Best Street Food in Mumbai: Your Options

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No matter where you are in the world you will find that street food is a part of the local culture. Even some of the top megacities in the world are popular for the street food they offer. Street food in Mumbai is a part of the local culture and therefore you will find plenty of options here.

Known as the financial hub of the country, Mumbai has always been a place for street food lovers. Here you will find tons of places where people gobble up food as they manage their hectic routine. The good part about finding street food in Mumbai is that you don’t have to try hard. There are plenty of stalls and street food vendors that would provide you with a variety of food items.

Here are few options if you are looking for street food in Mumbai to manage your hunger and budget.

Vada Pav

A conversation about street food in Mumbai is incomplete without mentioning the ever-popular vada pav. While there are many burger and sandwich brands in the city vada pav still remains the top street food in Mumbai. It would be almost impossible to count the number of vada pav vendors you will find across the city.

Vada pav is a potato fritter stashed between the pav (bread) served with a spread of chutneys and chillis. These potato fritters are an ideal food option on a rainy day in Mumbai. There are many street vendors and vada pav stalls that you will find across the city. However, some stalls are popular than others because they have been there for quite some time.

Having a vada pav is a great way to manage your budget and survive in this city without spending more. The good thing about finding a vada pav stall is that you don’t have to find one. You can just stroll down your street and you will find one for sure.

Bun Maska and Irani Tea

A typical Irani chai and bun maska might not sound like a street food in Mumbai, but it definitely fits the same budget. If you are in Grant Road you will find the B Merwan and Company Irani cafe right opposite the railway station.

There are plenty of Irani cafes that you will find across the city. Irani cafes like Kyani and Company can provide you with these simple bun maska and Irani chai options that can help you satisfy your hunger in the best way. Most of the Irani cafes offer you a short break experience. So, if you are looking for a quick bite or a short meeting this is the right place to be at.

Pav Bhaji

It would sound unbelievable if you found that the local street food in Mumbai has an American connection. Yes, the pav bhaji does have some indirect link to the American Civil War. How?

Well, from 1861 to 1865, the American Civil War situation influenced the global supply of cotton. Abraham Lincoln’s Navy decided to seal New Orleans, Mississippi and Manchester looms. This created a shortage of cotton in the global cotton market.

Traders at the Bombay Cotton Exchange stepped in to fill in the void. However, they had to stay at work late night to receive rates via telegram from America. The demand for food at such odd hours was a challenge for wives of these traders.

This led to the creation of pav bhaji. A simple idea that became timeless. The idea was to throw in all the leftovers and vegetables in a tomato gravy and mash it together. In other words, pav bhaji is a stew mash up served with buttered loaves. The loaf would soak up the gravy and the oil and would be easy to eat.

Today, pav bhaji has become a street food in Mumbai and you will find plenty of stalls and restaurants dedicated to it. Also, pav bhaji is available in a variety of choices because one can practically throw in any ingredient to it.

Misal Pav

If you are in Mumbai you must definitely try Misal Pav a.k.a. Misal. The literal meaning of Misal is ‘Mixture’. Misal Pav is a breakfast or a midday snack. It is quite affordable and nutritious which makes it one of the popular street food in Mumbai.

The core of the dish consists of the gravy that will have a mix of moth bean (matki) or chana (chickpea). Sev (crunchy noodles) is added to this gravy. Furthermore, a mixture of chopped onions, coriander and other regional ingredients are added. The gravy is served with a slice of bread or small loaves.

There are plenty of street vendors and stalls and even restaurants that serve different variants of misal pav. However, Kolhapuri and Puneri misal are the two most popular versions. The Kolhapuri misal has more spiciness to it.

Dosa and Idli

If you are not much into fried and spicy food you can definitely focus on these two street food items. Over the years, dosa has remained one of my favourite street food in Mumbai. Personally, I prefer food with less oil and that’s why both idlis and dosas are high on my street food list.

Dosa is a rice pancake while idli is a savory rice cake. Both these food items are historically connected to the state of Karnataka. Although, as per some ancient literature dosa was used in Tamil culture as well.

However, in popular tradition, the town of Udipi is the birthplace of dosa. On the other hand, there are various sources that have different stories about the origin of idlis. Some food historians believe Indonesia is the birth place of the modern day steam idli. Eventually, the recipe came to India.

Both idli and dosa are highly nutritious and have plenty of variations. The most popular version of the dosa is Masala Dosa. It has a potato filling. Mysore Masala Dosa has more vegetables and spices in it. Made from semolina Rava Dosa is the crispier version of it. Some street vendors and stall serve more than 10-15 versions of dosa.

Similarly, idlis are highly customizable. However, steam idlis are the most popular version of it. You can also find other versions like rawa idli. On the internet, you can find around 185 different versions of idlis.

Bhel

One street food item that resonates with the culture of Mumbai is the Bhel or Bhel Puri. This savoury snack that consists puffed riceas its base ingredient. Furthermore, Sev, onions, tomatoes, various chutneys and chat masala blend with it to make it delicious.

Bhel puri is completely customizable and that’s the best part of it. You decide what ingredients you want in it according to your taste preferences. Different chutneys impart a sweet, tangy and spicy flavour. It is garnished with chunks of diced raw mango, crispy puris and plenty of sev.

This street food in Mumbai is often associated with the local beaches like Chowpatty and Juhu. Here you will find plenty of stalls serving bhel and other food items like sev puri, dahi puri and sev papdi chat. However, you will find bhel puri all over the city.

Pani Puri

To many Indians, the word Pani Puri itself can make their mouth water. There are many Pani Puri stalls and street vendors across the city. Hence, this is a must-eat street food in Mumbai. Pani Puri is popular in Mumbai and in other parts of the country as well.

Also, the name varies as you move from one state to another. In some states it is called Puchka or Gol Gappa as well. Furthermore, the taste and the contents that go into it also differs from place to place.

Pani Puri consists of round hollow deep-fried crisp crepe, filled with boiled gram, mashed potatoes and various tangy and spicy chutneys. As you put pani puri in your mouth it breaks creating an explosion of flavours within.