From Pantheras to Railway Mutton Curry: A Forgotten Anglo-Indian Culinary Legacy in Kolkata

Homemade Pantheras, inspired by Anglo-Indian culinary heritage, plated and prepared in my kitchen. This dish represents a journey from tasting to lear

 

Anglo-Indian Cuisine in Kolkata: A Personal Journey Through Taste, History, and Timeless Comfort

Introduction

My introduction to Anglo-Indian cuisine was not planned—it happened through taste, curiosity, and a slow unfolding of history.

It all began when I tasted mutton Pantheras. One bite was enough to make me pause. Crisp on the outside and richly spiced within, it was unlike anything I had tasted before. That single snack did more than impress me—it compelled me to ask questions. I wanted to know how it was made, why it tasted the way it did, and where it came from. That curiosity gradually led me to the larger culinary world it belonged to—Anglo-Indian cuisine.

As I explored further, I discovered that Pantheras itself carries a remarkable past. The dish is believed to have emerged during the colonial period, when Mog cooks from the Chittagong region were trained by British cooks in Kolkata. The British took their 4 PM afternoon tea very seriously, and many snack dishes were developed to accompany it. The Mog cooks possessed an extraordinary skill—they could taste a dish once and recreate it flawlessly, subtly adapting it to suit the local palate.

Through royal patronage, particularly under Raja Nabakrishna Deb of the Shovabazar royal family, these cooks entered Calcutta’s culinary scene. After the British victory at the Battle of Plassey in 1757, celebrations were hosted at Shovabazar Rajbari, further strengthening culinary exchange. Over time, the Mog cooks became renowned for recreating Anglo-Indian dishes with precision and sensitivity.

One such cook, Mr. Barua, worked at prestigious establishments like The Great Eastern Hotel and later catered to Kolkata’s emerging club culture, including spaces such as the Theta-Feta Club, popular among new-age Bengalis. When club culture began to decline, Mr. Barua started his own business in 1934. The legacy was later carried forward by his son Mr. Bidhubhushan Barua, along with his partner Mr. Phatik Chandra Dey. Today, Barua & Dey Fast Food Centre remains the only place known for serving authentic Pantheras—keeping alive a snack that represents an extraordinary culinary lineage.

My journey with this cuisine did not stop there. Soon came Railway Mutton Curry, which completely bowled me over with its depth and balance of flavour. Then followed duck roast, brown vegetable stew, meetha dal, Grandma’s Country Captain Chicken, and many more dishes—each carrying its own rhythm, restraint, and quiet confidence.

The more I tasted, the deeper my admiration grew. This cuisine spoke of patience, thoughtful cooking, and respect for process. One Anglo-Indian dish that deeply inspired me—and that I have since learned to prepare in my own kitchen—is Pantheras. Learning to make it myself helped me understand the discipline, timing, and sensitivity that define Anglo-Indian cooking.

This blog is born from that journey—an aspiration shaped by taste, memory, and admiration. It is a personal celebration of Anglo-Indian cuisine and its beautifully crafted snacks, comforting meals, and timeless dishes.

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A Cuisine Rooted in Identity and Belonging

In Kolkata, Anglo-Indian cuisine is far more than a colonial remnant or club-style indulgence. It is a living culinary identity, shaped by adaptation and survival. Blending British cooking techniques with Indian spices and local ingredients, the cuisine evolved into something uniquely its own.

Food has always been central to Anglo-Indian households. Sunday lunches after church, large family tables, and shared meals were rituals of belonging. In neighbourhoods such as Bow Barracks, Ripon Street, Elliot Road, and Collin Street, kitchens once echoed with conversation, laughter, and the aromas of slow-cooked meats, peppery gravies, and baked desserts.

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What Defines Anglo-Indian Cuisine?

Anglo-Indian food is characterised by slow cooking, gentle spicing, and layered flavours. Heat comes primarily from black pepper rather than chilli, while vinegar, mustard, and sometimes tamarind provide depth and balance. Many dishes are deliberately rested, tasting better the next day.

Some iconic Anglo-Indian dishes enjoyed in Kolkata include:

• Pantheras – crisp, meat-filled pancakes with colonial roots

• Ball Curry served with fragrant yellow rice

• Railway Mutton Curry – developed for long-distance rail journeys

• Duck Roast – bold and celebratory

• Country Captain Chicken – sweet-spicy with colonial influence

• Brown Vegetable Stew – subtle, nourishing, and comforting

• Meetha Dal – mildly sweet and deeply satisfying

• Pish-Pash (Hotchpotch) – a resourceful one-pot rice dish

• Jalfrezi – born from repurposing leftover roasts

• Chicken Cutlets and Aloo Chops – crispy, spiced classics

• Anglo-Indian Pork Sausages – slow-cooked and rich

• Mulligatawny Soup – an Anglo interpretation of pepper broth

Desserts such as bread pudding, caramel custard, plum cake, nut cake, kalkals, rose cookies, and guava cheese complete the experience, especially during Christmas and Easter.

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How Anglo-Indian Food Shaped Kolkata’s Everyday Plate

Over time, Anglo-Indian cuisine quietly entered Bengali homes and city cabins, shaping Kolkata’s everyday comfort food. Cutlets, chops, sausages, baked dishes, puddings, and even the idea of a structured meal with soup, main course, and dessert became familiar elements of the city’s food culture.

The famous Calcutta cutlet, egg devil, fish fry, and kabiraji-style dishes all carry traces of Anglo-Indian influence. What began in community kitchens gradually became part of the city’s shared palate.

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Park Street, Clubs, and Colonial Dining Culture

Anglo-Indian cuisine also defined Kolkata’s club culture and Park Street dining scene. Gymkhanas, railway institutes, and old clubs served roasts, stews, sandwiches, sausages, and puddings—food that was hearty, familiar, and comforting.

As entertainment taxes increased and club culture declined, many of these spaces disappeared. Yet the flavours endured, preserved not in restaurants but in homes.

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Kitchens That Preserved the Cuisine

Despite migration and a shrinking Anglo-Indian population, the cuisine survived because families refused to let it disappear. Recipes were passed down orally, masala blends were closely guarded, and techniques were preserved with care.

Leftovers were never wasted—they became jalfrezis or pish-pash. Cooking extra was tradition, not excess. Food was always prepared with the expectation of sharing.

Women, khansamas, home cooks, and now a handful of passionate home chefs became the true custodians of this culinary legacy.

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Bow Barracks: Where Memory Still Lives

Bow Barracks remains one of the most evocative symbols of Anglo-Indian life in Kolkata. Though quieter today, its lanes still whisper stories of shared meals, Christmas lunches, and kitchens filled with warmth. It stands as a reminder that food can preserve memory even when communities change.

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My Kitchen Version of Pantheras (An Anglo-Indian Classic)

Pantheras may visually resemble a spring roll, but both its method and flavour profile are entirely different. It reflects British culinary influence adapted by Indian and Mog cooks, forming an essential part of Anglo-Indian gastronomy. Traditionally served with evening tea, Pantheras was closely associated with British club culture.

Ingredients

For the Filling

• Chicken keema – 500 g

• Medium onion, finely chopped – 1

• Black pepper – 1 tablespoon

• Lemon juice – 2 tablespoons

• Chopped coriander leaves – 1 cup

• White oil – 2 tablespoons

• Chopped ginger – 1 tablespoon

• Chopped garlic – 1 tablespoon

• Chopped green chillies – 2 tablespoons

• Salt to taste

For the Crêpes

• All-purpose flour – ½ cup

• Egg – 1

• Milk – ½ cup

• Water – 1 cup

• Salt to taste

• Pepper as preferred

• Butter or white oil – 2 tablespoons

For Coating and Frying

• Eggs – 2

• Bread crumbs – 200 g

• White oil for deep frying

Method

Preparing the Filling

1. Wash and clean the chicken keema thoroughly.

2. Boil lightly until semi-tender; drain and keep aside.

3. Heat oil and sauté onion until translucent.

4. Add ginger, garlic, and green chillies; sauté well.

5. Add keema, black pepper, lemon juice, and salt.

6. Cook until dry and fully done.

7. Add coriander leaves and cool completely.

Preparing the Crêpes

1. Whisk all ingredients into a smooth batter.

2. Heat a lightly greased pan.

3. Pour batter to form a thin crêpe.

4. Place filling in the centre and roll gently.

Frying

1. Dip rolls in beaten egg.

2. Coat with bread crumbs.

3. Deep fry until golden and crisp.

4. Drain on absorbent paper.

Serving Suggestion

Serve hot with mustard sauce or chilli sauce, alongside evening tea.

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More Than Food, a Living Legacy

Anglo-Indian cuisine in Kolkata is not frozen in the past. It is a living history of adaptation, resilience, and cultural exchange. It tells stories of railway journeys and family tables, of slow cooking and patient flavours, of identity preserved through taste.

As long as someone is frying Pantheras, resting a curry for tomorrow, or serving ball curry with yellow rice,
Anglo-Indian cuisine will continue to live—quietly, proudly, and deliciously.

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