When International Brand Mcdonald?s Adapted To Indian Tastes

Posted by Ritu Kumari on August 21st, 2017

Global restaurant chain McDonald’s, ever since it arrived on Indian shores, has consistently Indianised its menu by offering a desi twist to McDonald’s classic dishes, besides serving value meals as well as a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.

Much before offering Indian food on its menu, the decision to respect the wishes of Indian vegetarians had been taken by the McDonald’s India franchise. This was done by creating separate kitchens for preparing vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals, despite it being an expensive proposition, obviously. But the cost was no issue when it was a question of building trust amongst its customers in India, which they succeeded in achieving.

Moreover, it made better business sense to offer both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes in the same restaurant than create separate outlets or specialty vegetarian restaurants under the brand name. From the company’s point of view, it was a 50:50 split between veg and non-veg sales. While in Gujarat, the customers leaned towards vegetarian food, in Andhra Pradesh, they looked for meat.

In 1997, just a year after launching in India, McDonald’s India (West & South) introduced its now-famous McAloo Tikki burger. It couldn’t get more Indian than that. A burger across the world meant one with a meaty patty inside, and here was this popular street food trying to make a debut inside a burger. Even as the India franchise owners wondered whether it would work or not, it began growing in popularity and remains a top favourite among Indian customers even today. The McAloo Tikki burger, an aloo-tikki or potato cutlet, served with a dressing of tomato, mayo and fresh onions inside a regular bun, kept the customers coming back.

This was followed by other Indian fusion burgers like Masala Grill Veg, McSpicy Paneer, Masala Grill Chicken, Veg Maharaja Mac and Chicken Maharaja Mac.

The Masala Grill Veg is a burger that will taste familiar to Indians even at the first bite. A dash of Garam Masala, with a sprinkling of bay leaves and peppercorns sprinkled on a grilled patty, is tucked inside two caramelised buns on a bed of fresh onion. It’s as Indian as it gets.

After the vegetarian version, comes the Masala Grill Chicken. The chicken patty is filled with Indian herbs and spices, then grilled and doused in smoky chili sauce made from the finest roasted chillies. It is then packed between caramelised buns, with a topping of fresh crunchy onions – makes for a pukka Indian delight.

The McSpicy Paneer pays ode to the favourite food of Indians – paneer, or cottage cheese. The tender, soft and crispy coated paneer is placed between freshly caramelised bread slices, to the accompaniment of fresh and crisp lettuce leaves and creamy tandoori-taste mayonnaise.

The Maharaja Macs – the Chicken Maharaja Mac and the Veg maharaja Mac – are India’s version of the world-famous “Big Mac” burger that was born in the USA. While the Chicken Maharaja Mac is a double- bun burger with two flame-grilled chicken patties, the Veg Maharaja Mac has two corn-and-cheese patties. Of course, the two versions are for foodies who like their burgers big!