Written by Ramaswamy Ganapathy
The city of Mumbai is known for its dense population and its hustling and bustling life. This is hard to look at from a distant viewpoint. Though, little do non – residents know about its fast food and culture. Mumbai’s fast food is very popular within the city and across Maharashtra. A lot of street food joints thrive in all the nooks and corners of the city. You would find gullies filled with street food stalls, busy markets, and a lot of people enjoying the street food at all times of the day. Since eating outside gets expensive, a lot of “Mumbaikars” thrive on the street food snack.
Let us explore this aspect of Mumbai where street food meets the culture for many. Below is a list of Top 10 Street food’s you would find when you hit the streets of Mumbai:
- Vada pav: Mumbai is known as the Vada pav capital of India. This is the most famous street food available
Mumbai Street Foods
across the streets of Mumbai. Hundreds of people queue up around popular localvada pav vendors. There is nothing like a tasty potato smashed fried ball, that is wedged inside an Indian bun called ‘pav’ with nothing but Indian spiced up sauces (chutneys) and garlic sprinkled chutney that would make for a wholesome snack.
- Panipuri: Many say that this snack makes them want to cry. That is true, the spicy tamarind liquid with sweet sauce and a mix of sev and chickpeas makes you want to cry! This spicy liquid would hit you in your throat and your eyes might water. Do not worry though, the spice can be altered to your liking, with the balance of sweet chutney of-course. There is no other craving as a Pani puri craving.
- Dosa: A snack originated from the southern parts of India that made its way to Mumbai. A pancake bread called dosa is made out of rice and gram and is thin in size like a paper. Dosa is always accompanied with sambar and coconut chutney combinations. Although, Mumbai has many variants of this pancake with pizza-like toppings and its very own and infamous Masala dosa. Don’t miss out on this snack and its wide range of variations.
Mumbai Shawarma – Frankie
- Frankie: Ever crave for a juicy and tasty shawarma, this will kick it up a notch. The wheat flatbread is wrapped around tasty veggie contents, nodules, Manchurian, chicken, and is stuffed with many sauces. This one snack can turn a starter into a meal. Try this if you want to skip your meal and still have some food in you. There are many variations for the same but the most famous ones are vegetarian or chicken, Frankie.
- Sandwiches: Tons of variants on this bad boy, there is nothing like a cheese toast that can make your day. Mumbai brings you tons of variants on the veggie version of sandwiches. Usually stuffed with potato, onion, tomato, and capsicums they come in various sizes and different combinations.
- Pav bhaji: One of the famous snack orders for veg restaurants and street food vendors as well. Although, there aren’t as many pav bhaji vendors on the street as there are for others. Pav bhaji still ranks on top of a foodies craving list. The notorious Indian buttered bun called ‘pav’ makes its way again. Along with a runny gravy called bhaji which is served with few chopped pieces of onion and lemon that make it into a hefty snack.
Samosas
- Samosa:Although, linked to its origins from Gujarat. A samosa is a fried triangle patty filled with boiled mashed potato and green peas. Samosas can be spicy on its own butits usually accompanied by a bunch of sweet, spicy sauce variants called chutney. Samosas can have variable fillings inside them more so with cottage cheese and many more. Samosas are sold along with pav at the street food vendors, turning it into an infamous ‘samosa pav’.
- Bhelpuri: Puffed rice flakes with variable spice and sweet sauce (chutney) combos along with sliced pieces of boiled potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and salted groundnuts, makes what we call ‘bhel puri’. This snack is as famous as vada pav and is available on most nooks and corners of the street. There are many variants to bhel puri but, the most popular ones are dry and the wet variants.
- Sevpuri: A deep-fried bread made out of whole wheat flour acts as the base on top which lays mashed potatoes, chopped tomatoes, and onions. It is topped with spicy and sweet chutneys the whole assembly has salt and pepper sprinkled on it. The final contents are topped with sev. Sev puris are popular among bhel puri vendors and it serves as a crunchy alternative.
Mumbai City, India
- Chai and bun-maska: This is a snack staple, as we know everyone in India would drink chai (tea). The tea is made a lot creamier and sugary along with Indian spices called masala to add more taste and flavor. The evening tea is sometimes accompanied with a bun and a butter spread called bun maska).
Although there is more to be added to the list make sure that you visit Mumbai and explore the rest! Happy snacking!
