The economic capital of India is surely a synonym to luxury, eliteness and the high class. But out on the streets, you will find that Mumbai is a very Indian city that accepts all the diversity of India. All this diverseness culminates into flavours and recipes that provide some unique and authentic taste which could not be found anywhere else. The dishes served on the streets of Mumbai are an amalgamation of Mughlai, Gujarati, Parsi and Maharashtrian recipes. To top that the taste will be a mouth-watering one that doesn't even empty your wallets. You ought to try these 12 street foods with a unique taste that you will only find in Mumbai.
1) Vada Pav
Vada Pav, also known as the Indian burger is the trademark Mumbai street food without which any street food tour will not be complete. The vada pav consists of a bun bread or the pav and a fritter i.e. the vada stuffed with mashed potato. Vada Pav is served along with both spicy and sweet chutneys, garlic and ginger chutney and fried chillies. You can also get different flavours like Schezwan Vada Pav, cheese Vada Pav and even Grilled Vada Pav.
2 ) Misal Pav
Misal Pav originated in Pune and is now equally popular in Mumbai. Every 3rd street food stall sells Misal Pav among its offerings. The dish contains a mixture of curried lentils, topped with potato bhaji, Poha, Chivada, chopped onions, and tomato. The Misal Pav is a must-try for you if you love spicy food. It is served while hot and is usually eaten along with Pav and Yoghurt. With all the healthy ingredients, Misal Pav is one of the healthiest street food options and you will be left tummy full if you start your day with the Misal Pav as breakfast. You need to get out early from your hotel room in Mumbai and find a corner stall that serves these to get the real taste of Maharashtra.
3) Pav Bhaaji
Pav bhaji is yet another popular food offering from the streets of Mumbai that has become famous in entire India. Go to any restaurant and you will get Pav bhaji as breakfast or evening snack. The Bhaji is a spicy assortment of vegetables cooked with spices and seasonings. It is served along with Pav i.e. bread which is fried with butter on a pan. The Bhaji is also seasoned with Lemon and onions. If you are hungry and on a budget in Mumbai, you will find a plethora of stalls serving Pav Bhaji even late in the night. You must also try Tawa Pulao and Bun Maska on these stalls. You can definitely skip the meal at your 5 star hotel near Mumbai airport and walk to a nearby stall to enjoy this mouth watering buttery delight.
4) Bhel Puri and Sev Puri
Bhel Puri and Sev Puri is basically Marathi Chaat for the uninitiated. Made popular by the Bollywood, the Bhel Puri is a snack and can be easily found on stalls at famous tourist hang out spots. The Bhel Puri is made of puffed rice, vegetables, and a tangy tamarind sauce. Sev Puri is another chaat variant which consists of puri filled with sliced potato, onions, 3 types of chutney namely tamarind, chilli, and garlic, and is topped with Sev. Sev is a crunchy noodle made out of chickpea flour paste. The Bhel Puri and Sev Puri are seasoned with raw mango or Aamchur powder, lemon and chaat masala which makes the taste even more mouth-watering. You can also try Dahi Puri, Pani Puri, and Chinese Bhel at these stalls. Ladies you will definitely love the tingy taste, so don't just keep to your couple-friendly hotels in Mumbai, rather take a walk to Juhu Chaupati or Marine Drive and find numerous stalls selling these snacks in the evening.
5) Batata Vada
Also known as Aloo Bonda, Batata Vada is one of the most popular Mumbai street food. Batata Vada is basically a patty made of mashed potato that is first dipped in a paste of chickpea flour and then deep-fried. The Batata is then sprinkled with salt, turmeric, and red chilli powder seasoning and is then served with green chutney and fried green chillies. If you have eaten a Pakoda and love the taste, Batata Vada will be an elixir for you. You may also try the special Sabudana Vada. You can also order these in your hotel in Mumbai since it is featured on many hotels menu.
6)Ragda Pattice
The name sounds like some Bollywood villain in the 90's films but it is actually a street food made of Ragda. Ragda is soft chickpeas flavoured with spices while patties are mashed potato that is deep-fried. This spicy Mumbai street food is a combination of the Ragda crushed along with the Aloo Patties and seasoned with onion choppings, tamarind sauce and green chutney. You won't find these in the menu of your hotel in Mumbai so go check them out on various stalls in Mumbai.
7)Akuri On Toast
Akuri is a Parsi dish that has been modified with Indian spices to suit Indian tastes well. Firstly, an egg is scrambled and is seasoned with fried onions, ginger, coriander, chopped chillies, and black pepper. The Akuri is traditionally served with bread toast and with a hot cup of chai. You can spot several people munching on these delicious Akuri OnToast in street food stalls. Try once and you will definitely become a fan of the dish. This dish is featured on many hotels menu so you can definitely try this as a breakfast even while being in your hotel room.
8)Baida Roti
This one is for the non-vegetarians. Baida Roti is essentially a fried patty of spiced meat (chicken, mutton, or mutton brain) in square shapes. The patty is then served with whipped egg and chopped onion. One of the most lip-smacking snacks for the non-veg lovers, you can find this delicious street food on every nook and corner of Mumbai. Munch on the Baida Roti and you will be on a food joyride that will leave you satiated.
9)Frankie
Mumbaikers means class and so is their street food. Frankie, one of the famous street food in Mumbai is what you might be knowing as the Roll. There are both the vehetarian as well as non-veg variants. The non-veg variant consists of a crispy naan or chapati that is fried in egg and sprinkled with masala making it crispy and spicy. The chappati is then filled with either mutton or chicken stuffing. The veg version is not fried with egg and is filled witha spicy mixture of mashed potato or paneer, chopped onion, ginger paste and lettuce etc. It is a juicy naan bread with egg coating, rolled with mutton/chicken stuffing. The frankies are a popular snack and you can eat one to quickly beat the hunger whenever you feel like.
10) Zunka Bhakar
Zhunka Bhakar is a popular street food the best ones can be found in stalls opposite CST and BMC headquarters. Firstly, onion is heated with mustard seeds, curry leaves and chick pea flour. Bhakar is the name of Chappati made out of Jowar. This variant of chappati is very healthy and is one of the tradiaonal food of Maharashtra. If you have a friend in Mumbai you can ask him to treat you with this dish made in their homes.
11)Dabeli
From a glance, you won't be able to tell apart a Dabeli and Vada Pav. It is found in almost every stall at Mumbai serving snacks. The difference between Dabeli and Vada Pav is mainly in the stuffing. The stuffing in Dabeli is called Dabeli Masala. It is made up of crushed peanuts, mashed potatoes, mixed with a lot of different spices. The Dabeli Masala is further topped with Sev, pomegranate seeds and chutney. The sweet flavour in the spicy mix is a traditional part of Gujarati dish and Dabeli owes some of its taste to the Gujarati style.
12) Keema Pav
Another mouth watering delicacy for the non vegetarian lovers in Mumbai street food stalls is the Keema Pav. You definitely need to try the Keema Pav in Mumbai. The dish traces back its origin to parsi dishes and is spiced with Indian flavours to make it a unique offering. Mumbaikars eat this for snack for all three breakfast, lunch and dinner. The mutton filling is cooked in a tomato gravy giving it a unique flavour. This filling is then filled in the Pav and is delicious that you will ask for more after your initial plate.
Just like the street food you can also find many hotels on hourly basis in Mumbai that will be as economic as any of these delicacies. So whenever you visit Mumbai stay in a 24 hour check in hotel and enjoy these sumptuous street foods.
We have also covered the famous food joints of Chandani Chowk and the mouth watering street food joints of Bangalore. Do check them both out and thank us later.
10 little known food outlets in Bangalore that are bang for your buck
Foodie's Guide: The list of 11 best food joints in Chandni Chowk