Traditional Food Restaurants and Online Media

India is the subcontinent of classes. Be it the rich, the poor or the ones uniquely in the middle, when it comes to food everybody goes back to the traditional palette that they’ve been brought up on. For the North Indian breakfast is an ‘Aaloo ka Parantha’ and for the coconut lover from the South it is the “Dosa, Chutney and Saambaar” that satiates him/her in the morning. In many cases, these cravings are reversed. For example, for those living in cities it now easy to obtain the food of their choice by simply visiting or ordering from a bevy family restaurants that have sprung up in the past decade or so. Many of these family restaurants specialize in a particular type of cuisine while others offer to go the whole nine yards and offer their customers a plethora of cuisines to choose from.

Even though there has been an invasion of sorts by western food chains; of the local restaurant scenario in India, traditional food has not lost its appeal. Even the burger chomping youth will give a traditional parantha, thepla or a dosa a higher preference that most of the junk food outlets out there.

A lot of people, especially in the middle class segment of the society, choose to celebrate small occasions in the family like a pay hike, the purchase of a new car or simply a good grade scored in school by one of the children. It is at moments like these that these families like to visit a venue that makes lets them eat together as a family and in most cases the food that suits the occasion is traditional food. The aforementioned family restaurants are the very places that make this possible for such families.

However, there are certain restaurants that extended their services to more than those of a typical ‘family restaurant’. Such a restaurant manages to acquire a liquor license and call itself a ‘family restaurant and bar’. This way it can cater to both families and people who want to drink or people who want to have both experiences. In many such restaurants, there are different sections for those who visit with families and those who’re simply there to drink.

These family restaurants, till now used to operate with an old school philosophy of simply making as much money as possible. When these restaurants started out, there was less emphasis on building customer relationships and more on getting in more and more customers. This however has now changed. A lot of these restaurants have started creating their profiles on online platforms that help them garner consumer ratings. Some of these portals are www.zomato.com, www.burrp.com etc. These portals help these family restaurants share other patrons’ feedback, help patrons rate them and in some cases even share their menus.

Since some of the early movers in the ‘family restaurant’ category gained a lot of traction by leveraging social media and other internet based services, there are many others who’ve now entered the technological domain to acquire new age loyalists. Some of these restaurants have now started offering apps specific to their offerings that can be downloaded onto your smart phone. These apps are not only free and branded with the restaurant’s brand identity but also help patrons with the menus, the delicacies, the specials, and the respective price and in some cases the calorific value of each item on the menu!

Tiffin Service as a Modern Convenience

Everyone knows Mumbai as an island home to advertising and films; what most people might forget is another business that is quickly finding its own little niche with enough profits to keep it growing from an unorganized sector to one with better bearings and structure with the metropolitans. This is the world of tiffin services that first began with homemakers around the large city especially in the suburbs cooking in their homes for a large section of professionals or students living away from home.  It was a bunch of women who cooked at home and decided to parcel them in tiffin carriers that could be pedaled to homes close to them. Soon people began endorsing these nutritious and cheap meals that didn’t taste of oil so much as it tasted of lentils.

Now this might seem to be a trifle desultory in terms of growth but most people have only begun to tap into the potentials associated with this sector. Today there are a large number of vendors and there is quick reshuffling of domains into more subcultures with carriers serving different cuisines to different clienteles. There are tiffin boxes that even cater to film stars, and they might call themselves something else but is essentially a derivative of the same concept. High dietary meals that cut down on calories, which are attractive to stars and business professionals alike with little or no time to cook themselves breakfast.

Tiffin services also cater across the different regions and cultures that India is home to like Bengali meals for the community. There is a lot of money in cooking and now this is on its way to evolving into a culture synonymous with a largely hectic schedule that most city dwellers are exposed to. With this sector opening up credentials, there have been forays even by IT professionals quitting lucrative jobs to start Dhaba services that extend to the tiffin box genre of serving people home cooked meals at home. Of course in a city like Mumbai and Delhi most things are home delivered and so why not food? This is the business model that these small entrepreneurs work in and they have managed to evolve into grabbing a clientele that more than keeps them solvent.

Many people even argue that the tiffin carrier business has helped women entrepreneurs come into their own with FICCI endorsing this new trend as a guaranteed empowerment vehicle for women to exercise more than household planning. But this isn’t a domain left entirely to women with a number of commercial establishments now claiming their own slice of the business. The benefits of starting a business like this are the small investments and the potential client base that is indeed large enough to cater to. Of course the possibility of ordering from a fast food chain and other restaurants is always available but a home cooked meal and a cheaper rate definitely make tiffin box meals a source of nutritious food that is bound to satiate your pangs with a much smaller pinch on your wallet.

Tiffin box - A useful product

Certain states have become the industrially prominent places where people belonging to different regions come to acquire work. Leaving their homes and family behind, the hectic schedules utilise a major portion of their daily routine and they are left pining for simple home cooked meals. In order to compensate for the dearth, Tiffin services have been established to provide these employees with nutritive meals. Most of the time, these services are started off by housewives who indulge in preparing food by themselves and sell it to daily customers for a minimal price. These services provide all round meals at reasonable costs which makes it a win win situation for both the parties involved. The service is provided to corporate offices and individual clients as well.

Commercially, this business is the best way for women to balance a career in cooking as well as look after the errands of the household. The cooks have a basic idea of providing quality meals for substantial prices in order to maintain the fluidity of the business. This bright idea has helped a whole lot of housewives to diversify their attention onto more relevant issues like making money.

The Tiffin box is their weapon of mass supply. This product contains layers of individual boxes piled over each other to accommodate all the preparations without mixes, or losing its individuality. The tiffin is constructed to preserve the freshness quotient and retain the moisture and textures of the food preparations. The box is formulated in such a way that the humidity in the atmosphere does not soak up the warmth of the dish. This service is unique and differs from catering services in more than one way. For instance, caterers provide food preparation in a customized format while these services have a personal touch to the proportionality of the ingredients. The customer can request the tiffin maker to reduce the contents like spice or oil as per requirements, and it is implied from the next meal onwards. While in catering, this is not the case. These services deal with quality or quantity, thus their importance has increased on a commercial level as well.

Since Tiffin services are prepared at home in the resident kitchen, the level of hygiene is far superior as compared to restaurants. The gravy or mixtures are prepared on the spot to preserve its freshness while in restaurants and other cafes, the gravy is prepared far before time losing a lot of nutrition in the due course. Since quality is intact and the freshness is maintained, number of employees in various corporate fields as well as certain bachelors indulge in these services to compensate for home cooked meals. With gourmet meals packed up in a tiffin box, people find it easy to carry it with them. Delivery services are also provided that enhance the mobility of the business. This business is upcoming as people are availing its facilities in bulk. The reason for their success is the personalized touch to food preparation and prompt delivery mechanisms.

Enjoy wholesome cuisine with Indian thali

Off late, the definition of food has undergone a slight change. Initially food was a medium of survival or one of three essentials to live, but lately if the dish is not visually appealing and aromatically enticing then the customer fails to indulge completely. A famous chef once quoted, the first morsel of food is psychologically visualised in the mind before it even reaches the tongue. Hence emphasis is given of the visual representation of food and the flavours follow simultaneously. The key to preparing wholesome food is the knack of blending the right proportion of seasoning with the adequate amount vegetative or meat ingredients. In India, innovation and creative is exhibited towards creating large portions of meals filled with bags of flavours. Indian thali is one of the few meals prepared that caters to the needs of an indulgent customer by providing small portions of food on a single platter. Typically this dish contains 3 vegetable preparations accompanied by two three curries and yogurt and a desert to complete its arrangement. On the first look, it appears to be overwhelming but the balance of flavours creates the actual magic in the mouth.

Indian food restaurants embrace the culture in their food, service and ambience. These restaurants combine the spicy textures with subtle flavours to bring out unique flavours. In India, prosperity is depicted by its food and a customer is regarded as a guest, so the portions are large and meant to be shared to enjoy it thoroughly. The idea of utilising the different herbs and spices is to create distinctive textures without overriding the original flavours. The food preparations are rich in ingredients like clarified butter and oil to bring out the zing of the ingredients. Worldwide as well, Indian food has been accepted as one of the most popular cuisines. The complex flavours are not a resulted of complicated procedures, in fact the simplicity of the process and the understanding of the ingredients makes the dish shine. Indian food has its perks no doubt, but sometimes can be a tad bit over the top. Indulgent ingredients like ghee or oil must be limited to minimal in order to actually enjoy its benefits. In order to enhance taste, over usage of these ingredients can lead to obesity and other lifestyle diseases.

The Indian thali is an example of culture and tradition. Since ancient times, food was served on a single platter to the kings and in households as well so that a wholesome meal can be enjoyed. This dish requires immense knowledge of flavours in order to create the right balance of textures. A thali preparation differs from community to community but the basic concept remains unchanged. Indian restaurants have utilised the authentic ingredients to create preparations that depict the culture of the country. The true ethnic feel and vibe of Indian culture is exemplified in their environment as well. Indian cuisine is tough to master but once the infusion of flavours is understood then learning the cuisine becomes much simpler. 

The how and why of the caterer’s service

Weddings and religious functions are prominent events that are carried out to celebrate various occasions. When people get together, food is always the prime component that binds them together. Good food is always remembered, no matter what the occasion, as it is one of the vital components of the event. To cater to such large gatherings, caterer’s services have come into existence. These services comprise of several chefs and cooks to prepare large portions of food, as per the requirements of the organisers. This service has always been an essential requirement at wedding receptions, christenings, and even birthdays, because majority of the people attend functions with the hope of enjoying good food. The trend of categorising the event is largely dependent on the choice of food and the hygiene factor during its preparation. If one of the two is absent, then the entire event suffers the brunt. The key is to maintain a balance between health and hygiene without compensating the flavours on the whole.

Catering services can be utilised as a platform to starting a business or setting foot in the restaurant industry. This is one step away from establishing one’s own restaurant or deli. The reason being, if people enjoy the food then at some point they will wish to indulge in the same flavours; using this as an advantage, the caterer can convert these services into a restaurant. The main idea is perspective, once the idea is clear in the head, then visualising it in reality becomes a whole lot simpler and more practical. These services produce abundant amounts of food at a very retail price, making it a client’s first option. The remembrance of the event is dependent on the food preparation so the client chooses a well renowned caterer to provide the service. This industry has become a booming business owing to the tremendous increase in the demand. Most of the occasions are symbolised by food and catering facilities, hence it becomes vital to preserve the prominence of the service by providing hygienic as well as tasty food.

Caterer’s service is not an easy occupation; as it requires a large amount of manpower, initial investment and chefs that understand the flavour of the ingredients. This job requires consistent contact with clients in order to preserve its popularity on the commercial level. The power of the spoken word can hamper or build the business; hence quality services have to be a crucial thing to be kept in mind by the caterers. Catering service strives on people’s needs to interact socially, hence the more social the area, the number of these services increase subsequently. These services have become an eminent affair owing to the human characteristic of man being a social animal. These catering companies have become a global phenomenon as many people are either investing in the business or enjoying the perks of the service. Either way, its popularity is increasing and is bound to continue owing to the surge in its demand.

Caterers services in Mumbai is a burgeoning business

Caterers services in Mumbai, is a flourishing business because it is closely linked to parties, festival dinners and lunches, weddings and other social functions. Apart from social functions, these services are also extended to corporate needs. Employers can organise for healthy food to be served to their employees. Creating various delicacies from India’s vast culinary palate, these services can cater to any kind of tastes. A corporate catering service has to be just as vigilant about quality of food served as those who cater to parties and social events.

                                         

Caterers can cater to any kind of crowd – from small kitty parties to lavish wedding parties. These services are called in for kitty parties – who usually want ‘chaat’ counters and finger food, to birthday parties – who want starters, main course, desert and juices or for lavish wedding parties – who want various cuisines ranging for Italian to Mexican to Chinese besides various courses of meals. Thus catering services are customisable and have a large scale of operations in Mumbai especially which is the melting pot of cultures – there is someone to eat every kind of food.

                                                                                   

One of the more popular among the food served by catering services is Indian vegetarian food. There are many takers for vegetarian food – since it is considered healthier and more hygienic. Indians, by default prefer home cooked food, but when they have no choice while outside their homes they prefer to eat vegetarian food. This is for not only hygienic reasons – they do not have to eat meat which might not be cleaned in a hygienic manner – but also because it is healthier, much easier to digest.

For caterers, Indian vegetarian food is cheaper to prepare in larger quantities rather than non vegetarian food. Since vegetarian food is consumed in larger quantities, most lavish parties and social events prefer serving that to their guests – making the food bill much more cost effective. There could be several variations in the food served even among vegetarian food, but the cost of the whole meal per plate is much cheaper than when you include a non vegetarian item in the menu.

The latest trend among caterers services is to move away from traditional food, since most Indian palates are open to experimenting with international cuisines. So an Italian, Mexican or Chinese counter is quite frequently seen at weddings and social events. People are also not averse to trying these out at meals served by caterers at their workplace.

When cooked in larger quantities, these cuisines – Italian, Mexican or Chinese, work just fine since there are no delicate spices involved. So even if the catering service misses out on some non essential but important ingredient – say in a Chinese cuisine, the caterer adds salt instead of Ajinomoto – it would still be palatable. Unlike Indian traditional food, a tuned Indian palate can immediately pick up something missing among the ingredients.  This works fine even for the caterers since it is far simpler to whip a non-Indian dish in a larger quantity than an Indian dish. As is the belief of most Indians eating out, they choose to believe that it is best to eat traditional Indian food when cooked in smaller quantities and when cooked at home. Experimentation with food should be left to when you are eating out.

Why are lunch boxes so popular?

Everyone likes to eat homemade, fresh food. Though we all love fast food and junk food and it is widely available, however no one can eat it on an everyday basis.  Junk food, even though it may be quite palatable, is not good for health and imbibes lot of calories that do no good to our body apart from making us fat and obese. When it comes to Indian traditional food, the number of cuisines will definitely overwhelm you. This is one of the reasons why lunch boxes are increasingly gaining popularity amongst the working individuals in India.

People have slowly started realising the various harms caused by junk food and want to avoid it as much as they can. Junk food does not provide the body with essential nutrients and is also fattening. Also, some of the ingredients used can have harmful effect on the body’s digestive system. Hence, many working individuals in India now depend on lunch box providers or caterers to provide them with tasty and nutritious food.

For any catering service provider to succeed, it has to be punctual with the delivery schedules and also ensure they introduce new dishes and preparations to prevent the consumers from getting bored eating the same dish every day. Among the various Indian cuisines that are popular among lunch catering providers, Gujarati cuisine is in demand. The Gujarati community in India is famous for its sweet dishes apart from some other delectable main course dishes. The best thing about Gujarati cuisine is that it is vegetarian. Thus, anyone and everyone can have it. Even when it comes to snacks, no cuisine in India comes as close to Gujarati snacks. They have an astonishing range of snacks that can delight everyone’s palate be it someone who is a South Indian or even a foreigner. Some of their popular snacks include Khandva, Dhokla and Jalebi which are devoured by one and all.  Gujarati snacks are not just popular in India but they also enjoy the same popularity and demand in western countries as a major chunk of Gujarati community is based in Europe and America. These snacks are light on the stomach, crispy and taste good which is why they are so popular across the world.

Tiffin box providers in India have also whipped up their own dishes and preparations to appease their consumers. When you are looking to hire a tiffin box provider for your office, the very first thing you have to check is their punctuality apart from hygiene. You also have to take a consensus within your office colleagues on the type of cuisine that everyone would want to have. Gujarati food is most popular among working individuals. Also the dishes should have no additional preparation time. The customers should be able to eat directly from the lunch box.

Lunch boxes are delivered to thousands of offices on an everyday basis. When you are looking to hire a lunch box provider, you can also ask a nutritionist on what meals should be cooked and delivered. Gujarati food owes its popularity to the fact that it is scrumptious and also nutritious and purely vegetarian.