details of  train, coach  and seat number and desired delicacy. At the next station, Pizza or Biriyani or Pasta would be awaiting you  in an otherwise unknown station.

The chai story

Chai is one word that is synonymous withIndian Railways. Chai may vary in taste and aroma but the beverage won’t  disappoint!  “Chai Chai”, the  call is the most sought after when traveling by train. As the painted stations whistle by and you start from North India, cardamom tea will be constantly served. Soon, the kettle is replaced by urns, thanks to large business ventures. South Indian mornings on the train are welcomed by the strong aroma of filter coffee.

Published in The Statesman