Unhappy meal: Why desi fast food is so limited and boring

“Foreign brands tend to assume that Indians eat a certain way,” says Pratap, who consulted with a well-known multinational chain between 2012 and 13, and signed an NDA which forbids her to reveal specific details. Goswamy agrees. “That ideology, of trying to become Indian, as with Subway adding hariyali kebab to its offerings, definitely has an impact,” he says. Multinational food brands entering the country also have pan-India ambitions. “They think, ‘What is that one thing that will work for the whole country?’ Then they hit upon dosas or momos because they are popular across India. But it’s so generic,” says Pratap. “That’s sad for them – and for us.”

India’s diversity is its strength. That strength is also a challenge for anyone standardising a food product. “The quality of mutton you get in Calcutta, you will not get in other areas. The quality of mutton that you get in Lucknow, you will not get in Bombay,” says Goswamy. “Produce is one place that they (the multinational chains) go very wrong, but it’s not their fault. The agricultural scene in the United States is highly regulated, starting with what seeds are being used. When you need to buy for the country, you will never get standard excellent produce. You might get standard mediocre produce. If lettuce is wilted, they will not even put it on the shelf. Nothing like that exists here.”

India’s diverse food preferences also make it hard to experiment. Chicken outsells all meats. Only a few vegetables are common to diets across India. “I would be very frustrated if I had to keep thinking of things to do with just vegetables and chicken or soybean,” says Pratap. “At least Burger King has mutton. I’m not sure why McDonald’s doesn’t,” Goswamy laments. “It could be that people worry that the lamb may have beef mixed in. Largely, the market is very judgmental.”

Any brand hoping to open 50 outlets must offer a standard product to be able to win over trust. “They have the burden of creating a product that has to travel pan-India, frozen, thorough an inconsistent cold-chain, has to live in a freezer, needs to have a cooking time of x minutes, needs to sit on the shelf for x minutes,” Pratap says. That’s where the hacks come in. “Most big chains do not use raw eggs” Goswamy says. “Liquid eggs are delivered to them in bag.” This allows for easy portioning and a longer shelf life.” Customers pay for the convenience, not the taste.

“It’s really all a matter of cost,” Goswamy says. “Every chain knows that their food costs need to be 20% of what you pay for the final product. The company really has no choice but to source the cheapest produce. India is such a price-sensitive market that a chain will never even be able to put good quality paneer in any product.” That explains why even the Indian menu can’t match up to the food we’re used to.