Farrukhabad (Uttar Pradesh): The 73-year-old Ram Nagariya fair that is being held on the banks of River Ganga from January 25 in Uttar Pradesh's Farrukhabad, will continue till February 25. People from across the country visit the fair after taking a holy dip in the Ganga. The centre of attraction at the fair is the lip-smacking roasted potatoes served with chutney.
The dish has remained the most popular food item for more than seven decades at the fair. Nearly 150 shopkeepers who put up outlets in the fair do business worth Rs 2.5 crore by selling roasted potatoes in 30 days.
The Ram Nagariya fair was started in 1950 and roasted potatoes and chutney are being sold since then. According to shopkeepers, each of them manage to sell more than one quintal of roasted potatoes every day. Shopkeeper Satish said that he gets the raw potatoes at Rs 10-15 per kg. Then the potatoes are roasted with a variety of spices in sand and served to customers along with chutney. The roasted potatoes are sold for Rs 80 per kg to people who visit the fair, he said.
Another shopkeeper Sheela said that the taste is enhanced by adding around 35 types of spices to the potatoes while roasting it with salt and butter. The potatoes are roasted until they are completely cooked. After which, a plate of roasted potatoes is served to customers with spicy chutney made from coriander, garlic and chilly. She said that the dish is available 24 hours a day at the fair.
Tourists come to this fair from many cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Agra. Whenever they come here, they make it a point to eat the popular roasted potatoes.
People visiting the fair said that the dish has a unique taste that can't be found anywhere else. A customer said that buying a dish of roasted potatoes is the first thing he does whenever he visits this fair.
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