mumbai chinese style

hmmm sounds corny I know but the ubiquitous chinese food stall on the road is often seen as one which is not really chinese at all. In Bombay it is called "masala chinese" and is heavily spiced. There was such a food stall called "Liao's Kit" on Hill road bandra which changed into a so-called "restaurant". This entailed changing from a stall onto the road to small stall inside a garage.

There is also such a stall at Nariman point where food which smells delicious but is of indeterminate origin and all over Bombay such stalls dot the landscape. Eat at your own risk and be prepared to face the consequences.

There is also the Bombay restaurant which makes "chinese" food such as stomach on turner road, bandra and one called china gate which makes the same fare, tasty chilli chinese food.... try the american chopsuey its filling and flavourful without being nasty on the stomach. On the whole better to stick to the restaurants like Gypsy Chinese in Dadar rather than the stalls as the taste is largely the same :)

Bakeries have been around in Bombay for some time now and have evolved it’s own brand of street food. These started off as small little bakeries all over the place and over a period of time have evolved to making Pavs (the erstwhile lifeblood of Bombay) and a number of croissants, pies and sandwiches which have developed their own unique taste which has it’s own coinage in the City.

My favorite is Hearch’s Bakery which is located in Bandra off Hill road which has Mutton Chops (actually large buttons of potato and mutton), chicken sandwiches, mutton rolls, mutton pies and chicken stuff as well as yummy chilly chicken.

There are a number of bakeries which I have not even tried out which you should try – go for the chicken and mutton treats…. They are all very tasty and go with what you find interesting.

Candies and Hot breads are the new entrants in the business but I feel their quality has suffered and they are not as good as one would expect and the french bread place I head about has the worst kind of customer service you would hear of.... but I will desist from ranting as that is not what this blog is about.

Edenist

The close relative

This is intended as an alternative to the Bhel Puri post..... in case you tried it and did not like it, there is a close relative to the Bhel Puri called the Sev Batata Puri or just Batata Puri.

Similar to the Bhel Puri but without the puffed rice and directly translated Sev Batata Puri is basically Sev (yellow crunchy delicate fried vermicelli+ Potato + Puri). The Batata Puri is more uniform in taste than the Bhel Puri and has a better base of Potatoes and there is a Puri with every little bite.

I personally prefer this to the bhel puri other than a notable exception of a variety which is made at home with an overpowering taste of mint, coriander and green chilly chutney, but thats an aside.

You can find Sev Batata Puri almost anywhere but Kailash Parbat (funnily called a "Hindu Hotel") which is a fast food equivalent makes delicious Sev Puri... try it you will not regret it, however, most Sev Batata Puris are of a good standard and dont wait to find a Kailash Parbat.

Edenist

Egg anyone?

We go from the Puri family to the egg family – the Bombay omelette comes in many shapes and sizes and combinations – with the basic masala omelette which is egg batter with onions, green chillies, fresh coriander and red chilly masala, salt and sometimes pepper as well to the sublime omelette pav you find in Stadium restaurant in Churchgate.

Usually omelette pav is found all over the city, Nariman point, Fort and Churchgate being the strongholds of this dish. Make sure you see it being cooked fresh and dig in. All over the city you will find differences in taste and texture with the basic masala omelette being pretty good, so don’t fear.

Omelette in India is cooked well, not the runny type French omelette so take this under advisement as you may get what you did not bargain for. But if you are an egg lover like I am, go for it…. Its hot, spicy, tasty and my dish of choice from the road side vendor to the Irani Stadium restaurant, it’s all good.

Edenist.

Into the mix

The true test of good food is a feeling deep in the soul while eating it (sometimes with the little ingredient which makes you reach for more) and a feeling of fulness when one has finished. Bhel or Bhelpuri is such a dish, with it's puffed rice, sev (you gotta see this, the description would just make you feel unsatisfied) and chopped onions, chutney, chopped potatoes, some fresh dhania (coriander) and a taste to beat the best.... if done well.

If you want to taste the authentic variety, it is better to visit a road food stall almost anywhere in Bombay - Elco is one of the forerunners, but a smll stall tucked away in a lane in Santacruz or along Juhu beach will serve just as well. The real deal involves eating it with a Papdi (fried stuff - i'll pass on the description) and eating it fresh with lotsa nimbu (lemon).

Try it - its tasty and if done well, you will love the mint and chilly taste.

Edenist

Dosa Diner

To digress from the largely local fare, I’ve decided to have a slight diversion and focus on the ubiquitous Dosa. The Dosa is a paper thin batter made from pulses which is stretched on a flat cooking surface. Browned on one side and white on the inside, the best Dosa IMHO is filled with a potato mixture and called masala dosa.

In Bombay, the masala dosa is quite different from the Chennai one – the masala is more soul made like a bhaji and the sambhar or lentil accompaniment is thicker, sweeter than and not as hot as the one down south.

It also has a chutney made of coconut which is white and quite tasty (not hot at all). Be sure to try a hot dosa as a cold one is just not the same. Shiv Sagar makes quite a mean dosa, but dosas can be had in all areas of Bombay (usually where the office crowd hangs around for a bite during lunch hours).

There is also the “paper dosa” which is a large humungous version of the same item, without the masala, but definitely not what I would recommend, though it has it’s own fan following….

Edenist

Whats Kaiku?

Hmmm a bit like Bombay Haiku - making a song and dance of the good street food I would like to write about.... Moving on from the Bombay Burger or the Wada Pav, lets now tackle the issue of Pani puri and the yumminess that it is.

Pani Puri (paanee poorie) is a little fried roundel filled with channa (chick peas), potato bits, some boondi (some fried goodness - little balls of it) and hot and sweet soluble water - trust me this doesnt sound as interesting as tasting it.

If you really want to have Pani Puri, befriend a good pal in Bombay and ask them to make it for you. You can also have Pani Puri at Elco Arcare at Hill Road in Bandra.... its awesome, it looks hygenic but you must be prepared for a tummy ache.

Its worth it. The best Pani Puri can be found in varying locales such as Fort, Bandra, Santacruz and Khar - normally on hand carts and once you've had it you can smell a Pani Puri a mile off so don't despair.

Variations abound so embark on this eating adventure with something which Anthony Bourdain seems to exhibit - a certain Glasnost.

Ciao