Visiting the century-old K Ali Bakery was on my bucket list for quite some time. As the city gears up for Christmas, on a wintry afternoon, I set off to Mominpore to know the story of this shop, and to buy the season’s first rich dry fruit cake — a speciality of the bakery.
The ride from Prafulla Sarkar Street to K Ali Bakery is long enough to make you observe the change in social diaspora. From my bustling office para to a busy but intimate neighbourhood, the difference is a paradigm shift — in terms of pace and hospitality. The bakery gully, lined with both houses and shops, have an air of familiarity, even while conducting business. The over-the-counter talks start with a salutation, moving on to a candid chat, and then to the shopping requirement.
Mujibur Rahman, one of the owners of the bakery Soumyajit Dey
Finding my way through the gully and locating the bakery was an easy task, thanks to the local residents, who chimed, “Christmas cake leney aye hai, didi? Woh agey hai bakery”. In front of the shop, stood one of the present owners — Mujibur Rahman, who heard me looking for the bakery, already welcoming me with a warm smile and a wave. The bakery is named after Kausar Ali — Mujibur and his brother Abdul Rajjak’s father. Today, the brothers run the family business, and are training the next generation to carry forward the legacy.
K Ali Bakery, now more than 100 years old, does not have a signboard — cyclone Amphan blew it away, and it was never restored. What struck me was the family was sure of their craft, and was not willing to invest in anything cosmetic, yet. In an era of brand and public relations, their culinary skills and hospitality were their calling card. The shop is non-descript, giving an old-world charm. The pale blue walls, the wooden shelves and the containers remain constant even in the times of rapid change.
Simplicity is the key at the bakery Soumyajit Dey
Looking back, Mujibur, shared how Momimpore was a different neighbourhood altogether when his father started the bakery. Kausar was the one-stop-shop for bread requirements, and would take them door-to-door. Mujibur is unsure how his father learnt making German bread — which is one of the most popular items of the bakery. But he remembers how the pathway to the baking unit had to be manned at all times, and there would be no business after sun down, because the population was low, and foxes would often ravage for food.
German bread, another delicious delight made by the century-old bakery K Ali Bakery
Mujibur and his brother learnt how to make German bread, the rich dry fruit cake, sheermal and bakarkhani, from Kausar. Since German bread originally was a hard crust, the bakers tweaked the recipe to meet the Indian palate, making the outer crust softer. Sharing a quick recipe on how to savour the bread, Mujibur said, “You have to scoop out a portion from the middle of the bread and fill it with vegetables or meat filling of your choice. The bread then goes back into the oven for a grill, and it’s ready”.
The star item — rich dry fruit cake, freshly baked Soumyajit Dey
The sale of German bread has taken a nose dive. The preparation time is approximately four hours, and the daily sale is of around 20-25 loaves. K Ali Bakery doesn’t make German bread and bakarkhani during winter, because that is when the demand for their cakes hit the roof. Sheermal is made on order. The bakery also makes biscuits of various kinds throughout the year.
The present and future generations of the K Ali Bakery Soumyajit Dey
The bakery makes only one type of cake. Loaded with dry fruits, the sweet delight takes all day and several batches to meet the demand. The bakers make about 1,200 cakes per day, and start baking from six in the morning. A quick trip to the bhatti (wooden oven), I saw dozens of cakes ready to bake. The bhatti, also a century old, has undergone a few minor repairs. The family-run business has an ethos when it comes to baking — no machine production. “Machine e oto taste hoyna”, said Mujibur.
Ready to go into the ‘bhatti’ — the cakes come in two shapes: round and rectangle Soumyajit Dey
The customer base is spread all over Kolkata. Customers call and order German bread, cake and other treats, and come from Salt Lake and other places to pick up the orders.
If you stand at the counter of the shop, the air smells sweet and Christmassy. The shelves are full of cakes. There’s also cream rolls, bakarkhani, lero biscuit, and other goodies. Mujibur cut a slice of the fruit cake for me, a part of his mehmaan nawazi, and after the first bite, the sweet tooth I knew this cake was really good. It had the right amount of sweetness — with dry fruits at almost every bite.
Bakarkhani — another K Ali Bakery item that has a wide spread customer base Soumyajit Dey
The cake-makers have a routine from which they do not deviate. There are no days off, but a daily afternoon siesta break The only side-tracking from the routine happens when the bakery takes customised cake orders, and during Christmas, when it opens its bhatti to also grill chicken.
When asked about personal favourites, Mujibur is more inclined towards the cake from his bakery. “Kintu, saradin banai toh, khetey ichche kore na beshi”, he shared. Another favourite of his is a kulcha made with semolina and coconut.
Cakes inside the ‘bhatti’, ready to be taken out and sold Soumyajit Dey
The conversation eventually came to an end with earnest invitations from Mujibur to come back to the bakery. I intend to, especially to try German bread. As I was heading back to my office, my mind kept returning to the old shop, which perhaps is a time capsule and a testament to several historical events. What I could not help but marvel at yet again is Kolkata’s intangible cultural heritage, which makes cakes made by a Muslim family a must-have for people from several other religious denominations to celebrate a Christian festival. It is heartwarming and reassuring to see how the culinary heritage contributes to the social fabric of my homeland. Merry Christmas, everyone, and cheers to unity in diversity.
Deets to not miss:
- K Ali Bakery opens at 6am and closes at 11pm, with a small break between 1pm to 3pm. The bakery is open all seven days. It is open till noon during the Ramzaan month
- The rich dry fruit cake costs Rs 180 for one pound, and Rs 360 for two pounds. Bakarkhani is Rs 4 per piece, and German bread costs Rs 32 per pound
- You can call the K Ali Bakery on 8481994589 and 9874051179.
