Mumbai, a gateway to vibrant cuisine
Parsi, Sindhi and Marathi, Mumbai blends great flavours together making its cuisine so vast, varied and delectable
By : migrator
Update: 2017-04-23 09:39 GMT
Chennai
Maharashtrian food consists of a large variety of vegetables and fish. Coconut is one of the main ingredients. The food is rich in ginger, garlic and lots of spices. Tomato, brinjal and other vegetables stuffed with masala fillings and cooked in oil till soft are very popular in the state. Cooking is mainly done in groundnut oil. Bharwan baingan , Kohlapuri rassa, puran poli, aamti and Bombay chiwda are some popular dishes.
Parsi and Sindhi influences are very prominent in Maharashtrian cuisine. In fact, Mumbai is the nesting place for both the cultures and their food. The Parsi dhansak , Sindhi kadhi, sabudana vada, vada pav and chaat, are trademarks of Mumbai’s cuisine.
Meanwhile, the influence of Bollywood on Mumbai is well known and certain dishes have been made famous by certain stars. Amitabh Bachchan loves simple vegetarian food, cooked in pure ghee with jeera and hing. He loves dal and crisp bhindi fry. Most of the stars opt for homemade food, but love the street food of Mumbai.
The stalls on Juhu beach selling mouthwatering pani puri, bhel puri, pav maska and vada pav make the street food culture vibrant and much sought-after. In the night in particular, when Mumbai comes alive, at many street corners, one can find vendors selling delicious chaat , with people, both young and old, queuing up to devour the delightful preparations.
Mumbai brings back wonderful memories of scriptwriting experiences, of mother Mary’s church and the walks along the Bandstand Promenade. Bandra will always be extra special, particularly the c haatwaala , who sells chaat under a banyan tree. So today, I share with you all the recipe of popular chaat found in Mumbai.
The writer is a chef and author of Festive Offerings to the Gods
BHEL PURI (PUFFED RICE CHAAT)
Calories: 190 per serving | Preparation time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 5 minutes | Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
- Kurmura (puffed rice): 4 cups (80 grams)
- Medium red onion, chopped: 1 Roasted masala chana dal (store-bought spiced lentils): ¼ cup (50 grams)
- Roasted peanuts: ¼ cup (40 grams)
- Medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and diced: 2
- Green chillies, stemmed and minced: 2 or 3
- Sev (vermicelli): ½ cup (20 grams)
- Crisp puris (flour wafers; see below): 8
- Salt to taste
- Chutney (mint-and-cilantro chutney: ½ cup (120 grams)
- Chutney (Date and tamarind chutney): 6 tablespoons
- Chilli garlic chutney: 1 teaspoon
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice: 1 teaspoon
- Chopped fresh cilantro: 2 tablespoons
- Roasted jeera powder: 1 teaspoon
- Brown sugar: ½ teaspoon
METHOD
- Put the kurmura, onion, masala chana dal, peanuts, potatoes, chillies and half of the sev in a large bowl and toss to mix.
- Add 4 crushed puris and toss.
- Add salt to taste.
- Add the three chutneys and stir well.
- Add roasted jeera powder and brown sugar.
- Add the lemon juice and stir.
- Garnish with cilantro and the remaining sev.
- Serve immediately with the remaining puris.
PAPDIS (CRISP FLAT PURIS)
- Papdis form one of the main components in most street food dishes in Mumbai
INGREDIENTS
- Maida (refined flour): 1 cup (120 grams)
- Water (warm): ¼ cup (50 ml)
- Cumin seeds (optional - you could use cumin powder also): ½ teaspoon
- Ghee, melted: 5 teaspoons
- Table salt: 1 teaspoon
- Cooking oil: ¼ cup
- Sugar/ brown sugar: 1 teaspoon
- Roasted powdered ajwain: 1/2 teaspoon
METHOD
- Put the flour in a bowl. Add the cumin, whole or powder, ajwain powder, sugar, salt and cow’s ghee. Gradually, add ¼ cup warm water and knead to make a stiff dough.
- Cover with a damp cloth and set aside to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 18 portions and shape into balls. Roll out into palmsized circles.
- Prick with a fork all over the surface.
- Place a thick bottom kadai/ pan over high heat and add the oil.
- When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the kadai, gently slide in the dough rounds, two at a time, and cook, stirring with a ladle with a circular end, with holes.
- Fry until golden brown and crisp. Remove with the ladle and drain on paper towels.
- Let it cool to room temperature. Then store in an airtight container.
- For any chaat, pudina and coriander chutney, chilli garlic chutney and khajoor aur imli ki chutney (date and tamarind chutney) must be added for taste.
- They are easy to make.
Tip of the day:
A bit of fresh cucumber and raw mango pieces added on top of the bhel puri adds flavour. Bhel puri should be eaten immediately and fresh. It should not be stored and eaten later. It becomes soggy and tastes bland. Also, try to make your own papdis instead of buying readymade ones. One can add cut basil and pudina leaves too.
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