Let’s explore the mouth-watering food of Mumbai!
The cultural diversity of Mumbai is the sole reason why this metropolitan city is blessed with a diverse and wholesome culinary landscape. As for the cultural diversity in the city, that is a culmination of the wave of immigrants from all over the country that come here with a yearning to make it big. The result? A smorgasbord of cooking styles and local flavours that reflect in Mumbai’s foodscape. Here’s a sampling of such must-try foods that define Mumbai’s food culture, dominated by strong Gujarati, Konkan, Goan, Parsi, and of course, Maharashtrian influences.
AKURI TOAST
Rated as one of the best Parsi dishes, every family has its own special way of making this breakfast meal. Though the choice of the ingredients is varied, Akuri is usually made by scrambling eggs with onions, tomatoes (or even raw mangoes when in season), red chilli powder, green chillies, and topped with fresh coriander. Others add milk, jeera (cumin) powder, curry leaves, and even ginger and garlic paste.
Where to find: SodaBottleOpenerWala, Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), and Roshan Bakery & Restaurant
BERRY PULAO
Another culinary gem bestowed on Mumbai from Parsi cuisine is this delicacy. The invention of Berry pulao took place in the busy Iranian cafes of old Bombay. This fragrant pilaf dish featuring Basmati Rice cooked with veggies and topped with fried onions and berries from Iran, is the piece de resistance on SodaBottleOpenerWala’s menu besides other popular Parsi dishes, which are now intricately woven in Mumbai’s culinary tapestry.
Where to find: SodaBottleOpenerWala
VADA PAO
Not mentioning this staple on a list about Mumbai’s popular delicacies would be a literal crime. Vada pav is one of the most humble street food in Mumbai, yet it is tasty and delicious. Wada pav basically has Batata vada which is sandwiched between two slices of a pav (dinner roll) topped with sweet chutney, green chutney, and dry garlic chutney.
Where to find: Virtually every street corner in Mumbai serves batata vada but it’s hard to beat the ones made at Shrikrishna in Dadar Market
RAGDA PATTICE
This gastronomic delight is a combination of ‘Ragda’, soft, spicy chickpeas, and ‘Pattice’, mashed potatoes shaped into fat patties and fried. The ideal way to eat it is to crush the Ragda with the Pattice and top it up with finely chopped onions, tangy tamarind sauce, and fiery green chutney. Mash it all up and dig in for the true flavour of Mumbai. A favourite street food, this local dish is commonly found all over.
Where to find: Kailash Parbat, Vashi, Navi Mumbai, and local street vendors
BHEL PURI
The most commonly sold street food in Mumbai, Bhelpuri features a blend of puffed rice, papdi (small crisp deep-fried flour puris), sev, onions, potatoes, raw mango, and sweet and sour chutney. These ingredients remain the same, it is the proportions in which they are thrown together on the street side that makes all the difference.
Where to find: Soam, Chowpatty, Kailash Parbat, Vashi, and the stalls at Chowpatty and Juhu beaches
A staple in Maharashtrian homes, Varan Bhaat is a kind of soul-satisfying comfort food that is a must-try preparation in Mumbai. This simple and humble dish is made by lightly tempering cooked-till-soft Toor dal (yellow lentil) with ghee (clarified butter), turmeric, and cumin powder. Served over steaming hot rice, this is undoubtedly wholesome comfort food at its best.
Where to find: Diva Maharashtracha, Matunga West, Central Mumbai
GUJARATI THALI
This elaborate meal consists of vegetables, Farsan, Rotis made from various grains (bajra, maida), lentils, rice, and sweet. The idea here is to bung in as many contrasting textures and flavours (sweet, savoury, spicy) in one meal. A true vegetarian delight!
Where to find: Manuhaar, Sahara Star, Mumbai
BUTTER GARLIC CRAB
A delicious seafood preparation wherein a big crab is drowned in tons of butter garlic sauce that seeps into every nook and cranny and coats every morsel of the flesh. Crack open the crab and take a bite. You’ll know immediately that sweet crabmeat and butter with a twist of garlic is a combination made by gods.
Where to find: Mahesh Lunch Home, Sakinaka
BHEJA FRY
Bheja, or goat brain, sauteed with tomatoes, onions, turmeric, green chillies, spices, and garnished with fresh coriander, is a staple for the die-hard carnivores of the city. Eaten with roti (Indian bread) or pao, this melt-in-the-mouth dish has a rich Muslim heritage.
Where to find: Roshan Bakery in Mumbai does a pretty great job with its chef’s special preparation of this luscious dish
Happy Dining.
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