MUMBAIYA MASALA!

Let me introduce you to the den of the bollywood brigade... Mumbai. Gosh! That has been a common introduction. OK, then let me introduce you to the financial capital of India, where millions of bucks are made and millions lost in a jiffy. Naah...that sounds cliche. So hear this, welcome to the the land of delicious vada paos and mouth watering bhel puri. Ab aya na mazaa? :)

Hotels would be ok, restaurants would be fine, but what's special if you see the same items on the menu card that you've been tasting all your life. Yes, that is why I'm going to take you for a stroll down the beaches and streets of Mumbai to savor the specialties of the tinsel town.

Let's start our journey by tasting the Mumbaiya Masala of Chowpaati Beach. I knew you would start humming 'chowpaati jayenge, bhelpuri khayenge', so you know now that we are here to eat the delicious bhelpuri which is a tantalizing fusion of puffed rice, gram flour threads, peanuts, tomatoes, onions topped with mint chutney, lemon juice and coriander leaves. Mmmmm...what a delicious start.

To satiate the already aggrevated craving for more tangy food, we take you to Hill Road in Bandra, where the 'oh so famous' stalls are ready with tasty delights. Run towards pani puri, that has soul quenching qualities, but don't stop till your soul asks to! These pani puris are small dough balls which are filled with a medley of potatoes, coriander leaves, tamarind sauce and sprouts which is served with tangy mint water filled into the balls. What a superb invention this one is, that just does magic when it explodes with flavors in our cute little mouths. I didn't imagine that pani puri could fit in my mouth...alas!It did.

Hey! Now lets check out the famous trademark food of Mumbai, Pavbhaji. At Kailash Parbat, one of the famous food chains of Mumbai, a plate of buns, toasted with butter is served with a mix of blended vegetables which are fried with spices and butter. That was quite a stomach filling combination but it was yum. Wow, yet another delight before I am off for some' break into fast'. Ragda-pattice, potato toasts, I always heard about it in movies and tele-serials. Quite a celebrity dish..hmm!

It's time for dinner and we hear hungry call...yeah we now head towards Shivaji Park in Dadar, where we will taste the Mumbaiya invention Frankie, angrezi naam lagta hai! Frankies are saucy minced chicken portions that are filled in rolled parathas. In each bite you will feel a rich spicy concoction of meat with sumptuous vinegar attacks in between.

Too filled to ask for more but I can't just resist a sweet teaser. Just at one corner I can see the ice golaas in the making :)! The vendor is crushing ice and giving it the ice-cream form on a stick. But, the most tantalizing was the last part, when he dipped the snowy preparation into an amalgamation of vibrant colored syrups. I could feel the magic in my mouth from a distance which was such that i would have to shout to make the vendor hear my voice. Can you imagine that?!

I pity the calorie-conscious, the hygiene maniac and the oh-so-posh kind of people. Guys, please spare yourself atleast for your craving souls, even if you do it just for a change. These street platters will make you dream of chowpati even in the middle of the night. Hungry, wotsay?

-by Shikha Priyadarshini