To dine on authentic Chinese fare on a Sunday morning, the go-to place is Tirreta Bazaar in Kolkata. The mini-Chinatown, off the Central Avenue, reflects the heritage of Chinese immigrants in the city, which was home to nearly 20,000 of them in the early 19th century. The number has dwindled to 2,000 now, and some among them whip up the breakfast.
The aroma of soup noodles, warm dumplings and fish ball soup from the stalls fill the air inside the lanes as the bazaar springs to life around 6.30 a.m. Men and women sit on stools and cook food as a stream of visitors come there to relish this unique street food. One of the popular dishes is the steamed bao , a soft Chinese bun with a variety of fillings. Another is the fish ball soup. De-boned fish is ground into a paste and mixed with corn starch and salt. The mixture is made into balls that are deep-fried and served with piping hot stock. The menu includes lope yang , which are rounds of savouries stuffed with radish; momos or dumplings with beef, pork, chicken, seafood or vegetable filling; and sweet snacks such as chintoy , which is a sticky rice dumpling topped with white sesame seeds.
Suchitra Chakraborty, 67, retired Professor of Bengali literature, recalls the Sundays 50 years ago when she would visit the breakfast market with her classmates of Presidency College. “Even now we go there on Sunday mornings to get a taste of our favourite breakfast dishes. The place exudes an old world charm and reminds us of our college days. My favourite is the fish ball soup and the prawn pappad,” she says.
The food is lapped up quickly, and the bazaar winds up by 9 a.m. It offers a peep into the life of Chinese immigrants. From students and young professionals to middle-aged men and women and Chinese settlers, the market attracts an eclectic mix. Its exact origin is unclear. Most stall owners say it has been around since the time of their great-grandfathers — it means about a century.
Text and images by K.R. Deepak.
Al fresco dining If it is Sunday, breakfast is at Tirreta Bazaar in Kolkata, where Indian families with Chinese roots lay out a veritable spread.
Kinship of food: A family whips up the spread while the matriarch has the oversight.
Rich platter Fish pau, chicken lollipop, Khwai Choi Pan (vegetable pancakes) and momos beckon hungry souls.
Palate ticklers Momos and sweet rice zung: you name it, they have it.
Filling bowl: Fish ball soup sells like hot cakes.
A taste of home: Chinese migrants sampling the fare.
Easy on the pocket: The menu on display.
All in the game: After breakfast, Tiretta Bazaar gets backs to being the small lane it is.