Food in Train Services from TravelKhana.Com

TravelKhana provides a platform of food delivery in train for India wide rail passengers. TravelKhana connects passengers of Indian Railways to several restaurants situated near the Indian rail network.

It provides a variety of choice to travellers in terms of cuisines and different prices. The automated platform of TravelKhana tracks trains across India in real time. This is to make sure that passengers get meals of their choice fresh and piping hot, in time.

Vendors and restaurants get additional business through this system. Also, it completes an entire circle from point of ordering to delivery and to customer feedback.

TravelKhana operates through call centre interface - 8800313131, web interface – www.travelkhana.com, and mobile app interface – www.play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.travelkhana. You can save more on your food order through web interface or via mobile app.

TravelKhana.com was founded by Pushpinder Singh, a technocrat. It was launched in Delhi with a capital of Rs 50 lakh, invested by founders and promoters. The idea was incubated in CDAC, NOIDA.

In the period – November to December 2011, the company did some regional testing and launched a fully fledged ordering platform only from January 2012. Today, the company operates on a margin of 10-20% of amount ordered, but this is likely to be enhanced to 15-25% as volumes grow and there is more business to vendors.

Logistics of food delivery is the responsibility of vendors. But TravelKhana tracks trains and ensures that meals are delivered efficiently and on time. TravelKhana started operations at 5 stations: Kota, Ajmer, Jaipur, Gwalior and Bhopal. Passengers passing through these stations could order meals of their choice. TravelKhana is currently serving 6000 trains across 500 cities. Indian Railways see 6 billion passengers travelling by the network on an annual basis. Premium travellers account for 10% of this market, which is their directly targeted market. TravelKhana has tied up with over 200 restaurants near the Indian rail network. The rail budgets of the government have announced that such services for passengers will be promoted India wide.

Pushpinder Singh, the Founder and CEO of TravelKhana, has a B-tech degree from BHU and masters in computer science from BITS Pilani. He has over 15 years experience in the software industry. The founders of TravelKhana.com have a passion for travel. They realized that there are very less options of food for tourists and travellers. This is especially true for passengers of Indian Railways and there is a big gap between demand and supply. Being a frequent train traveller, Pushpinder Singh understood this anomaly and the idea for TravelKhana.com was born. The founders invested around Rs 20 lakh in addition to revenues accrued from services. Promoters committed an additional Rs 30 lakh to the venture.

While starting up, the company faced many obstacles like training vendors, logistics and operation management and opposition from existing and established players. TravelKhana’s aim is to let travellers enjoy their train journey with choice of food in train to them fresh and hot.

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TravelKhana Offers Quality Foods Online in Trains at Affordable Rates

Every time you travel in a long-distance train, you may be coming across at least one instance of unhygienic, unhealthy and unaffordable foods, served by the railway pantry. Keeping that in mind, TravelKhana, an association of Indian Railway, has stepped into providing train passengers with fresh, hot and delicious food at rock bottom prices from its food delivery app, website or over phone. The company strives to offer travelers a menu, which is as vast and varied as the Indian culture. The menu contains a variety of items, including Chinese and Italian cuisines, Vegetarian, non-vegetarian, south Indian, North Indian, condiments and soft drinks and so on.

Food Ordering Tips at TravelKhana -

All you have to do is to either send an SMS or use TravelKhana mobile app or log on to the home page website of the company. Enter your PNR number and choose the railway station you want the food to be delivered at. The company offers you flexibility to select the restaurants that company has partnered with. You can easily check out a variety of food items. Choose a dish of your choice and place your order either by calling through your phone, or over the website. Choose to pay the bill online or ‘cash on delivery'.

Customer Values -

To value every customer and every new client like the foods, TravelKhana is leaving no stone unturned to satisfy passenger’s test. This brand is known to keep changing its partner restaurants depending on what is most popular among customers. It has no limit on its offers or the kind of cuisines it provides. According to an article published in ‘The Financial Express’, dated July 27, 2014, based on customer feedback, TravelKhana keeps changing its offerings.

How TravelKhana Operates its Business?

TravelKhana has exclusive working model. The company has tied up with hundreds of restaurants across the country. It takes passenger’s orders on these restaurants’ behalf over the telephone, internet SMS or through user-friendly app. Food experts employed by TravelKhana coordinate the food delivery with the restaurants, focusing on food quality and keeping an eye on train timings.

In case a train is running late, professionals at the company simultaneously update the restaurant and the customer by calling or sending an SMS, informing them new time of delivery. The company, however, makes sure that the food reaches fresh and hot to the customer using the delivery mechanism of the restaurants from where the food has been ordered.

Schemes & Offers -

TravelKhana new schemes and offers for customers from time to time such a heavy discount rates on order any food items. Currently, the company is offering flat discounts on mobile app orders.

Bottom Line -

Thus, call the company’s food service number or book your order online by entering the dates and route you will be travelling and you can get the food right at your bert

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TravelKhana: A Technological Boon for Indian Railways

Indian railways have been the symbol of growth and development in this country since the time of colonialism. Travelling in a train is sheer joy which everyone values in this country for lifetime.  The revolution bought by technology in this field has further enhanced the prospects of making sure that boarding trains and making reservation is just like a piece of cake.

Indian Railway Logo

Small feed rail routes have been developed which connects smaller towns and cities and currently covers nearly 28 across the length and breadth of the country.

Travelling by train in India has evolved a lot over the period of time with comfort, convenience and rail connectivity improving significantly. Every year, TravelKhana a leading food delivery service provider in train has been doing their best by introducing new utilities at their online portal Travelkhana.com and upgrades existing technology that will make the travelling experience all the more relaxing and joyful for the railway passengers.

TravelKhana

Currently TravelKhana Offering These Utilities/Services for Indian Railway –

1. Food in Train

2. Check PNR status

3. PNR status on Mobile

4. Track Train

5. Indian Railways Reservation

6. Indian Railways Time Table

At the other hand IRCTC  technology has brought fore to the people or travellers - where the IRCTC train schedule has made booking of tickets much more faster and easier for the people though the online site- www.irctc.co.in. The ministry of railways also helps people by publishing the Indian railway time table every year which includes the change in timings as well as the addition of new trains. This IRCTC time table is available at stations and online as well where you can download it easily. The IRCTC train schedule provides detailed information about various train timings and gets update about any sort of changes in train routes or timings. Find out more about the details of express and super fast express trains and major stoppages that come along the way.

The Indian Railway Time Table is structured to find Details of Trains using either of the Following:

• Station names

• Train name

• Train number or the route map for minor stations

Indian Railway Time Table

TravelKhana in gives detailed train timings information about the tourism initiatives of the railway ministry luxury trains, hill trains, pass facility, circular tickets, and special facilities for foreigners and menu for meals.

The Indian railway timetable also includes detailed maps giving the rail routes with broad, meter and narrow gauge tracks clearly marked. The rules regarding refunds, cancellations, booking under the TATKAL scheme, passenger amenities and passenger fares are also detailed in the booklet.

All the details in the railway timetable are available in an updated form on the extremely user friendly website www.travelkhana.com/travelkhana/indian-railways-time-table. The IRCTC website allows booking of railway tickets through the Internet around the clock except for a one-hour maintenance window. Can book tickets any day there is no restriction on this. The IRCTC website has a frequently asked questions section, which clarifies commonly encountered doubts for the benefit of travelers.

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How to Enjoy Food on Indian Trains

Most of us have experienced the impeccable meal service on airlines. The quality of food is really top class being delicious and safe. Now those who travel by train also wish the food on trains be at least a fraction of good as much as that on flights.

The airlines hire the service of only the best vendors so their food is of top quality. The menu of rail food is boring, tasteless and insipid. Some prefer not to eat than consume the food offered on railways. This is especially the case with pantry car catering on long distance trains.

Food stalls on railway stations offer slightly better tasting food, but there are two problems. One is that the `conditions on stations might be unhygienic with contaminated water and the scourge of flies and insects. The vendors at stations use unwanted waste material to prepare meals so as to cut down cost and hoodwink customers. The second is that train may not stop as stations for sufficient time to purchase food items.

The question befuddling everyone is why IRCTC and Indian Railways are unable to provide quality food to passengers. Why can’t it function efficiently like airplane food? Why is it impossible for the largest rail network in the world (Indian Railways) to feed its passengers? Compare this to airlines where food is charged exorbitantly, but still has many takers as food is delicious and of high quality. The bottom-line is that if the food is good, it will sell.

Now, there is good news. Recently the private companies have found a means to improve food availability on trains. Several private operators, like Travelkhana.com, provide food delivery on seat by taking online and phone orders. These operators have tied up with over 200 restaurants with local restaurants of stations across India.

On seat delivery of food is made available at no extra cost. For placing g orders, one must access the site www.travelkhana.com or ring up the helpline number available at the site. You must furnish details like train number, coach, berth number, etc. The passenger can choose from an amazing variety of food choice   to be served by various vendors of the site. The site currently serves 2000 trains plying daily in India.

The food is packed well ensuring it reaches you with no spillage or damage. The food arrives hot and fresh and tastes good. If the train is exceedingly late, the order gets cancelled automatically. Hence, it is a no trouble- no fuss way of eating during a long distance journey. The food gets delivered to your seat and you have the option of cash on delivery provided you keep change ready to pay.

Thus, the good news is that airline like service of catering has arrived on Indian Railways. Even for moderate price, the ordinary passenger can have access to good food like good lunch on train. The good news is that PNR status enquiry service of www.travelkhana.com is also linked to IRCTC. You can track the Passenger Name Record number (PNR indicating bookings status) just like tracking your meal order with www.travelkhana.com.

Author Bio:
Jyoti Rana is a freelance journalist. Her areas of interest are sports, leisure and travel. She has travelled extensively by Indian Railways. She contributes tips and articles on travel by the Great Indian Railways to websites like http://foodintrain.in .

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Exotic North Indian Dishes

The North Indian Cuisine which is influenced by the Indian chefs who migrated from the North of India especially Punjabi style restaurants, influences lots of Indian restaurants around the globe.
They created a fusion of the two great cuisines which are;

• The local, and
• The Home

These two fusions were able to purchase Indian Cuisine by embracing cream sauces in their Indian recipes. Dairy products are used in such a high proportion thus distinguishing the North Indian cuisine from the rest, these include; Milk, Paneer, Ghee (Clarified butter), and Yoghurt (Yoghourt, Yogurt) A Gravies But beside the above common dairy products, there are other common ingredients like; § Chilies, § Saffron, and § Nuts. Also flours of different kind are used to make different kind of breads such as; v Chapattis, v Rotis, v Phulkas, v Puris, and v Naan.

The North Indian Menu: Let's start by the Appetizers;
1. Appetizers:

• Samosa — these are triangular pastries prepared with vegetables, flavoured with exotic herbs, which go or served with yogurt or mint chutney and spices.
• Pakora — these are spiced onion slices and built with a chick pea flour batter coat, they are then deep fried to form a golden brown piece that is served with a yogurt or mint chutney.
• Lamb Kebab — these are Lamb chops that are sprinkled with garlic extract or ginger, mildly seasoned, marinated and cooked over charcoal, they go together with yogurt or mint chutney.
• Chicken or Paneer Tikka — these are some Succulent boneless pieces of chicken breast or paneer, marinated in spices and yogurt, prepared in the tandoori oven until tender, after that they are either served with yogurt or mint chutney.
• Seek Kebab — this is a Minced lamb, marinated with ginger or garlic and skewered, exotic spices and prepared in the tandoori oven, after that they are also served with either yogurt or mint chutney.

2. Vegetarian Entrees:

• Vegetable Jalfrezi — This is a tossed in butter seasonal vegetables and mildly seasoned with cumin seed, cayenne pepper and turmeric.
• Paneer Kofta — This are homemade koftas prepared in creamy cheese ground nuts, vegetables, which are mixed with raisins and nuts, then they go in a creamy sauce.
• Palak Paneer — This is a specialty from the North India. It contains cottage cheese that are homemade, they are deep-fried and prepared in fresh pureed spinach that is mildly spiced.
• Dum Aloo — This consists of small potatoes that are exotically flavoured using fresh herbs and fresh ground spices, then they are sautéed and prepared in a sauce of yogurt garnished with chopped coriander leaves.
• Dal Makhani — These are lentils prepared on a moderate fire using butter until they are tender, there after they are mildly spiced and remarked using fresh herbs.

3. Meat Dishes:

• A Lamb Roganjosh — This is not complicated in any way! It's just some lamb curry from Kashmir richly prepared, which by using exotic spices, they are delicately flavoured.
• A Chicken Tikka — Here, tandoori oven is used to prepare Succulent pieces of exotic spices marinated chicken, then it is finished using tomato, butter sauce and cream.
• A Lamb Vamdaloo — this is a well prepared lamb dish that is supposed to be authentic spicy, hot, sharp and tangy.
• A Korma — This is the most popular dish to keep guests well entertained. It's a northern delicacy and it is prepared using lots of cream, yogurt, coconut and rose-water. It is then garnished using almonds, raisins, and fried onions.
• A Tandoori chicken — this is just a full chicken baked in the clay oven.

4. Side Dishes of North India: o La Cena Esta Servida, o Plain Basmati rice, o Basmati rice fried, o Peas Pilau served together with fresh peas, o Vegetable pilau served with mixed vegetables, o Tandoori breads goes along with Plain naan, Garlic naan, and Roti, o Cheese and Onion Kulcha Alu Paratha made delicious by potato and herb Paratha, o Lacchader which is "Flaky" Side Condiments and Raitas prepared using moderate Tomato and onion, o "kachumber" known as Kachumbari in Kenya, is "Cucumber salad and yogurt raita".

About The Author:
Hannah Brooklyn is a Student from United Kingdom who loves to travel and write on Food and travel niche. Hannah has traveled to India,Australia,Switzerland, educating people on Healthy Lifestyle is her keen Interest. She engages in all types of outdoor adventure, explores the local way of life. Presently working on Esta USA visa provider.

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