1. 40 Mumbai foods we can't live without
The history of food in Mumbai is closely linked to the growth of this city from fishing village to
megapolis. As wave after wave of immigrants from all over the country came with dreams of gold in
their eyes, they brought their culinary treasures with them. The result? A smorgasbord of cooking
styles and street food that reflects our cosmopolitanism as much as our carbohydrate-fueled work
ethic.
Here's a sampling of 40 must-try foods that define Mumbai's food culture, with Muslim, Gujarati,
Goan, Coastal, South Indian, Parsi and of course local Maharashtran influences.
Parsi akuri, Mumbai's scrambled eggs. 1. Akuri on toast
Move over scrambled eggs, the Parsi Akuri cometh. Rated as one of the great Parsi dishes, every
family has its own special way of making this breakfast meal. Though variations of the ingredients
are vociferously debated, 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.
Try the Akuri on Toast at Jimmy Boy, 11 Bank Street, Vikas Building, Off Horniman Circle, Fort. Tel:
+91 (0) 22 2266 2503
2. Baida roti
This one is an interesting envelope. Spiced meat -- chicken or minced mutton, even bheja (brain) --
and whipped eggs with masala-fied fried onions enveloped in a square shaped dough and pan fried.
Though served with sliced onion rings and green chutney, they're delicious even without
accompaniment.
A lot of people swear by the Baida Roti at Bade Mian, Tullock Road, Behind Taj Mahal Hotel, Apollo
2. Bunder, evenings only. Tel: +91 (0) 22 2284 8038 Batata vada, a
Mumbai icon.3. Batata vada
Whether it's for breakfast, teatime, or anytime, one thing is for sure, Mumbaikars can't live without
the Batata Vada bite. This well-liked fast food dumpling is made by mashing boiled potatoes with
green chilies, ginger, garlic, lime juice, turmeric, and fresh coriander, then dipped in a besan (gram
flour) batter and deep fried. It's served either with a green chutney or fried green chillies.
Virtually every street corner will have an outstanding Batata Vada seller but it's hard to beat the
ones made at Shrikrishna, near Chabildas High School, Dadar Market.
4. Butter chicken
This ubiquitous dish traces its roots to the days of the Mughals when calorie counting was a thing of
the future. This must-order dish when Indian families go out for dinner is made from chunks of
chicken, marinated overnight in a yogurt and spice mix that includes ginger garlic paste and lime
juice. It is then grilled or pan-fried. An ultra rich sauce made with butter, tomato puree, cumin,
garam masalas and fresh cream is then poured over it. Best had with Indian breads like rotis, naan
or parathas. Don't confuse it with chicken tikka masala, which is a story for another day.
While available at every kind of eatery, the butter chicken at Punjab Grill is worth dying for. Level 3,
Palladium Mall, Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel. Tel: +91 (0) 22 4347 3980
The classic Bombay Sandwich.5. The Bombay sandwich
This street side invention is a combination of the most unlikely ingredients. Lavishly buttered white
bread and sandwiched between them thin slices of beetroot, boiled potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes,
onion rings, and mint chutney. Cut into four triangles so that you can handle all the layers without
4. You may wonder how bread and butter can become such an iconic union. But it's not merely bread
and this is not merely butter. It's brun or gutli pao -- a local bread that is unique to Mumbai -- and
it's crisp and hard and crumbly on the outside and soft inside. The Brun is then sliced and lashings of
butter are applied lavishly. Some even sprinkle quite a bit of sugar. It is usually accompanied by the
sweet Irani chai. Dipping the brun maska in the chai is the only way to eat it.
Available at most Irani restaurants, the Brun Maska at Kyani & Co is historic. 657 Jer Mahal Estate,
Opp. Metro Cinema, Dhobi Talao, Tel: +91 (0) 22 2201 1492. Also try it at B Merwan, Opp. Grant
Road Station (E), Tel: +91 (0) 22 2309 3321
Bhel puri at the Taj Hotel.9. Bhel puri
The most commonly sold chaat on the streets of Mumbai, every bhel walla will have his own
matchless blend and a considerable 7pm fan following. While the ingredients -- puffed rice, papadi
(small crisp deep fried flour puris), sev, onions, potatoes, raw mango and sweet and sour chutney --
remain the same, it is the proportions in which they are thrown together on the street side that
makes the difference.
Bhel puri is available everywhere. The stalls at Chowpatty and Juhu beaches draw throngs of die-
hard fans. But if you want a bhel puri with ambience, try it at Sea Lounge, Taj Mahal Hotel, Apollo
Bunder. Tel: +91 (0) 22 6665 3366
10. Chicken mayo roll
Almost every school or college canteen serves it. Most single screen cinema houses showing English
movies display it during the interval. Most bakeries will have their version, neatly wrapped in
cellophane, at the counter. Some grocery stores in up market areas stock it along with grain and
rice. It's hard to believe that plain boiled chicken doused in sweet-ish mayonnaise with a celery leaf
for dressing, all wrapped up in a bread roll can be so popular in a spice loving city. But it is.
One of the creamiest chicken mayo rolls can be had at Paradise, Sindh Chambers, Shahid Bhagat
Singh Road, Colaba, Tel: +91 22 22832874. Or try it at Candies, Mac Ronells, 5A Pali Hill, St.
Andrews Road, Bandra (W). Tel: +91 22 26424125
11. Chicken manchurian
Here's a dish that even the Chinese over on the mainland haven't heard about. Snigger, snigger. Yet
it's on the menu of the roadside handcart Chinese food hawker and the Chinese restaurant in the
fancy five-star hotel. Chicken manchurian, a phrase that has come to be the face of Chinese food in
5. India, is nothing but deep-fried batter-coated chicken cubes in an onion, green chillies, garlic,
vinegar and soy sauce gravy. Eaten with rice, it never fails to get a sigh of contentment from those
partaking of this gastronomic oddity.
If you want to taste the real thing, try it where it was created, China Garden, Om Chambers, Kemps
Corner. Tel: +91 (0) 22 2363 0841
Trishna's butter pepper garlic crab.12. Butter garlic crab
It doesn't trace its roots to Chinese, Continental or Indian cuisines. It comes from Butter Land, an
imagined place that thrives on the premise that anything tastes great with melted butter. A
delicious, simple dish, 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.
The best butter garlic crab can be found at Mumbai's most famous seafood restaurant. Trishna, Sai
Baba Marg, Near Rhythm House, Kala Ghoda, Fort. Tel: +91 22 22703213
13. Dhoklas and farsaan
These popular snacks are so integral to food loving Gujaratis that no meal is complete without them.
And when traveling abroad, they don't leave home without a little parcel tucked away in their
luggage. Dhoklas or 'khummun' are made from the fermented batter of chickpeas, steamed and then
spiced with chillies and ginger and tempered with mustard seed. Farsan, a broad term for savories
encompassing sev and gathiya are crisp deep-fried spiced gram flour creations in pasta like shapes.
Several stores stock these popular snacks. But try them here: Chedda Dry Fruits & Snacks, 41 Ridge
Road, Walkeshwar. Tel: +91 22 (0) 2369 9442. Dave Farsan Mart, 10 Babulnath Road, near
Chowpatty. Tel: +91 (0) 22 6657 8311. Go-Go Snacks, Bhavan's College Lane, Chowpatty. Tel: +91
22 (0) 2361 9968.
6. Falooda, a desi dessert.14. Falooda
This adaptation of a Persian dessert was brought to India by the Mughals. A rich drink, Falooda is
vermicelli mixed with milk, almonds, pistachios, a bit of rose syrup and the key ingredient -- sabza or
basil seeds -- topped up with two scoops of ice cream. Refreshing, rosy, energizing, it's a great pick-
me-up on a hot day.
Badshah, at 152/156 LT Marg, Opp. Crawford Market. Tel: +91 (0) 22 2342 1943, has a reputation
for their falooda.
15. Fish and prawn curry
These two dishes are as old as Mumbai herself (remember, this city started off as a fishing village
under various kings and sultanates until the Portuguese and English discovered it in 1534). This
coconut-based light curry can be prepared using a variety of fish or prawn. But the most popular
curries use surmai (kingfish), pomfret (butter fish), bangda (mackerel) or bombil (Bombay duck).
And the only way to truly enjoy it is with par boiled country rice.
For Konkani and Malvani style fish curry go to Sadichha, B-5 Gandhi Nagar, Opp. MIG Club,
Bandra (E), Tel: +91 (0) 22 2651 0175. For Karwar style fish curry there's Fresh Catch, Lt. Kotnis
Marg, Near Fire Brigade, Off L J Road, Mahim (W). Tel: +91 (0) 22 2444 8942
16. Frankie
Inspired by the Lebanese pita bread wrap and suitably Indianized, the Frankie, or should I say the
Tibbs Frankie, has satiated hordes of the hungry in search of a quick lip-smacking snack. Basically,
it's a juicy naan bread with an egg coating and stuffed with mutton or chicken, rolled up and
sprinkled with a unique masala that gives it its special flavor. The vegetarian option does not use
eggs and the stuffings include paneer or potatoes.
Available all over the city. For a Tibbs Frankie closest to you, call +91 (0) 22 2821 4698
7. Locals call it the gujju thaali.17. Gujarati thaalis
In fast food terms think of this as a large, all-you-can-eat combo platter served on your table in
unlimited quantities. Three types of farsan (fried snacky things with a plethora of chutneys). Two
kinds of vegetables. Two kinds of lentils. Dal and kadhi (hot and spicy yoghurt based dish). A basket
of different rotis and puris (deep fried breads). Two kinds of rice. Two desserts. And mango pulp
which the purists pour all over the plate. All this for a modest price. Gasp! A note on Gujarati
cuisine: most dishes tend to be on the sweet side and that makes an interesting combination with the
spiciness of the food. Mumbaikers either love it or ignore it.
Try Golden Star Thali, 330 Raja Rammohan Roy Road, Opp. Charni Road Station, Girgaum, Tel: +91
(0) 22 2363 1983. Or, Chetana, 34 K Dubash Marg, Kala Ghoda, Fort. Tel: +91 (0) 22 2284 4968
18. Kheema pao
Minced mutton cooked with onions, garlic, tomatoes, chillies and spices takes on many avatars here.
In its original form, it is refereed to as plain Kheema. Topped with a crisply fried sunny side up egg,
it is called kheema single fry. And scrambled with eggs, it is called ghotala. And all three are best
eaten with Mumbai's signature pao bread bun. Traditionally a breakfast dish, it is now eaten at all
times of the day or night.
Try it at Stadium Restaurant, IMC Building, Veer Nariman Road, Churchgate, Tel: +91 (0) 22 2204
6819. Or at Olympia, Rahim Mansion, 1 Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, Colaba, Tel: +91 (0) 22 2202
1043.
Grilled kebabs are a staple. 19. Kebabs
While the kebab per se may not be unique to Mumbai or the region, a few varieties that emerged
8. from the Bohri Muslim community are truly unique. Gurda (kidney) and kaleji (liver) top this list.
Charcoal grilled, they go great with freshly sliced onions and a squeeze of lime.
Try it at Ayubs, on the street behind Rhythm House, Kala Ghoda, open only in the evenings. The best
beef kebabs are to be found at Sarvi, 184/196 Dimtimkar Road, opposite Nagpada Police Station,
Byculla (W). Tel: +91 9833 533 305. And for some outstanding north west frontier style Kebabs, go
to Peshawari, ITC Grand Maratha, Sahar Road, Andheri (E), Tel: +91 (0) 22 2830 3030
20. Kolhapuri mutton
The hotter the temperature of a city, the hotter the food. And it's true of this mutton dish that has its
roots in Kolhapur, a city in the south of Maharashtra. It comes in two coconut based gravy
variations. The nuclear strength version is called Tambda Rassa (a red chili spiced extravaganza).
And the milder version is called Pandhara Rassa (yoghurt, cashew nuts and raisin embellished). Both
go well with either rotis or rice when you're in the mood for a feast.
Taste the heat at Purepur Kolhapur, 1, Aditya Apartments, Parleshwar Road, Parleshwar Mandir,
Vile Parle (E). Tel: +91 (0) 22 2613 4569
Maharashtran style kanda poha.21. Kanda poha
A must-have in Maharashtrian families, you will rarely find a badly made kanda poha dish. This
simple, easy to make snack is made with kanda (onions) and poha (flaked rice) mixed with chopped
potatoes and green chillies, sometimes even peas. Tempered with mustard seeds and garnished with
fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime, it lights up dull days. And cements the many days in a
marriage together.
Try it at Aswad, L J Road, Opp. Shiv Sena Bhavan, Dadar (W). Tel: +91 (0) 22 2445 1871
22. Misal pao
Quintessentially from Pune, this rustic dish is made from a mix of curried sprouted lentils, topped
with batata (potato) bhaji, poha (rice flakes), chivda, farsan, raw chopped onions and tomato. This
hot and spicy dish is eaten with pao bread. To cut the fire, add some yogurt.
A good version can be found at Vinay Health Home, 71/83, Jawahar Mansion, Fanaswadi-
Thakurdwar Corner, Girgaum. Tel: +91 (0) 22 2208 1211
23. Modak
10. Pao bhaji off the street.27. Pao bhaji
This specialty dish from the by-lanes of Mumbai has mashed steamed mixed vegetables (mainly
potatoes, peas, tomatoes, onions and green pepper) cooked in spices and loads of butter. It is eaten
with pao, which is shallow fried in even more butter and served with chopped onions. Sometimes
cheese and paneer (cottage cheese) are added. People from all over India come to Mumbai to eat
pao bhaji.Â
Though widely available at local restaurants, try the sinful pao bhaji at Sardar, 166A Tardeo Road
Junction, Opp. Bus Depot, Tardeo. Tel: +91 (0) 22 2353 0208
28. Prawns koliwada
Contrary to popular belief that this dish originated on the
Konkan coast, it is actually a very Mumbai dish and the
story goes that it was created in the Sion fishing village,
or koliwada, by -- and here's the twist -- a north Indian
immigrant from Punjab. These deep-fried prawns
marinated in a batter of flour, spices and ginger garlic
paste can be identified by their signature red color. And
they are crunchy yet melt in the mouth. Pick the smaller
sized prawns, they taste better.
Try the real thing at Hazara, GTB Nagar, Near the
Gurudwara, Sion (W). Tel: +91 (0) 22 2409 2617
11. Nalli nihari, a Muslim specialty.29. Nalli nihari
The phrase "breakfast like a king" gets taken to another level when you dig into a plate of Muslim
nalli nihari. You could probably fight a war after this power meal made of soft and tender mutton
shanks in a rich, greasy gravy filled with marrow and steeped in spices, the flavors exploding with
delight. A crisp roti makes for the perfect accompaniment. Can you stomach this for breakfast?
The best Nalli Nihari can be had at Noor Mohammadi, 179 Wazir Building, Abdul Hakim Noor
Mohammadi Chowk, Bhendi Bazaar. Tel: +91 (0) 22 2347 6188. Just make sure you reach before
noon or you may leave disappointed.
30. Puran poli
A festive dish made by Maharashtrians and Gujaratis especially during Holi (to celebrate the end of
the winter season) and Dussehra (to celebrate the triumph of Lord Ram over the demon Raavan). It
is made by simmering chana dal (yellow gram) with sugar or jaggery (molasses or gur) till it dries
up, and then hand-ground to smoothen it out. Nutmeg and cardamom powders are the flavorings.
Palm sized balls of this paste are stuffed into wheat flour dough and rolled out to be roasted on a
tawa frying pan with a little ghee (clarified butter). Do add a lot of ghee when you're eating them,
they taste tops then.Â
Puran polis can be found in some grocery stores but they are a poor mass produced version of the
real thing. The real ones can only be found in a Maharashtrian or Gujarati home.Â
31. Ragda pattice
This twin delight is a combination of ragda, soft spicy rugged flavored chickpeas, and pattice,
mashed potatoes shaped into fat patties and fried. The ideal way is to eat it is to crush the ragda
with the pattice and pile on the accompaniments -- finely chopped onions, tangy tamarind sauce and
fiery green chutney. Mash it all up and dig in for the true flavor of Mumbai.Â
A favorite street food, it is part of the chaat family and is commonly found all over. A good place to
try it is Kailash Parbat, Sheela Mahal, 1st Pasta Lane, Colaba. Tel: +91 (0) 22 2284 1972
12. Sabudana vada is fasting food. 32. Sabudana vada
For Maharashtrians, sabudana vada is the traditional 'upvas' or fasting food and the really hardcore
folk fast up to four times a week. And the good news is that the restaurants never fail to oblige with
hot crisp sabudana vadas for those who don't have the time to make it at home. Sago is soaked until
it puffs up. Crushed boiled potatoes, green chillies, coriander leaves and salt are kneaded in. They
are then fashioned into palm-sized patties and deep fried until they turn crisp and golden. And then
one bite leads to another and another.
Sabudana vadas are available at most Udipi hotels and roadside stalls. But try the ones at the R K
Studio Canteen, Chembur. They are really special.
33. Samosa
It's best to bite into a hot one, hiding under a street stall during a typical Mumbai monsoon
downpour. When you go through the crisp crust, you meet the steaming and savory-with-a-hin-
-of-sour chunks of spiced potatoes and peas. Lovingly shaped into triangles and deep fried, these
calorie busters are worth the one week that you'll need on the treadmill to work it off. But a samosa
can also give you heart at that last leg of your day when transport is not in sight, it's dark and
there's a long way home.
You can ask for Guru Kripa samosas at many stores across Mumbai. Or go to the original Guru Kripa
Hotel, 40, Guru Kripa Building, near SIES College, Sion. Tel: +91 (0) 22 2407 1237
Mumbai's favorite sizzler from Kobe.34. Sizzlers
As kids, a sizzler was part of the "growing up in Mumbai" experience. The sight of a sizzler arriving
at your table, like an old steam engine, sizzling and steaming and spluttering to a halt in front of
13. you, was an exciting experience. A combination of grilled meats and vegetables served on what looks
like a hot chunk of black iron, with a side of mashed potatoes or fries and gravy. Sizzlers come in
several vegetarian options too. Long lines at restaurants are a testimony to its enduring
popularity.Â
Give sizzlers a try at places synonymous with the word. Such as Kobe, 13/14 Sukh Sagar, Hughes
Road, Opera House. Tel: +91 (0) 22 23632174. Or Yoko, West View, S V Road, near Akbarally's,
Santacruz (W). Tel: +91 (0) 22 2649 2313Â
Pork sorpatel, a Goan delicacy. 35. Sorpatel and vindaloo
These Goan specialties set your taste buds on fire and grandmothers are rumored to pass out feni
shots (a strong Goan brew made from palm or cashew nuts) to douse the flames. The sorpatel has all
parts of the pig, including its blood, in the recipe. And the vindaloo is made with chunks of fatty pork
meat cooked with spices, red chillies and lots of vinegar. Ideally, they are eaten the next day, after
having spent the night soaking in all the juices and flavors.Â
Try sorpatel, vindaloo and other Goan delicacies at City Kitchen, 301 Shahid Bhagat Singh Road,
Fort. Tel: +91 (0) 22 2261 0002. Or, New Martin Hotel, 11 Glamour House, Strand Cinema Road,
Colaba. Tel: +91 (0) 22 2202 9606
36. South Indian 'meals'
"Meals Ready" is a common sign found outside South Indian restaurants. In front of Udipi hotels, a
euphemism for all south Indian cuisine, it means vegetarian meals laid out on a thaali, a stainless
steel plate, or on a traditional banana leaf. A couple of vegetables, sambar (spicy and sour lentils and
vegetables boiled with masalas and spices), rasam (a hot and fiery lentil soup-like dish) and curds
(yoghurt) served with heaps of rice and eaten in that order. A non-vegetarian version of the 'Meals'
can be found in 'Military' hotels.
Try the 'meals' at this 68-year-old haven: Rama Nayak's Udipi Shree Krishna Boarding, bang outside
the Matunga (E) station. Tel: +91 (0) 22 2414 2422
14. Zhunka bhakar. 37. Zhunka bhakar
This dish has deep roots in the farming and working class communities of interior Maharashtra.
Considered the common man's food, a political decision was made at the highest echelons of
government to make it available everywhere. Overnight, thousands of zhunka bhakar stalls opened,
none pricing it more than Rs 10. Traditionally, the zhunka is made using chopped onions tempered
with mustard seeds and kadipatta leaves mixed with chickpea flour and is dry. It is eaten with jowar
(millet) bhakri or roti.Â
Try the stalls opposite Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (originally called Victoria Terminus) and BMC
Headquarters.
38. Varan bhaat
If you wanted to name one truly soul satisfying food of Mumbai city, then this would be it. The
simple and truly humble dish is made by lightly tempering cooked-till-soft toor dal (a lentil) with
ghee (clarified butter), turmeric and cumin powder. Served over steaming hot rice, or bhaat, it
assumes magical, mythical proportions.Â
A staple in Maharashtrian homes, that's really where you should be eating it. But do give Diva
Maharashtracha a try. T H Kataria Marg, Mahim. Tel: +91 (0) 22 2445 4433.
Fresh, steamed, healthy South Indian idlis.39. South Indian tiffin
(idlis and vadas)
What started as tiffin in British India -- a light Megapolis hack meal that was had between meals --
has become a rage all over the country. And especially in hard working Mumbai. Here you will find a
South Indian tiffin available every half a kilometer and at any time of day or night. These steamed