Indian restaurants offer an important social function for foreign workers in Qatar, especially Asians, by providing cuisine from their home countries. There are over 45 Indian restaurants in Qatar ranging from high-end five-star restaurants to more affordable middle and lower-level options. Restaurateurs face challenges such as high rents, relocation due to new construction, and ensuring compliance with regulations. However, Indian restaurants continue to be an important part of Qatar's dining landscape and social fabric by catering to diverse budgets and tastes.

1. Chapter One
INDIAN CUISINE ADDS SPICE TO LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND
Indian restaurants offer a lifeline to foreign nationals, especially Asians, working in Qatar.
People from Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia,
the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia savour ethnic Indian cuisine. Beyond delicious taste, many
Asians regularly dine at middle level restaurants because they are inexpensive. Low-priced
eateries do good business in Al Khor, Meisaeed and Dukhan, Qatar’s other cities.
Qatar has over 45 Indian cuisine restaurants. Five-star restaurants are in the main
business district while signature outlets of celebrity chefs, upper middleclass, and lower
middleclass eateries dot the city. The number rises to around 70 after including single-shutter,
cafeterias that serve juices, sandwiches, kadak chai (strong tea) and coffee.
Taj Rasoi at Doha Marriott, off the Ras Abu Aboud Highway, and Chingari and Bombay
Balti at Radisson Blu, are among top five-star restaurants.
Kolkata native, Chef Marsel D’Cruse, 49, manages the 42-seater Taj Rasoi since 2002.
He says, “I put my heart and soul in my preparations for Indian diners who yearn for mother’s
magical touch in their food.”
His signature preparations are Thirkee ka Daal, which he cooks for 11 to 12 hours on low
flame, and Vegetable Jahangiri, straight from a Kashmiri farm.
Executive Sous Chef Rajarshi Ganguly is also from Kolkata, but in Qatar on a British
passport. He says, “Taj Rasoi’s presentation is modern, but the taste is genuinely Indian. Its roots
trace back to various Indian cuisines mastered there.”
“The key to preparing a delicacy is using the right ingredients. I use only fresh vegetables
and meat from the butchery, no frozen foodstuff from the cold stores,” says D’Cruse. He shuns
ready-made spices available in packets. He uses common spices like turmeric, chillis, cardamom,
cloves, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, mustard, fennel and fenugreek seeds. “I use 20 different
kinds of spices. I add special spices like paan jad, kush ka jad, pathar ka phul (Stone flower) in
my garam masala.”
Ritz-Carlton’s Banquet and Outdoor Catering Senior Chef de Cuisine, Biju George adapts
Indian cuisine to suit Arab and European guests visiting the five-star hotel in West Bay.
“Our guests are mainly Arabs and Europeans so we adjust spicy Indian preparations to
suit their mild taste. Many diners love our food for its rich flavour and the lingering taste of the
right mix of spices, says 45-year-old Biju, a native of Kerala. His signature dish is chicken and
mutton biryanis which the Ritz-Carlton kitchen team often makes for special banquets with
covers ranging from 600 to 1600 guests.
Next come signature restaurants like Khazana, a franchisee of celebrity Chef Sanjeev
Kapoor at Souq Waqif. Asha’s found at Villaggio Mall, in Aspire Zone in the west end of Doha,
and Saffron at Katara Cultural Village.
Upper middleclass restaurants come next. They serve various ethnic cuisine from major
Indian states; some also serve Chinese and Continental. Prices are between QR 25 to 45. Leading
this category is John Matthew’s Sterling Group that has Caravan, Ponderosa and Pizza Hut at
Ramada Junction, and Bukhara within the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex.
Mathew’s quote the joy of preparing and serving food.

2. Lifestyle Restaurants are the next big chain in this range. Managing Director Yoonus
Salim Vappattu and team planned their ten restaurants with good aesthetics and fancy names.
“Good décor catches diners’ attention,” says 44-year-old Yoonus Salim, living in Qatar close to
two decades.
Their restaurants include Biryani Hut, Idly Factory, and Chocolate House in Wakrah.
Closer to city are Royal Indian at The Mall and Baba ChapaTea. Farther away in West Bay are
Tamarind Indian and Burger Gourmet, which serves various burgers from QR 35 to QR 300.
This group has one Arabian cuisine outlet called Bait Al Azz, a signature Filipino restaurant
called Gerry’s Grill at Freej Al Nasser and Nino that serves pastas, grills, pizza, and burgers.
“We make specialty foods, made with best ingredients, and serve in restaurants designed
with attractive themes,” says Yoonus Salim, “Well-designed restaurants with good colour
schemes encourage diners to linger on and chat.”
Burger Gourmet, on the ground floor of Zig Zag Towers, around 20 kilometers from
Doha city, has an appealing black and white décor where young people throng. Groups of well-
heeled Qatarian men and women, in their late 20s and 30s hang out here. Curiously, many speak
in a westernized English accent, while some speak Arabic language.
“Burger Gourmet is the first international standard burger idea developed in Qatar. Our
restaurants have a good ambience that attracts high-end diners. We believe in providing the best
to our guests,” says Yoonus Salim.
Other restaurants in the same category are Royal Tandoor, Asiana, Aryaas (vegetarian),
Anjappar Chettinad, and Aalishan.
Many middle level restaurants serve ethnic Indian food from Tamil Nadu, Kerala,
Andhra, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. They mainly serve Asian professionals. Among the better
ones are Kebab King, Mazza, Maharaja, Swagat, Saravana Bhavan, Bharat Restaurant, Vasanta
Bhavan, Prestige, Udupi International, Palm Grove, Spices, Hyderabad Deccan, Welcome Dine,
Bombay Chowpatty and Neelima. Qatar’s only Maharashtrian restaurant goes by the name
Maharashtra’s Pride. Aryaas’s branch at Al Meera Consumer Good Company building in Al
Mansoura also ranks in this lot.
There are over one dozen fine dining Indian restaurants in Qatar. High-end executives
and their families regularly dine in these. Other Indian families visit middle-level restaurants.
Single men dine at low-end eateries like the Jawahar restaurants in Al Sadd, Najma, Fereej bin
Abdel Aziz, Salwa Road and Al Khor. Different managements run these, but under a common
sponsor. Athiti and Bombay Sweets in Najma, and Top Star on 23 Jazeera Street, in Fereej Bin
Mahmoud are popular low-end eateries. Top Star offers a full course meal between Qatari Riyals
(QR) 5 to 8 or Indian Rupees (INR) 35 to 136 around @ of QR 1 = Rs 17.
Done style editing up to here.
Restaurants in Qatar do not enjoy a long run as they do in India. Many restaurants close
within three or four years. Reasons vary from change of ownership, poor business, new terms
between partners or sponsor at the end of lease and razing of property to make way for new
constructions.
In 2013, the authorities shut down Bonanza and Badriya, two restaurants from the lower
end of middle level, ahead of new construction. Both located within 25 feet of each other on Ibn
Bin Mahmoud Street served long-time Indian residents from the neighbourhood. Closeness did

3. not conflict their businesses since Bonanza served vegetarian while Badriya focused on biryani
and barbecue chicken.
Bonanza, started by 57-year-old Haja Maidee in 1999, invested QR 1.3 million to
relocate to a much bigger 100-seater outlet adjacent to the traffic lights junction of ‘B’ Ring
Road and Ibn Al Haitham Street. Tragically, high rent and little parking space on the busy road
compelled Maidee to close within nine months.
A native of Koothanallur, in Thiruvaru district, around 315 kms from Chennai, Maidee it
the first cook to launch Tanjavur cooking style in Qatar. His diners, mainly south Indians, acutely
miss idli, vada, dosas, utthapam, various chutneys and competitively priced between QR 4 to 8.
Kolkata-based mechanical engineer Nilangshu Dey, a NRI living in Doha since the last
25 years, says, “Qatar in construction overdrive. So residential and commercial properties in old
localities, particularly those in Musherib, Fereej Bin Mahmoud, Fereej Bin Abdel Aziz and
Mansoura, are either fading into history or relocating.”
One of the first restaurants to relocate due to the demolition plan is Mazza. “We moved
from Al Rayyan Road to Airport Road in 2008,” says Manager Alam. “It is difficult to sever ties
with old clients, but we look at the brighter side of the new property. Its location near the New
Doha International Airport road and ‘D’ Ring Road intersection traffic lights is ideal. It has
ample parking space.”
Indian restaurateurs also remain on tenterhooks due to municipal compliance worries.
“Operating an Indian cuisine restaurant in a foreign country for any owner is a very
difficult business,” says restaurateur Peter Tong. “The manager and the head chef have to ensure
a hundred things conform to industry and local regulator’s safety standards between buying a
vegetable or lentil, to cooking it before serving to the guest. Preparing and serving tasty ethnic
Indian cuisine to patrons in a classy ambience is paramount for me.”
Peter Tong’s professional background explains his fastidiousness for preparing food
hygienically and serving in a classy setting. Prior to arriving Qatar in 1990, he worked for Taj,
Bangalore, and The Oberoi, Bombay. He extended his five-star innings when he joined Ramada,
Doha’s landmark hotel, near the junction of Salwa Road and ‘C’ Ring Road. He pioneered many
Indian cultural firsts for Chingari, one of the 22 restaurants in Ramada, now known as Radisson
Blu, following the change of ownership in July 2012.
As Food and Beverage Manager at Ramada, he was the first to introduce a live ghazal
troupe, the concept of baking tandoori roomali roti before diners, and getting a Rajasthani artisan
to make traditional Indian handicraft bangles for clients at the entrance of Chingari Restaurant.
“One has to be different to create a niche in the market. We started this concept of ethnic
Indian food festivals here with the launch of Punjabi Food Festival in Chingari,” says Peter Tong
who subsequently moved on from Ramada. He is currently the Operations Manager of Princess
Catering Company that has franchise of two marquee brands from Bombay – Sukh Sagar and
Moti Mahal – besides Wok n Walk.
Vegetarian restaurant Sukh Sagar celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2012. Suresh Poojari
started it in 1962 as ‘Juice Centre’ at Marine Drive, Bombay. It still operates from its location
which is two blocks away from Wilson College opposite the famous Chowpatty, meaning
beachfront, a name synonymous with snacks like bhel puri, pani puri and ragada pattees.
Sukh Sagar’s (llc) Dubai-based Managing Director and Suresh’ son, Dhanraj Poojari who
advocates vegetarianism says, “Cooking is all about innovation. There may be a universally
acceptable taste say for biryani, but people have different likes. Someone may like dry bhel puri,
while someone may prefer it wet. There are eight different varieties of sambhar in Andhra

4. Pradesh. Then you have the Bombay taste that has become universal. It is a city of dreams like
New York where all concepts are developed and further scaled up from there.”
Yoonus Salim reiterates the view that taste varies. “Before launching Garden Hyderabadi
Restaurant (now defunct) in Doha, I went on a culinary tour of Hyderabad specifically looking
for the typical Hyderabadi biryani. I tried many restaurants, but each had a different taste.”
Unlike Matthew, Yoonus, Tong, Ganiga, and Kebab King’s Thomas Fernandes, a few
other people are in this business only for profits, not to serve tasty food. They form a pool of
investors, buy a restaurant, operate it for a few years, and then sell when estate value appreciates.
Pune resident Asif Shaikh, 33, bought Mirch Masala restaurant, at Shara Al Khalij near
Jaidah Bridge, for QR 500,000 (INR 8.5 Million approximately) from the previous pool of
owners. He renamed it to Maharashtra’s Pride, rennovated it, hired new kitchen staff, and set up
Qatar’s first ethnic Maharashtrian eatery. “I broke even in less than a year,” says Shaikh who
serves preparations like Gauvarn thali, Moong Masala, Saboodana vadee, poha, sheera,
samosas, kandey bajjee and batata vada.
Businesspersons who are traditionally not restaurateurs often sell their restaurants within
a couple of years for capital gains. This makes the staff, sold along with the rented premises,
insecure.
Ravindran Nair, 52, plans to return to Thissur in Kerala after Homeland Restaurant in
Musherib changed ownership in June 2013. Nair does not admit he is insecure with the new
management being non-Keralite. He diplomatically says, “It is time to go home. I want to be
with my family, I have been working as a cook for 40 years, 30 years in Qatar and ten in India.”
There are few philanthropic individuals not interested in profits. The oldest Indian
restaurant called Bismillah, established in 1960s at Souq Waqif by a Keralite named.. ( , who was
well known more for his philanthropy as well as a Malabari restaurateur. He was one of the first
benefactors of a multitude of Indians, largely from Kerala, who stepped off the boat on to Doha’s
shoes in the ’60s.
Most of them arrived to Doha from the Malabar Coast in Kerala, with the hope of finding
work in order to provide for their families back home in India. The brave fortune-seekers had
little else besides a few possessions, integrity and the will to do hard work in an unfamiliar
country. Barring a small percentage of enterprising Muslim Keralites, not many could speak
beyond a couple of phrases in Arabic language. With nowhere to go, worried young men in their
mid twenties, clutching satchels comprising a few shirts, vests, mundans and toiletries would
often land up at Bismillah Restaurant’s doorstep. The ever-smiling owner’s warm welcome in
Malayalam would extend beyond providing a meal to those who sought his help. He would host
every new man off the boat for months until he found him a suitable job.
With such goodwill attached to Bismillah Restaurant, William Arhana, the new owner
who bought the title in 2009, retained the name, in honour of Bismillah’s contribution to the
expatriate Indian community. The new restaurant is called Bismillah Royal Tandoor and is
located in the refurbished Souq Waqif, architecturally re-designed with wooden rafters, beams
and teakwood frame doors and windows to recreate the 1950 and 60s old world charm.
Old or new, all restaurants tell a story of NRIs from Qatar’s pages of history. The routine
reality is that these Indian cuisine restaurants add a variety of spice in the lives of the lonely-
hearts club band.
Ends.

5. Whether top end, higher middle level, middle level or low-end eateries, there is a seat for
every budget, starting from QR 7 up to QR 500 and above, in Indian owned and managed
restaurants in Qatar that serve a variety of ethnic cuisine from, Malabar, Udupi, Chettinad,
Mangalore, Hyderabad, Mughlai, Punjab, Bengal, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Garhwali, Kashmir,
Puneri, Kolhapuri, Konkani to Goanese.
Good and competitively priced food comes on the table after a lot of effort. There are
myriad challenges a restaurant management has to deal with while managing a multi-national
staff, particularly chefs.
The cost of relocating a restaurant in Qatar is high. Maidee invested close to QR 1.3
Million to move Bonanza to a much bigger place that has100 seats in the ground plus one floor
premise in a better locality. Almost a quarter of a million of this went as rent to hold onto the
new premises for 16 months while he gradually wound up operations at the old place.
“Relocating is like starting all over again,” says 56-year-old Maidee. He is the first to
introduce in Qatar idli, vada, dosas, utthapam and various chutneys (spicy sauces) based on
Tanjavur cooking style, and competitively priced between QR 4 to 8. Revealing the secret of
Bonanza, he says, “We don’t use readymade masalas (mixture of spices) that come in packets.
We prepare all our masalas here by grinding and mixing them proportionately.”
Living in Qatar over 37 years has sharpened Maidee’s business instincts. He goes beyond
complying with Qatar’s strict municipality (called Baladiya in Arabic) regulations. “I don’t wait
for inspectors to find irregularities in my restaurant. I follow the rule book,” says the native of
Koothanallur, in Thiruvaru district, around 315 kms from Chennai. He credits his awareness to
the safety rules he learned while working as Assistant Chef in the canteen of an offshore rig of
Qatar Gas Petroleum Company (now known as Qatar Petroleum) when he first started work in
1976.
The oldest Indian restaurant called Bismillah, established in 1960s at Souq Waqif by a
Keralite named.. ( , who was well known more for his philanthropy as well as a Malabari
restaurateur. He was one of the first benefactors of a multitude of Indians, largely from Kerala,
who stepped off the boat on to Doha’s shoes in the ’60s.
Most of them arrived to Doha from the Malabar Coast in Kerala, with the hope of finding
work in order to provide for their families back home in India. The brave fortune-seekers had
little else besides a few possessions, integrity and the will to do hard work in an unfamiliar
country. Barring a small percentage of enterprising Muslim Keralites, not many could speak
beyond a couple of phrases in Arabic language. With nowhere to go, worried young men in their
mid twenties, clutching rexine satchels comprising a few shirts, vests, mundans and toiletries
would often land up at Bismillah Restaurant’s doorstep. The ever-smiling owner’s warm
welcome in Malayalam would extend beyond providing a meal to those who sought his help. He
would host every new man off the boat for months until he found him a suitable job.

6. With such goodwill attached to Bismillah Restaurant, William Arhana, the new owner
who bought the title in 2009, retained the name, in honour of Bismillah’s contribution to the
expatriate Indian community. The new restaurant is called Bismillah Royal Tandoor and is
located in the refurbished Souq Waqif, architecturally re-designed with wooden rafters, beams
and teakwood frame doors and windows to recreate the 1950 and 60s old world charm.
These Indian cuisine restaurants add a variety of spice in the lives of the lonely-hearts
club band
“Operating an Indian cuisine restaurant in a foreign country for any owner is a very
complex and difficult business, says Peter Tong, a Doha-based restaurateur. The manager and the
head chef have to ensure a hundred things conform to industry and local regulator’s safety
standards between buying a vegetable or lentil, to cooking it before serving to the guest who has
his or her own preferences. Preparing and serving tasty ethnic Indian cuisine to patrons in a
classy ambience is paramount for me and my kitchen staff.”
Peter Tong’s fastidiousness for tasty food, hygienically prepared and served in a setting
that has a classy décor and ambience is rooted in his professional background of working for
five-star hotels. Prior to arriving Qatar in 1990, he worked for Taj, Bangalore, and The Oberoi,
Bombay. He extended his five-star innings when he joined Ramada, Doha’s iconic hotel, located
near the junction of Salwa Road and ‘C’ Ring Road. He pioneered many Indian cultural firsts for
Chingari, one of the 22 restaurants in Ramada, now known as Radisson Blu, following the
ownership change in July 2012.
As Food and Beverage Manager at Ramada, he was the first to introduce a live ghazal
troupe, the concept of baking tandoori roomali roti right in front diners, and getting a Rajasthani
artisan to make traditional Indian handicraft bangles for clients at the entrance of Chingari
Restaurant, located on the ground floor.
“Life and business was languid in Qatar around a decade and a half ago. One had to be
different to create a niche in this market segment. We started this concept of ethnic Indian food
festivals here with the launch of Punjabi Food Festival in Chingari,” says Peter Tong who
subsequently moved (which year ???? ) on from Ramada to start his own business. He is
currently the Operations Manager of Princess Catering Company that has franchise of two
marquee brands from Bombay – Sukh SagarTM and Moti Mahal – besides Wok n Walk.
Vegetarian restaurant Sukh Sagar, which means ocean of happiness in Hindi language,
celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2012. Entrepreneur Suresh Poojari had established it in 1962 as
‘Juice Centre’ in Bombay at Marine Drive, two blocks away from Wilson College opposite the
famous Chowpatty, meaning beachfront, a name synonymous with snacks like bhel puri, pani
puri and ragada pattees.
“When I was planning to start my business here, says Peter Tong, I had done a survey and
found Qatar had many non-vegetarian restaurants, but very few vegetarian outlets. With many

7. vegetarians among the increasing Indian population, nearing the half million mark, I decided to
start one near the former Qatar National Museum10.”
Located in a quiet neighbourhood, close to the Corniche avenue, this multi Indian cuisine
restaurant which also specializes in samosa chaats11, bhel puri, sev puri12, dahi batata puri13 and
varieties of snacks, can be bracketed in the upper tier of middle grade restaurants in Qatar.
Add quote here.
Whether top end, higher middle level, middle level or low-end eateries, there is a seat for
every budget, starting from QR 7 up to QR 500 and above, in Indian owned and managed
restaurants in Qatar that serve a variety of ethnic cuisine from, Malabar, Udupi, Chettinad,
Mangalore, Hyderabad, Mughlai, Punjab, Bengal, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Garhwali, Kashmir,
Puneri, Kolhapuri, Konkani to Goanese.
Good and competitively priced food comes on the table after a lot of effort. There are
myriad challenges a restaurant management has to deal with while managing a multi-national
staff, particularly chefs.
Sameer Adam, who was also associated with Yoonus Salim’s’ Garden Group of
restaurants says, “Managing a multi-cuisine chain of restaurants which, by default, has a multi-
national staff is difficult. One has to ensure all members of the staff are happy. If we cannot look
after our staff then how can we please our guests? So we go the extra mile in serving the interests
of our staff like the accommodation, transport and food requirements before we serve our
guests.”
Preparing daily meals for a multi-national staff is like walking through a minefield.
Some like meat, some like vegetables; someone does not like brinjal, someone does not like
noodles, you name it! There will always be a group of people that will not be happy with the
food.
“The problems do not end when a captain, steward or waitress’s shift ends. There are
other sets of problems at their accommodation. Staff from the Philippines wants fellow
countryman/woman as roommate. Same is the case with Indians, Nepalese and Turks. If this is
settled, someone does not like to watch family drama serials on television, someone likes sports
or Hollywood films; someone has put on the music too loud… the list of complaints is endless.
“The common starting problems for a new recruit in our restaurants are culture shock, adapting
to a new professional environment and compatibility with colleagues coming from different
countries of the world. Staff from non-Asian backgrounds need special orientation to the new
work culture as well as the cultural sensitivities prevailing in Qatar,” says the 41-year-old CEO.

8. Sukh Sagar multinational restaurant chain Managing Director, Dhanraj, Son of Suresh
Poojari, with two decades of experience
For an ambitious man chasing many dreams, 43-year-old Yoonus Salim Vappatu did not have the
freedom to make major decisions during his youth. His parents and older siblings decided what
higher education he should pursue and the university he should enroll. He was neither happy nor
did he resent this system prevailing in his family.
“I had mixed feelings about my father and my older brothers taking crucial decisions for me in
the 1990s,” says Yoonus Salim. “There was feeling of indignation and, yet, at the same time, I
felt relieved because they were taking vital decisions concerning my future. They were taking the
responsibility, not me, I rationalised.”
Yoonus is not an exception. Parental patronage and over protection is part of Indian culture and
tradition. Millions of young boys and girls in India have to deal with this reality. So their
righteous indignation is understandable. Apart from traditional teachings and the gurukul system
where the pupil has to respect and honour his teacher, this practice has its roots in the ancient

9. Hindu joint family system, and the extended community which often participates in the process
of a family making its decisions on education, buying estate or selecting a bride or bridegroom.
“Family values of most Indians, like respecting, honouring and obeying older members while
dotting younger ones, are based on the pyramid shape, says Yoonus Salim. “ It is very
hierarchical. The youngest has to obey the one above him in the chain of command. This system
actually helps most Indians in their professional lives later in life.”
Perhaps, this helped him when he first stepped out of India, armed with Masters in Hospitality
Management and his long-cherished dream of starting a restaurant business.
Yoonus Salim was 24 years old in 1994 when he arrived in Doha. He started as a hotel
management trainee at Sofitel Hotel - now known as Mercure Hotel Doha - situated close to the
traffic lights at the junction of Wadi Musherib Street and Abdulla bin Thani Street in Musherib
which was then downtown Doha, punctuated as it was along the pavements with eateries, money
exchanges, photo studious, small and large shops selling garments, shoes, wrist-watches,
cellphones, shoes, television, kitchen appliances and other consumables, long before the era of
malls.
went through all the struggles that a newcomer faces in the Gulf.
Misnad Abdulla Al-Misnad, Director Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar Petroleum.
For an ambitious man with many dreams, who did not have the freedom to take major decisions
concerning his life during his youth, 43-year-old Yoonus Salim Vappatu makes important
decisions every day as Managing Director overseeing a chain of ten international restaurant
brands under Savy Hospitality and Real Estate company with limited liability (wll).
for him. They decided which branch of education he should pursue and selected the university he
should enroll.
Chingari, taj rasoi, Bombay balti, caravan, star of india, alishan, sukh sagar, tandoor, Bukhara,
higher middle level

10. ”
nationalities Identifying the challenges, Adam says,
In this part of the world salary is based on the nationality not on positions. So convincing a
certain Nationality person is difficult when he/she comes to know the salary they get is less than
the other national who is in a junior position. The groups and sub groups they create in the work
place. Gelling them as a team needs lot of effort.
*The culture shock (the organisational culture as well as the culture of the country), especially
with those from non Asian countries
*We provide free accommodation, transportation and food. Making food for different nationals is
a headache. There will always be a group of people who will never be happy with the food.
*Providing accommodation is another challenge. They want to be with their own country mates
rather than mixing with other nationalities
The problem we faces with Chefs are finding a substitute when they are off or on vacation.
Finding the right ingredients are a problem. Since we are a multi-concepts restaurant chain. Our
requirements on food stuff are a plenty.
Peter Tong and Dhanraj Poojari
The taste of ethnic Indian cuisine as well as locations of restaurants, many of which have
expanded in well-known multi-national brands, as spread globally.
This author was pleasantly surprised when a Doha-based friend introduced him to Sukh Sagar
vegetarian restaurant. It is small restaurant, located adjacent to the Old Museum, in a quiet
locality away from the buzz of traffic, where diners don’t have to worry about parking space.
Notes:
1. Najma: A middleclass locality, veryclose tothe NewDohaInternational Airport,spreadbetween Al NajmaStreet, Al MansouraStreet and Al
Khalidiya Street andC RingRoad. It comprises Non Resident Indians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Nepalese, Sri Lankans, Filipinos, Chinese,
Egyptians,Sudanese, Jordanians, Palestinians andotherArabcommunities. Qatar's biggest usedandnewfurniture andhome appliances market
called Souq Al Haraj is located here. There are many Indian restaurants, Arab bakeries, groceries, laundries, saloons, automo bile garages,
decorative paints and hardware shops.
2. Butter Chicken: a popular north Indian preparation that has bone chicken pieces in thick gravy whipped up in a creamy sauce made with
cashews, almonds, tomatoes, andspices like cumin, fenugreek seeds, bay leaves, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon, onions, green chillies all
cooked in butter and oil.
3. Bhel Puri: made from puffedrice andsev - copper wire thickfriedyellowcolour needles made from lentil dough – boiled potato pieces, cut
fresh onions, spices, tamarind sauce with sugar, coriander and green chillies sauce. All layered over four or five flat fired purees, one inch
diameter, and the whole mixture is garnished with scrapings of fresh coconut and green coriander leaves.
4. Dosa (noun): friedcrepe, aroundeight ortenA4 papers from fermentedrice batterandblack lentils andservedwith green chillies sauce, fresh
coconut milksauce, somerestaurants also serve tomato puree sauce and other lentil sauce. This staple dish is widely popular in all southern
Indian states Karnataka, AndhraPradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, as well as being popular in other countries like Sri Lanka and Singapore.
5 Ghazal (noun): Wikipedia defines ghazal as a poetic formcomprisingrhymingcouplets anda refrain, with eachline sharingthesame meter. A
ghazal is a poetic expressionof theprotagonist praisinghis/her lover’s beauty, orexpressinggrief at the deathof a partner, separation, or being

11. dumped. Ghazals usually feature all aspects oflove, specifically an illicit andunattainable love.The formof poetry is ancient andscholars say it
originated in 6th-century Arabic verse. It is derived from the Arabian panegyric qasida.
6. Tandoor (noun): A clayoven to bake flat bread(or chapatti) usedoriginallyin northernIndia andPakistan. Tandoori (adjective): denoting or
relating to a style of Indian cooking based on the use of a tandoor.
7. Roomali roti: Roomal (noun), roomali (adjective) literally a handkerchief, roti, flat bread that is usually oven (tandoor) baked.
8. Pani puri: Pani (noun) water, puri (noun), friedthin, spherical, hollowflat crisp. Also known as gol gappa,paani kay bataashe in Hindi, and
Puchka in Bangla. It is an eveningsnack soldby roadside vendors in all over India. The vendor breaks hollow crisp with a spoon and stuff its
with a fillingof mashedboiledpotatoes with black salt, salt,somespices, tamarind pulp (made by mashing ripe tamarind in tamarind water),
chilli powder.
9.
10. Qatar National Museum (QNM): Located close to Doha Corniche, near the roundabout named after it . According to Qatar Museums
Authority(www.qma.com.qa), “The QNMopenedin 1975in a restoredpalaceoriginallybuilt in theearly20thcentury by Sheikh Abdullah bin
Jassim Al Thani. It servedas his family residence andthe seat ofgovernment forapproximately 25years. Besides theoriginal Emiri Palace, the
former QNM includeda museum of the State,a lagoonanda verypopular marine aquarium. In1980the buildingwon the Agha Khan award for
restoration and rehabilitation of Islamic architecture.”
11. Samosa chaat:Samosa (noun), chaat (tasty), chaats (plural) is a pyramid shaped deep fried dumpling whose outer shell is refined wheat
flour andcarom seeds. Stuffedinside is a batter of potatoes,green peas, choppedginger, greenandredchillies,cumin seeds, dry mango powder
and a mix of hot spices in cooking oil.
11
, bhel puri, sev puri12
, dahi batata puri13