Focus On Food: Indian Cuisine

Indian food is as diverse collection of cuisines of many ethnic and cultural groups in India. Tradition, ethnicity, geographic location, religion and individual preference


Street Fare
With its huge migrant population, Mumbai is the city for a slew of sidewalk snacks, dished out in fresh and generous platefuls. Aficionados swear by Chowpatty beach, but almost any street stall will do, if the chef is an experienced hand at this fine art. Of course, if you're a stickler for hygiene, sanitized versions can be found in most up market restaurants, properly served on bone china and followed up with finger bowls to wash away the grease from your hands. But most citizens agree that street food is just not the same without a free helping of, well, harmless germs.

Puri
The most popular is bhelpuri : crispy crunchy semolina, puffed rice, onion and potato garnished with an assortment of spicy chutneys, coriander and a squeeze of lime. Variations include sev puri, -- bhel served canap style - and dahi puri, doused in sweet yogurt.

Bhaji
Don't take their word for it, however, unless you have a tried and tested constitution. Or better still opt for the relatively safer cooked snacks like pao bhaji and vada pao.

Pao
Actually, pao bhaji is more than a snack; it's a staple. The bhaji is essentially a runny vegetable stew accompanied by soft bread buns or pao liberally soaked in sinful amounts of melted butter.  The dish is prepared in the open air on a huge iron griddle: chopped vegetables, spices and slabs of butter cook quickly on the hot surface and are poured bubbling into plates accompanied by generous helpings of buttered bread.  Certainly not for the calorie conscious, but for the common man its generally cheap, fresh and perfectly safe when served piping hot.

Poor Mans Snack
The other favourite of the hungry Mumbaiwallah is vada pao, a spicy, deep fried potato dumpling sandwiched between the cheeks of a soft fat pao and slathered with spicy chutney. This is the quintessential poor man's snack, popular amongst migrant labourers and impoverished urchins.
One piece for breakfast generally costs Rs 4.00 which is less than the price of a bus ticket and will see you through until late afternoon.

Kulfi
Yet another Chowpatty special, Kulfi is hand churned ice-cream made with condensed milk and oriental flavourings such as nutmeg and cardamom. The most popular is the pale green pistachio kulfi but the plain "malai" or cream variety is as much in demand.

Idlis and Dosas
This is South Indian fast food at its best. Idlis are steaming hot rice cakes served with a curry called sambar and some subtly spiced coconut chutney. Dosas are huge crepes with a pungent potato filling, also served with sambar and chutney. Both these are meals by themselves, and serve as the standard lunch for thousands of office goers.

Chinese
In Mumbai, streetside Chinese food is humorously called Chindian: mostly noodles or chow fan soaked in pungent curries laced with green chilies. Despite the cultural mishmash this is surprisingly tasty stuff but can take its toll on a sensitive stomach.