Street Food in Mumbai just like the local trains is in a way the lifeline of the city. You will find street food in Mumbai in practically every street and almost near all stations. The city as we all know has an extremely fast paced life and hence it is said that “the city never sleeps“. For this very reason a large part of Mumbai lives on this street food as they are on the move for a larger part of the day.
Every city has street food items it has immense love for and Mumbai is no different. Mumbai particularly has immense love for “PAV” , what you may know as a type of Bun in English. You will find dishes like Vada Pav, Misal Pav, Pav Bhaji, Keema Pav and so on and so forth.
You may find these dishes in another city but you can’t find that authentic taste anywhere else. It’s the magic of the local flavor! Many Mumbai Street food dishes do make to the Famous Street Foods of India as the entire country loves them.
Here’s a list of some delicious and popular street food of Mumbai:
1. Vada Pav
Vada pav and Mumbai are inseparable! Every Mumbaikar and every person who has visited this city has gorged this and fallen in love with it.
Vada is made of spicy mashed potato that is coated with a batter made of chickpea flour (besan) and deep-fried. This vada is then stuffed inside a pav that has been layered with sweet and spicy chutneys and dry red garlic chutney. A bite of this will have your mouth exploding with flavours!
You will find a vada pav stall at every nook and corner of this city. Its breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, basically, an anytime meal! It is full of flavor, delicious, affordable and easily available and that makes it one of the favorite snacks!
There is a Vada Pav stall on every street in Mumbai! And the vada pav stall will always have a chai stall around it because vada pav with chai is the classic Mumbai combination.
Popular Vada Pav places:
- Ashok Vada Pav, outside Kirti College, Dadar
- Aaram Batata Vada, CSMT (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus)
- Samrat Vada Pav, Vile Parle
- Anand Vada Pav and Shiv Vada Pav, outside Mithibai College, Vile Parle
2. Pav Bhaji
Vegetables mashed together with spicy masala and generous amounts of butter served with pan-fried pav dozed with butter, that’s Pav Bhaji! It’s a quick, lip-smacking meal that’s immensely popular amongst everyone.
A bite of it will have your mouth bumbling with flavour, the taste of the veggies, the spicy hit from the masala that’s cut down by a dollop of butter scooped in the soft buttery pav; it’s a blast of flavour which you don’t want to miss out on!
It’s delicious, filling and pocket-friendly as well.
Popular Pav Bhaji places:
- Sardar Pav Bhaji, Tardeo
- Cannon Pav Bhaji, CSMT (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus)
- Manohar Pav Bhaji, Girgaon Chowpaty
3. Chaat – Bhel, Sev Puri, Pani Puri
Bhelpuri, pani puri, sev puri, ragda patticle, ragda samosa, dahi puri, dahi vada, chole samosa; the list is never-ending! Chaat is a savoury snack that will have your taste buds dancing and you would want more and more.
One of the popular chat items is Bhelpuri which is made of kurmura (puffed rice) tossed in sweet, spicy, tangy chutneys with sev, onion, potatoes to add on some more flavor accompanied by a puri that acts as a spoon to scoop it up.
And then there is the beloved pani puri, a hollow puri stuffed with chickpeas, potatoes, sweet chutney, and the spicy tangy flavored water. You have to eat it in one bite and be quick with it as the person serving it will come back with the next one quickly! There is immense pressure to keep up with his speed.
All of it is vegetarian and full of flavor and doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket either!
Popular Chaat places
- Girgaon Chowpatty
- Juhu Beach
- Guru Kripa, Sion
- Elco, Bandra
- Kailah Parbat, Colaba
4. Misal Pav
Misal is popular across Maharashtra and every city has its own variant of misal. Ingredients are almost the same but the level of spiciness and the Farsaan ( namkeen or Fried crispy savoury mix) differ in them.
Misal is a spicy curry that is made of mixed sprouts, topped with onions, Farsaan (fried savory mix), and lemon juice, served with soft pav, chopped onions, and lemons.
It is spicy, tangy and has a crunchiness to it (because of the farsaan) and also healthy (it’s made with sprouts! Avoid the farsaan to make it healthier).
If you are not a fan of spice then call for the Dahi Misal, the dahi will take the spiciness a little down.
Popular Misal Pav places:
- Vinay Health Home, Thakurdwar
- Prakash Uphar Kendra, Dadar
- Aaswad, Dadar
- Aaram, CSMT (Yes, the same place that serves amazing Vada Pav)
5. Bun Maska
The classic bun maska! It’s a soft sweet bun brushed with dollops of butter, it melts in your mouth. Bun maska and chai make for the perfect breakfast combination. It’s quick to eat and it is inexpensive, you can have it on the go and that makes it really popular in the city that never sleeps nor stops.
You will find it at all Irani cafes , chai stalls, at the railway stations and also vendors who selling it on their moving cycle stores.
Popular Bun Maska places:
- Yazdani Bakery, Fort
- Kyani & Co., Marine Lines
- B Merwan, Grant Road
5. Mumbai Masala Sandwich:
Sandwich a simple food option with veggies, that’s what you are thinking, right? If that’s on your mind, then you haven’t tried the typical Mumbai style sandwich.
Slices of bread generously brushed with butter and spicy green chutney then layered with the masala which is made of mashed potato and another layer of veggies like cucumber, tomato, onion on it. This is then toasted and served piping hot with another brush of butter, chutney and even sev! Sound delicious, doesn’t it?
This is a staple amongst college kids and there is a popular sandwich wala outside every college which the college students swear by!
Popular Sandwich places:
- Raju Sandwich, near HR College, Churchgate
- Jay Sandwich, outside National College, Bandra
- Right Place, Breach Candy – Best grill sandwiches in Mumbai!
6. Cutting chai
Chai! The eternal love of Mumbaikars is available at every nook and corner in the city. There are chai stalls, chai shops, then there are chai vendors who go around on the cycle. At any time of the day and night, you will find chai in this city! And you will also find a bunch of people sipping on chai and chit-chatting around the chai wala even at 3 AM, well, this is the city that never sleeps!
Having a hot steaming cup of masala or adarak (ginger) chai during Mumbai monsoons is the best thing.
Popular Chai places:
- All Irani Cafes across the city
- There is at least one popular chai wala in every locality of this city!
So when you are in Mumbai don’t miss out on these mouth watering food . Mumbai also have some great Fine Dine Restaurants, do check them out for a totally cosmopolitan experience
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