“For a fast city like Mumbai, a quick breakfast by the road side stalls or by the Udipi restaurants seems to be the ideal kick start for the day ahead. Take a foodie journey through the day of the average Mumbaikar.”
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Author: Madhubanti Dutta
Mumbai, the financial capital of India is a host to not just the elite, rich and the famous but is generously shared by the aam junta, most of which belong to the middle and the lower class of the society. While the elite travel by their long and shining cars to work, most of the middle and the lower class citizen travel by jam packed local trains and buses. While the rich shop at plush malls and shops, the chor bazaars in Mumbai which like the fashion street, the linking road ensure that the aam junta is not left far behind as far as the latest fashion is concerned. Truly this city has a place for all everyone. And yes as far as the food in Mumbai, the story is most definitely the same!
McDonald, Pizza Hut, Bombay blues, Baskin Robins you name it and its there in Mumbai. If you have the money, most of these plush joints will succeed in satisfying your taste buds. And what if you don’t have the money? Its even better honey! This is simply because Mumbai is a Potpourri of cheap food delights.
No sooner than the rise of the sun, do the people in this city get going to their work places. And for a fast city like Mumbai, a quick breakfast by the road side stalls or by the Udipi restaurants seems to be a kick start for the day ahead. One can spot people in clusters around the road side stalls, gorging on a breakfast of idlis and sambar or dosas which come for a mere 5 -10 rupees.Idlis and dosas are south Indian food delicacies. While idli is a steamed rice cake, a dosa is a flour based crepe like preparation; however both are eaten with sambhar (lentil based gravy with vegetables in it). If not dosas and idlis, the piping hot vada pavs (a spiced up potato based donut served with buns and fried green chilies) costing just 5 or 6 rupees are available in almost every other nook in the city and are a huge favourite during the breakfast/ snack time. The hygienic standards maintained by these stalls are certainly not the best however, for those of you who are less intrepid; you can indulge in some real yum food fiesta. And for the rest, the Udipi restaurants (cheap south Indian restaurants) in the city, not just serves yum idlis and dosas but also provide the other South Indian delicacies as well.
The clock strikes the lunch/dinner hour and you will see a beeline of people in the khau gullies of Mumbai. The Khau Gullis in Mumbai are basically certain streets in Mumbai which have several tiny stalls and restaurants lined up on them. Be it the Khau Gully near the churchgate railyway station or the one in Mohammad Ali Road, they offer a wide variety of cuisines right from the spicy Indian cuisine to Chinese food and some of them even serve pizzas and burgers, all for a very reasonable price. Of the Indian cuisine, pav bhaji (vegetable gravy served with hot buns and a pat of butter) undoubtedly reigns the list of favourites. The other popular of the Indian cuisine are kebabs( grilled/ boiled meat dishes), bhurji roti (scrambled eggs with bread) and missal pav (a spicy mixture of pulses, potatoes and other spices served with buns). The Indianised version of Chinese is very popular among the masses. The Schezawan noodles and the Hakka noodles available are savored by the people in Mumbai. Pizzas and burgers available at khau gullies though not the best in the city, however they are a good treat for those having a low cash day. You can have a wholesome lunch/dinner at any of the Khau gullies in Mumbai for just 20-50 rupees.
Mumbai is well known for Chaat which basically includes a number of dishes made of yogurt and potatoes and other chaat sauces, which are usually stuffed and served in disc shaped puris. One can often see people relishing chaat on the beaches or in any regular shop in Mumbai. Dahi Batata puri , Paani puri available in Mumbai is undoubtedly among the tastiest available in the country. One serve of any kind of chaat should not exceed 25 rupees. While Frankies (bread stuffed with spicy chicken/ mutton mince or vegetables) available at most stalls/restaurants in the city get your taste buds hot the ‘golas’ (ice crushed cones dipped in flavoured syrups), which come in a wide range of colours from orange, blue, green and black are indeed a tasty chilled treat. A couple of ten ‘ers should easily get you the Frankie/ gola. And for all those of you are calorie conscious, a pick of the many kinds of sandwiches available and a chilled glass of fruit juice should help you please both your hunger pangs as well as your health.
As far as food is concerned, Mumbai is truly cosmopolitan. Be it South Indian, cuisine, Maharashtrian cuisine or Chinese cuisine, you can get all of it here. All you have to do is to keep your inhibitions about hygiene at home and come out on the streets to indulge in the fiesta!
Byline: I am doing my final year of my college in Bachelors of Mass Media from Mumbai. I believe that I am here on earth to fulfill the purpose I have been called for that is to glorify Jesus Christ, my dear father in Heaven in every thing I do. Even though I fall, I stand righteous once again because of Jesus.Job 1:21
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart. [c]
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised.”
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Comments:
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This article reminded me of the hang outs i used to go with all my college buddies. Well written to strike a cord with every person who has experienced the food in mumbai. thumbs up………
Thanks for this trip down memory lane. I make a beeline for the yummy bhel each time I visit Mumbai.