Calling the vegetarian helpline for Mumbai eats

"Kalyan - I randomly read your blog at times - Finely chopped. I enjoy the reads. I needed your help with some recommendations. My family friends will be visiting town and wanted to give them a taste of Mumbai restaurants...

If you find time, can you please send me your top 10 picks - the only caveat is that they should serve good veg food.

Thanks so much for your time! Keep up the amazing posts.."

For once I was stumped by a query on food. This came to me through Facebook. There's obviously a reason why the gentleman reads Finely Chopped 'randomly'. The only greens here are on the blog page design. Still he did say nice things and there is no motivator like flattery so I will try to give this a shot.

I am not sure if I can reach '10' picks. I have heard of the Soams and Swati Snacks of the world of course. Vegetarians are not a silent breed after all. I only like to write about places I have been to and can vouch for. Still I will give it a try. Most of these would not be pure vegetarian places though

1. Oh Calcutta, Tardeo - luchi, chholar daal, alur dom
2. Calcutta Club, Oshiwara - ditto plus alu bhaja, mochar ghonto
3. Swagat, Fort - Mysore Sada dosa, ulundu dosa
4. Out of the Blue, Bandra - Penne pesto, Mezze platter
5. Yellow Tree, Bandra - Spaghetti aglio olio, hummus and pita bread
6. Punjab Sweets, Bandra Mezzanine floor, Kulche chhole
7. Sardar, Lalbagh, Missal Pao, garlic dosa. aamraas
8. Maroosh: Hummus and pita bread
9. Not been there in a long time- Crystal for basic North Indian home cooked food,  ITC Grand Maratha - black daal, Golden Star Thaali - Gujarati thaali

 I give up. Nothing more comes to mind right now. So let's call a truce. If there are any vegetarians out there then could you please write in with your top ten picks at Mumbai?

Obi Wan Jalebi.... The Jalebi Ustaad of Vidya Dairy Farm

'Jilipir pyach' is a Bengali phrase. Translated literally it refers to the whorls of the Indian sweet jalebi, or jilipi in Bengali. Idiomatically it refers to devious people, who are not transparent or clean. They are evil, Machiavellian and scheming. Nothing is pure or simple about them. The sort of characters you would find in the loud, over the top, garish soaps on Indian television. As far away as possible from the gentleman I am going to write about.

There is a sweet shop in the lane behind Laxmi Building at Fort. A North Indian sweet shop. Vidya Dairy Farm. I pass it by everyday as I return to work from lunch. There is an elderly gentleman outside the shop making fresh, colourful jalebis in a pan of hot bubbling oil. You can't miss him. He catches your eye. Is this intentional? Like the old ladies who sit outside traditional Turkish restaurants making bread? Carefully stationed to catch the tourist's eye? Was he a billboard too? I don't think so. But he sure did fascinate me every time I passed by.

I was returning from lunch at Cafe Ideal Corner. I have said this before and will say it again. They make the best dhansak, the signature Parsi dish, in town. After ignoring the jalebis for many days, I gave in today. I stopped at the sweet shop and asked for a plate of jalebis. 50 g, about 6 to 7 jalebis for Rs 7 ( 0.2 USD). Looks weren't deceptive. The jalebis were as juicy, sensuous, tempting and rapturous as they looked. (In case my mom is reading this, I didn't finish the whole plate, had a green tea after that and worked out in the gym for about 45 minutes in the evening).

I went up to gentleman making the jalebis. He had a voice which was soft and demure for someone with such a swarthy white moustache.

"For how long have you been making jalebis?" I said

"Many years"


"Still, how long?"


"Many years"

"Fifty?'


"No"


"Hundred?"


"Even I am not hundred." There was a twinkle in his eyes.

"But your moustache is so white."


"Nowadays even kids have white hair"

Well that did make me feel better about my greying side burns. Kids!

And so we begun talking. He said his name was 'Ustaad' or expert. Years of making jalebis had made him nameless I guess as he blended into the venerable stone walls of the buildings around him. The owner, sitting at the counter, told me that the shop has forty years old and started by the owner's father.

Ustaad said that he was making jalebis for more than thirty years. Twenty five of those in Vidya Dairy Farm where he worked now. He was from Allahabad. Home to India's biggest ever film hero, Amitabh Bachchan. But hold on. He asked me where I was from. Broke into a smile when I said Calcutta. He had studied in Sutanati School at a Burrabazar at Calcutta! He asked me where I lived in Calcutta. He nodded in recognition when I said 'Tollygunge'. I think he heard 'Ballygunge' though. Unlikely that he would have heard of Tollygunge in his times. We mulled about the differences in Bengali jilipi (pale yellow, chubby) versus the North Indian jalebi (orange, crisp). The other guys in the shop listening to us with wonder. On asking he said he preferred Calcutta as a city to Mumbai. Calcutta of a black and white era I guess. Of a time when Uttam Kumar wore a tuxedo and manned the desks of Chowringhee.

Ustaad didn't bat an eyelid as I took photographs. He went about his work and answered my questions while I clicked away. He would occasionally look straight into the camera. And why wouldn't he? He was the most photogenic person that I have ever come across. He was a star and he knew it. He had featured in the 'Times'. He made me go into the shop and see the laminated copy of the newspaper which featured the shop. Yes, there he was. Our ustaad smiling at us from the newspaper.

He asked me if I could give him printouts. I tried to explain the concepts of digital cameras and blogs to him. He smiled a toothy smile. Made you feel like a little child year old waiting to sit on your favourite grandpa's lap. And why not, after all my late grandfather, used to get jilipis for me when he used to visit me on weekends when I was about eight living at Dhakuria at Calcutta.

As I was about to leave the owner offered me another plate of jalebi. I protested. I was full. Both he and his helper insisted. Then I looked at Ustad and his eager eyes. I  bit into a jalebi. I broke into a big smile.

The trio beamed. Just as Muzaffar, the bhajiyawala, did when he saw me yesterday. And the bearded the guy at the counter of Fountain Plaza when  a few minutes before that. And as did Parvez  when I dropped in at Ideal Corner for lunch today.


How am I ever going to leave Fort?

They don't make moustaches like that anymore

Ustaad's jalebis

Khasta kochoris, must have them once

' The Mumbai Food Oscars'

I wasn't going to write today. I was really tired. Eyes burning tired. Then went and got the mixer fixed at Pali Market after work. Went to the gym. I use minimum weights but still hate leg routine days. Made my doi posto ilish. Had to look up my own recipe. But was really happy with the results. Took less than ten minutes of work to put together but was worth it.

Opened my mail box after dinner to see this mail from 'The Simplist' , a Parsi from NYC, who is coming to India with his fiance. Now the thing about me is that I am pathologically programmed to answer questions on food the moment someone asks me some. So I did. Thought I'll share these with anyone else interested. So here goes. Mumbai Food Oscars, was The Simplist's phrase by the way.

Me and my fiancée are coming over to Mumbai for 2 weeks and since it is her first time here I wanted to shortlist some places worth going. 

Here's a quick survey you can take if you find a moment in your schedule, must mention the name of the place and I'll do the rest of the research: 

Best Irani Cafe in Mumbai?

Britannia - or no?

Me: Yazdani Bakery

Best Dhansak in Mumbai not made at someone's house? 

There was this Bombay Club your uncle-in-law would take you but I assume that is off-limits. So, Mocambo? or something else?

Me: Ideal Corner, Fort. Only Wednesday & Friday though

Best Parsi food available in a restaurant?

Sucker for patrani macchi, a good kolmi no patio, Dhansak, Pulao, Sali Boti, Chicken Farcha, Lagan nu Custard etc.

Me: Ideal Corner, again but their menu differs by the day. Mocambo has dhansak, cutlets, sali boti & pulao daal everyday except Sunday and are almost as good and air conditioned too. Britannia would be a distant third but for Mr Boman Kohinoor who is a darling

Best Biryani in Mumbai? 

Chicken or Mutton is fine... I like it dry with some masala, kind of like you. Not sure if anybody puts Aloo in Mumbai but that would be great.

Me: Best Biriyani (for folks who like it dry) - Kakori House - they have an outlet at Mahim, core shop at Bandra and one at Inorbit mall. No aloo though. Biriyani at Olympia was pretty good and has a bit more masala

Best Goan food in Mumbai?

Sucker for Goa Pork Sausages, Sorpotel and a decent Vindaloo. 

Me: I must choose Snow Flake at the Bastani lane beside Metro over Martins here

Best Keralite food in Mumbai? 

Rahmaniya or Fountain Plaza... I eat beef etc.

Me: Not an expert here. I would go for Rahmaniya by a whisker over Fountain Plaza. I have heard of a place called Sunny at Chembur from people whose tastes I trust

Best Malwani seafood in Mumbai? 

Gajalee? or something else? Mahesh Lunch Home? 

Me: Mahesh is Mangalorean I think. I haven't gone there in ages but unless the standards have gone down I would still root for Saayba at Bandra for Malwani. I think Gajalee is over rated I would choose Apoorva over Mahesh for Mangalorean.

Best Cupcakes in Mumbai? 

Looking for some great cakes with some flair.

Me: I am not too much a cupcake fan. I like the ones at Candies, Bandra

Best Old-school Bakery in Mumbai?

American Express Bakery or something else? Looking for classic chicken puffs etc. I guess Merwan's is great too.

Merwan's Andheri has the best chicken patties

Best Chinese Food - High End?

Mainland China? Or something else? Golden Dragon?

Me: I am partial to Mainland China. Haven't been to Golden Dragon

Best Chinese Food - Keeping it Simple?

Five Spice I know, others?

Me: Kamling, Churchgate. Wok Hei, Lower Parel 

Best Bengali Food? 

Oh Calcutta is on my list - how much advance book does one have to do?

Me: Oh Calcutta, Tardeo, just mention my name. Joking, you don't need to book in advance. They are active on their Facebook page and you can write in over there

I would also recommend Calcutta Club, outside Oshiwara Police Station for a budget Bengali home food experience and Hangla for mutton roll

Best Experience Restaurant?

Just trying to figure out a nice place for a 1 on 1 date with Kelly. Indian food or Western is fine... unless absolutely ridiculous (>$500), price is not a variable.

Me: Slightly old school, but Thai Pavillion President. I don't know how posh you are looking at but we quite like Yellow Tree, Bandra. Mid range Italian. Not a vast menu. But the ground floor is very relaxed and cosy

Best Vada Pao? 

I can always go to the one opposite Churchgate or whatever but if you had a favorite let me know.

Me: Not my thing but quite liked the one at Bandstand, Bandra near Seaside Cafe Recently

Best Kebab Assortment to pack in bulk and take home for drinks? 

Peshawari? Noorani? 

Me: Not the most cost effective for a drinking binge but go to Kakori Roll Centre and pick up the galawit and kakori. I swear by it

So folks jump in with your answers too

Sunny Mondays ... Keralite Muslim food at Fountain Plaza, Fort

'Roast' chicken

I didn't have a plan for lunch today. Was my usual half awake Monday self. Went down. Wandered aimlessly. Skipped Swagath and its thali, Ideal Corner and its Monday biriyani, walking down the lanes of Fort on a cloudy, grey day... and there I was, in front of Fountain Plaza.

I walked in. Found an empty table. Sat down. Pointed out at the remnants of the fierce looking plates of  chicken at the adjoining tables. The waiter told me that it was 'roast' chicken. I called for a serving. And parathas or porotas as Berges pointed out at Twitter. Garden Plaza was a Muslim Keralite place as well. It's speciality is the biriyani according to MumbaiCentral. Fountain Plaza was larger than Rahmaniya. Non air conditioned. Apparently offered accommodation too. It is twenty years old.

The porota was nice and soft but I must say that the one at Rahmaniya next door was even better. The latter was Muslin like. Fit for a Nawab. The porota at Fountain Plaza was almost up there. A close second. Delectable and tender.

The 'roast' chicken seemed like a very juicy, deep fried chicken. Nice and firm. Cooked to perfection. The sort of texture and tautness botox promises. But this was natural. It was coated in a red spice mix which looked very menacing. It threatened to set you on fire. Looks were deceptive. In reality it was passionate without being overbearing. The right balance of spice designed to throw out any remnants of Monday Blues out with the dish water. It was the sort of dish which would make you stop looking at life with a jaundiced eye. It brought back the joy and art into living on a Monday. Seventy five Rupees ( 1.5 USD) for a plate of roast chicken, two porotas and a glass of nice, hot, tummy settling rasam on the house. An honest lunch.

Feeling at peace I looked across at my neighbour across the table. We got talking. Inayat (if I got the name right) had ordered a plate of surmai fry. This came with a coconut milk based gravy and he ordered a porota with it. We discussed the merits of eating rice versus roti/ porota with fish. Inayat, who had shifted into Mumbai a while back from Bangalore, told me that he preferred porotas even though South Indians ate rice with fish. As did Bengalis I told him. I told him about my shock at seeing people eat fish with rotis instead of rice at Saayba years back. Inayat told me that fish was the speciality of Fountain Plaza. We were two strangers, yet it seemed as if we ate lunch together everyday. .

He told me that he had lost close to thirty kilos over the last three years. Hence he skipped dinner and just ate papayas at night. He ate fish and porotas as he tried to avoid the more fattening chicken and rice. He told me with a grave face about a report he read on the obesity problem amongst European kids. I told him that I need to lose weight too. He looked at me and said, "but you have height on your side". We chatted a bit more about 'today's youth' and their carefree, spendthrift ways, about how they drink Colas at the drop of a hat and become fat.

Then this smiling stranger offered me a bite of his rather slim sliver of  fish. I politely refused at first. And then I felt at home enough to take a bite. The fish was very fresh. Masalas exploding in your mouth. Cooked in the typical Indian South and West Coast style where the spices often overpower this fish. A pick me up if there ever was one. Inayat broke into a big smile as he saw the look of turbulent joy on my face.

We headed our separate ways. The week had finally started for me. In the warmest possible way.

Keralite porotas - melts the sternest of palates

White meat rarely looked so fierce

Volcanic surmai

Rasam on the house to cool things down

Inayat mulling over today's junk food generation

Mumbai Central swear by the biriyani here

What more could one ask for

Harem Intrigues.... Khar fish market & squid butter pepper garlic recipe

Scroll down patiently for the recipe

The Knife & his women

My mother led me to another woman sometime back. No this is not the plot of a progressive 18th century Bengali novel. It is about my new find at the Khar Fish Market.

 For long I used to go to Pushpa (9819611625) and her mom at the Khar fish market. The quality of their fish was good, price reasonable, they were sweet people, not too pushy. Then I took my mother to the market once when she visited us. I was checking out the fish at Pushpa's when I saw that mom had disappeared. She surfaced a bit later and whispered conspiratorially in Bengali, "there is good Hilsa in another shop". I was quite loyal to Pushpa and her mom and hadn't strayed ever since I found them. Never looked around. ITill that day. I followed Mom to the shop in the centre and the market. It was the "beginning of a beautiful friendship".

The shop is run by Poonam and her identical looking sister Sangeeta. By 'shop' I mean a corner on the elevated platform. Their mom sits with them occasionally. They have a larger stock of fish than Pushpa and her mom. They sit at the centre of their market. Prices are marginally higher to Pushpa's but you can sweet talk them into lowering them. One basic purchase that I make when I go to fish shops is a large cut rohu or katla. Poonam and Sangeeta are more likely to have it than Pushpa and their mom. The quality of their fish is pretty good. Of course yet to stand the test of time unlike Pushpa and her mom's.

I always go to Pushpa first. But today too she didn't have the cut of rohu that I wanted. I then went to Poonam and Sangeeta and picked up Rohu (Rs 180 for cut piece), Pomfrets (4 for Rs 240), Squids (Rs 150 a kilo), Hilsa (Rs 350) a kilo. They then reduced quite a piece on the overall amount.

Poonam and Sangeeta sit beside the plump, comparatively older and very aggressive fisher lady. I bought fish from her in the beginning. Often turned out to be bad and bitter. She starts screaming the moment she sees ame and gives me grief for not coming to her. She was far away when I used to go to Pushpa. Now too close to comfort.

On the way back I sheepishly went to Pushpa and said  "next time". She pouted, sulked, turned away. Muttered "I had the same fish. I saw what you bought. My fish was just 300g less. I had hilsa too".

Ouch!

Poonam's cell number is: 9867402956

Squid butter pepper garlic recipe follows after the photos:

Poonam, she cuts the fish the way I like it, Bangali cut

Poonam with a mobile calci & Sangeeta (dark sari) working out the final price for me

Rohu, Pomfret ec etc

Live mud crabs. The mobile camera didn't do justice to it

The mussels were moving around too

Squids...the skin needs to be peeled off

Mackarel or Bangda...very popular with the locals

Squid butter pepper garlic recipe

I picked up squids today after I read about how Sassy Fork chose it over red meat. In reply to my question, she said that squids aren't crustaceans. Sassy Fork prefers to remain anonymous but let's just say that she would know. She is a child of a mixed marriage (Mahararashtrian  & Bengali). Her posts reflect this cultural confluence. Her blog has meticulous restaurant reviews with some nice scientific tips too. There, did I give out too much? ;)

Note: post this Sassy Fork mailed me the following on squids

squid has cholesterol but is low in fat,specially the much feared saturated fat.
here's a link about the same
http://ca-seafood.ucdavis.edu/recipes/archive/nutri2.html  

And

important how we cook things too

Seafood Choices: Balancing Benefits and Risks

 

an important page

Seafood Choices: Balancing Benefits and Risks

www.nap.edu

 

I cooked the squids in the Butter Pepper Garlic Salt style of Mahesh Lunch Home. The recipe is pretty much in the name itself. I had made it years back in our first house and first kitchen. With some lobsters mom in law sent us. Here's the 'recipe' if you really need it.

Prep: Get the squids peeled and cut them into rings. A contrast to the Far East. Places like Thailand and Malaysia seem to cook their squids whole.

Cook:

• Heat a tablespoon of butter. Olive oil would do. But would be a different dish then (realised butter was over when I started to cook at 11 PM. Went to New India Stores at the corner and got it)
• Add a teaspoon of finely chopped garlic to the melted butter. Try not to faint in ecstasy as the heady aroma of garlic roasting in butter enshrouds you. (Note to self: desist the temptation to add curry leaves and split green chillies. Would again be a different dish)
• Once the garlic turn light brown add half a tea spoon of coarse crushed black pepper and some rock salt if possible. I used regular salt.
• Then add the squids (750 g) to it and toss till the there is a golden tinge to the squids. The juice which comes out of the squid should have dried up by then.
• Take a squid out. if it's not rubbery and you can chew it then you are ready. Takes less than ten minutes to cook and no effort
• Eat this with bread. The best part is mopping up the butter garlic part with bread

You can and also have the butter pepper garlic squids as a party starter. Very quick to make. A discreet lead in to the fact that I, ahem, had been interviewed by DNA for their article on starters :)

The oil wells of Mumbai.... Suresh's Palak bhajiyas

I had promised more to my 'Return to Fort' story. I left Rahmaniya stuffed, my stomach bursting beyond capacity. My shirt buttons were strained. My plate unfinished. I was satiated. I stepped out and took photos of the street outside Rahmaniya. That's when I spotted a little, nameless, 'bhajiya' stall opposite. Bhajiyas are, of course, the ultimate Mumbai street snack. Batter coated vegetables, deep fried in tonnes of oil. Then re-fried as I found out. The king of which is the vada pao. Mumbai's biggest icon till Sachin Tendulkar strode down the pitch.

Well, the shop was not entirely 'nameless'. Posters of fried chillies, a speciality of Gujarat's Bhavnagar apparently, also screamed out the name 'Suresh'. The elusive owner of the shop.

My attention was drawn to the wok. The bubbling and stormy oil into which the street chef deftly popped in batter coated balls. I was transfixed by sight of the helpless little yellow lumps hitting the raging oil. A scene scripted by Dante. Promising deep fried bliss. Provided you were willing to make a suicide pact with food. But then who can think of arteries at a time like this?

The man making the bhajiyas was lost in his work. One wrong step could lead to scalded, disfigured arms. But his cohorts, Gautam manning the stall, and Muzaffar, standing and inspecting the process, were amused by my interest. Gautam told me that the advertised fried chillies were not piping hot. Nor were the other bhajiyas. He asked me to wait for the bhaajis being fried. These were palak or spinach bhajiyas. Spinach? I could understand waiting for potato or alu bhajiya or batata vadas. Who would wait for spinach? Gautam convinced me to.

I licked my chops as the cook took the bhajiyas out of the oil. That's when Muzzafar told me that I'd need to be patient. The job was half done. He explained that you have to let the bhajiyas cool and then dunk them back in the oil. Otherwise they turn soft and don't form properly. Something my Mom told mes about the way she makes chili chicken recently. Still, imagine a doctor delivering a baby. The baby comes out, sees the world, prepares to cry out in triumph... and is shoved back in. The sort of thing that would lead to Woody Allen like neurosis when the baby finally comes out.

I had to get back to work. Muzaffar coaxed me to stay back. "Five minutes more". The pakoras were finally ready. Gautam plated them for me after he ascertained that I didn't want pao, the local bread buns. I explained that I was actually full and just wanted to taste a few bhajiyas. Muzaffar proudly gave my three chutneys - sweets, green (coriander & green chilly paste) and a red powder which they give with vada pao. The red powder was a mix of dry red chilies, garlic and peanuts. Typical Marathi masala he explained. I asked for a fried green chili to go with this.

My camera had run out of battery and I got Muzaffar to click me with my E71. Unfortunately I had to use the mobile to photograph the bhajiyas too. I balanced the paper plate on a bright red box letter box as I clicked and ate. Post box. Remember those?

Well let me try to bring alive the bhajiyas to you in the absence of good photographs. Pieces of onion, spinach and green chillies coated in gram flour (besan). Sounds rustic and uncomplicated? Well imagine seeing it come out of the pan and served to you straight. You gingerly touch it with your fingers. Expecting to be singed. You slowly lift it and take a tentative bite. Your first reaction is a sense of relief, finding out that it has cooled enough not to scald your mouth. Fears conquered, you take your first bite. The reassuring crunch of deep fried perfection. Then the bhajiya slowly gives in. From firm crunch straight to pliant joyous mastication. No stickiness or chewiness in between. The first taste is that of the salt of the batter. Just right. Then the polite and restrained bitterness of spinach nudges you. You begin to roll the mouthful when the fiery darts of the green chilies hit you. Fireworks that bring the curtains down on your first glorious bite of the palak bhajiya. You start off on your next bite, stuffed stomach be damned.

I took out my wallet to pay. Muzaffar and Gautam wouldn't have any of that. They sent me back to work with smiling faces. I was back where I belonged. At least for another month.

And, in case you were wondering, I didn't get a single burp despite the masala laden food of Rahmaniya and the sizzling fare of Suresh's. This was good, honest food.

Suresh was omnipresent in his absence

The bhajiya maker who caught my attention

Cracking the bhajiya code

Bhajiyas are mixed and dunked

Step 1 gets over

The half cooked bhajiyas are cooled down

Back in the fire for round two

The bhajiyas finally make their debut

Well there still are some uses to post boxes

Gautam in his apron...not a big one for smiles

The ever smiling Muzaffar, in the checked shirt, freezes in front of the camera

Besan or gram flour batter

Sliced potatoes politely wait their turn

Potato bhaiya, palak bhajiya and onion or kanda bhajiya

Palak or spinach bhajiyas..up close or personal