East flavours in Central India

Nagpur: For those with a sweet tooth, Ananda Bhandar has always evoked a desire for popping a kheer kadam in the mouth or digging into an earthen pot of mishti doi. The old eatery in Sitabuldi has been the favourite destination for authentic Bengali sweets and savoury items. And it’s not just the flavours of the sweets. Around 24 photographs of Bengali leaders and icons adorn the walls as an echo of the rich Bengali ethos.
Set-up up in 1932 by Manmohan Das, the place flourished well into the 90s selling the quintessential Bengali delights — rosgullas, sandesh and sweet curd. “Those were pre-Independence days and many British officers who had their office in Maharajbagh visited the shop to have rosgullas,” says Asim Das who now oversees the sweet section of the restaurant.
“Now too all the staff who prepare the sweets are Bengalis. We do not use LPG and the sweets are made in boilers which run on steam,” says Das and adds, “This ensures that the right amount of heat is given to the milk or paneer which forms the basis of all Bengali mithais. The vessels also do not get overheated or burned.”
As all sweets are milk-based, Das ensures that he gets a consistent quality. “The sweets manufactured by us are carried to US, Dubai and other cities in the country too,” he says with pride.
The shop sees a spike in business during puja and wedding season. “Bengalis gift special sweet package called totto in their weddings. In this, auspicious symbols like butterfly, fish, shankh and a pair of dolls are made of mithai. In the city, we are the only ones who have been doing it for years,” says Das.
But though Ananda Bhandar has a steady clientele, its business began to dwindle in the mid-nineties as competition grew. Unable to cope with the changing scenario, Asim’s father Narayan Das sold out his sweet shop to a local businessman Vijay Talewar in 2011. “I also got the goodwill and the loyal customers of this place. The brand has tremendous dignity as Manmohan Das was a much respected member of Bengali community,” says Talewar who has known the family for long. “Asim continues to manage the sweets section as he knows how to prepare them,” he says.
“The place began selling South Indian snacks in 2000 but was not doing very well. Now I have introduced a thaali for Rs110 and another deluxe thaali for Rs180. Both have unlimited food and are a big hit. We are serving nearly 250 of these every day,” says Talewar about the changes he has brought about. Even the a-la-carte items on the vegetarian menu are in the range of Rs50 to 100. “I want to get back the footfalls and revive its lost glory,” says Talewar explaining the low rates.
He has other plans too. The previous effort to open more outlets of Ananda Bhandar had not succeeded. “But now I will be giving out 25 franchisees in the city to the educated unemployed who will sell the stuff made here,” he says about his effort to further push the brand.
(This occasional column looks at some of the old eateries in the city, when they started and how they have evolved. Do you know of any? E-mail this reporter with exact locations and a little description. We will try featuring it if it fits the theme)