Next time you catch a train from Sealdah or Howrah station, you might be able to enjoy a plate of noodles and spicy chilli chicken while still travelling. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is planning to introduce some Chinese dishes to its menu to add variety and serve customers better.
“Chinese food is immensely popular and it doesn’t take much time to prepare such dishes. If everything clicks, we’ll be able to serve steaming Chinese food to our passengers soon,” said an IRCTC official.
According to the plan, the Chinese menu would include veg and non-veg noodles, fried rice, curries and soups. “The food would be prepared at base kitchens, which are located at almost all important stations, and then be sent to trains in hot cases,” the official said.
In West Bengal, such base kitchens have been set up on the premises of important stations like Howrah, Sealdah, Durgapur and Asansol.
At present, the IRCTC menu mostly includes north Indian dishes like dal, chawal, sabzi, chicken and egg curry, puri-sabzi, biryani, Indian rice varieties, rajma-chawal, chole, kulcha, bhatura, along with some south Indian dishes like idly, vada and dosa.
“Popular Chinese dishes are easier to prepare than their Indian counterparts. Besides, it takes far more time to prepare Indian dishes served during lunch and dinner as they are more elaborate. If everything goes according to plan, we would be able to save more time and serve quality food to our passengers,” said another IRCTC official.