Mumbai Street Food: Explore The Lip-Smacking Delicacies Of The City Of Dreams

Each food in Mumbai offers a story of authenticity and creativity, from the legendary pav bhaji, to the delectable sev puri.

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New Delhi: Bombay street food is a culinary treasure that reflects the city's rich history and culture. Each food offers a story of authenticity and creativity, from the legendary pav bhaji, to the delectable sev puri. Roadside vendors also prepare delights such as crunchy and savoury pani puri and bhel puri and also the oh! so famous Vada Pav. These street-side wonders not only feed the hungry but also give wings to the hundreds of dreams that find fulfillment in Bombay.

So, step into the bright and bustling streets of Bombay, where the air is filled with the aroma of spices and flavours that will surely add a charm to your weekend mood.

1. Sea Bass Sev Puri:

Sev Puri itself is a classic Indian street food dish that originated in the state of Maharashtra, particularly in the city of Mumbai. It is a type of chaat that consists of crispy puris (fried dough shells) topped with various flavorful ingredients, including chutneys, diced potatoes, onions, tomatoes, sev (crunchy chickpea flour noodles), and spices. The dish is known for its vibrant flavors, textures, and the balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy elements.

Speaking about this fusion dish, Chef Prakash Chettiyar, Director of Culinary, JW Marriott Kolkata said, "This fusion dish combines elements of Indian street food and seafood. It is a creative twist on the traditional Sev Puri, a popular chaat (savory snack) in India. The addition of sea bass, a type of white fish known for its delicate flavor and flaky texture, to the traditional Sev Puri is likely an innovative twist introduced to provide a unique seafood variation. By incorporating sea bass, the dish takes on a new dimension, offering a seafood element that pairs well with the other ingredients and adds a different taste profile to the overall dish."

Talking about how the dish is prepared, Hussain Shahzad, Executive Chef at Hunger Inc. Hospitality The Bombay Canteen, O Pedro and Veronica’s said, "For me, preparing and eating chaat is about having fun! Sev Puri (Sev Batata Puri) is a popular Mumbai street-style chaat favourite made with crispy flat puris topped with potatoes, onion, tomatoes, and a myriad of sweet, spicy and tangy chutneys, and finished with sev. Taking the sweet, spice, pucker and that tongue slapping chatpata goodness of a good ol’ Sev Puri- this is a delectable Sea bass ‘Sev Puri’. Keeping traditions intact - the base of the Sev Puri is of course a puri but it is modified with crispy fried chapati, topped with cured sea bass, raw mango and sweet-sour nimbu chunda chutney, garnished with pickled Bhavnagri chillies and nylon sev!"

2. Mumbai-Style Potato Twisters

Talking about this dish, Shivani Gupta, Chef and Founder at Food N Dudes, Bhandup West, Mumbai said, "This is also known as aloo twisters or potato tornadoes, and are a popular street food in Mumbai, India. They are essentially spiral-cut potatoes that are deep-fried until crispy and seasoned with various spices."

She also shared the recipe so that you too can prepare this dish in your very own kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium-sized potatoes
• Oil for deep frying
• 1 tablespoon red chili powder
• 1 tablespoon chaat masala
• 1 teaspoon black salt
• 1 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• Lemon wedges for serving
• Wooden skewers or sticks

Method:

• Wash the potatoes thoroughly and peel them. Keep a bowl of water handy to prevent the potatoes from browning.
• Using a spiral cutter or a sharp knife, make spiral cuts along the length of each potato. The cuts should be thin and close together, creating a twisted shape.
• Insert a wooden skewer or stick through the center of each potato twister, starting from the wider end.
• Heat oil in a deep frying pan or kadai over medium heat. Make sure there is enough oil to submerge the potato twisters.
• Once the oil is hot, carefully place the potato twisters in the oil. Fry them until they turn golden brown and crispy. It should take about 5-7 minutes. You can fry them in batches if necessary.
• Once cooked, remove the potato twisters from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
• In a small bowl, mix together the red chili powder, chaat masala, black salt, dry mango powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Adjust the seasoning according to your taste preferences.
• Sprinkle the spice mixture generously over the potato twisters, making sure to coat them evenly. You can also sprinkle some additional lemon juice if desired.
• Serve the Mumbai-style potato twisters immediately with lemon wedges on the side. They are best enjoyed hot and crispy.

3. Mumbai Chaat (By Mahesh Chand Gupta, Founder of Satyam Chat Corner, Mumbai)

Chaat is based on the belief that the dish being given is so delicious that the person eating it may wind up licking their fingers. This is undoubtedly true of Bombay Chaat. Bombay Chaat is a burst of flavours. Starting with puffed rice, known as bhel, and spicy puris, this snack is topped with tamarind chutneys and coriander leaves, and is frequently concluded with lime juice drops and a handful of sev and peanuts.

Here is a quick recipe that you can enjoy at home on a rainy evening.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups boiled and mashed potatoes
• 1 cup boiled chickpeas
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
• 1/4 cup tamarind chutney
• 1/4 cup mint chutney
• 1/4 cup nylon sev (crispy chickpea flour noodles)
• 1/4 cup puffed rice
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts
• 1 teaspoon chaat masala
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
• Salt to taste
• Lemon wedges for garnish

For Pani (Spiced Water):

• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves
• 1 green chilli
• 1-inch piece of ginger
• 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp
• 1 tablespoon chaat masala
• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black salt
• Salt to taste
• 4 cups water

Method:

• To make the Pani, blend together mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chili, ginger, tamarind pulp, chaat masala, roasted cumin powder, black salt, and salt in a blender until smooth. Add water gradually to achieve a thin consistency. Adjust the spices and salt according to your taste. Refrigerate the Pani for at least 1 hour to let the flavors blend together.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, boiled chickpeas, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, and chopped coriander leaves. Add chaat masala, red chili powder, and salt. Mix well to combine all the ingredients.
• To assemble the Mumbai Chat, take a serving plate and add a layer of the potato and chickpea mixture. Drizzle some tamarind chutney and mint chutney over it.
• Sprinkle nylon sev, puffed rice, and roasted peanuts on top of the mixture. Drizzle some more chutneys if desired.
• Just before serving, pour the prepared Pani over the assembled Mumbai Chat.
• Garnish with a squeeze of lemon juice and additional coriander leaves.

Note: You can customize the recipe by adding additional toppings such as chopped raw mango, sev puri, or crispy papdi. Feel free to adjust the spice levels and ingredients according to your preference.

4. Bombil Bhajiya (By Chef Monirul Sekh, Kokum Bar & Lounge)

The Bombay Duck (Bombil) is a curiously named fish and the 'Mumbaikars' are in love with it. It is fresh, soft, and fleshy and is often fried in rawa till brown and crisp-skinned on the outside while keeping the inside delicate and gelatinous. It's a delicate fish that falls apart quickly. At home, you may serve it with sweet-sour gorkeri pickle

Here is a quick and easy recipe of Bombil Bhajiya that you can enjoy with your cup of coffee.

Ingredients:

• Slice of bonless bombil 
• Salt and pepper 
• Malwani masala
• Tamarind powder 
• Lime 
• Home made masala
• Raw onions cut 
• Jeera 
• Ajwain

Method:

• Make slice of bombil and remove its bones.
• Marinate bombil with tamarind powder, salt ,malwani masala and home made masala with lime.
• After 30 mins add raw onion mixed with the same reast for 5 min.
• Deep fry in slow flam with raw onions make it till gets brown and very crispy then served with different chutney