Mumbai street vendors: khatta tidbits

- By Aishwarya Pramod

The school bell rings one last time signalling the end of classes, and food vendors outside school get ready for a rush of orders. Bhel, frankie, pakora, dabeli, vada pav, bhajiya pav, sandwiches, groundnuts, and singhara are some of what's generally offer, depending on the day of the week and the vendors in the area. And inevitably there is one thela selling amla, kairi, starfruit, bor, imli, and other sour treats.

                                  Schoolgirl at thela

Up until I was about 12, I was a goody-two-shoes who made a beeline for home straight after school - not looking at a single food stall. But a friend of mine who was crazy about kairi eventually began dragging me after school everyday to see whether the thela-wala had come that day. Pretty soon, I was hooked to kairi and amla (with salt and enough red chilli powder to set my tongue on fire). And this was someone who'd never considered herself a fan of anything sour in general.

Here's a picture of kairi (raw mango) slices. The thela (cart) also has groundnuts, and two related kinds of berries (called ber or bor) - a small dark red dried berry, and the larger, brighter Indian jujube.

Here's a larger photo of the same thela - and in between a bunch of saunf (fennel) and a bag of imli (tamarind) pods is a bag full of the small, bright aamla (Indian gooseberry) which I ate in such copious quantities in school. Moving down, there is a bag of bright green karonda (Carissa carandas, a type of dogbane, Wikipedia calls it loftily) - a small fruit which is when raw can be used to make pickles. Below that, there is also a bag of large aamlas, which are typically urer and slightly more bitter than the small ones. I have a bottle of pickled aamla at home, to eat with curd rice.

Of course, it's not just school kids - everyone likes these snacks. 

 

                Check out the food colouring added to the kairi...

...and the six different flavours of imli (tamarind).

Here are some more fruits available on Mumbai streets...

Starfruit and cucumber being sold on Marine Drive.

A closeup of the starfruit with chilli powder and salt.

And here are two I've never tasted. The thela-wala told us that this small yellow fruit is like an extra sour mini-mosambi (sweet lime). On the right are wood apples - he told us its skin was so hard that it needs to be broken with a small hammer.

You can see the handle of the wooden hammer 
he uses to break open the wood apples :)

A college friend's mother was complaining to us about how in her time, after-school snacks meant eating these roadside tidbits, but "kids these days" eat packets of chips and burgers and ice cream. Well, alright, that may be true, but we still love those khatta things too. May these thelas bring happiness to continued generations of school kids!

Scenes from Worli Fishing Village

- By Deepa Krishnan

Walking through Worli Fishing Village is a bit like stepping into a time-warp. The rest of Mumbai might live in the 21st century, but this part of the city is still not far removed from the sleepy fishing village it once was.

Temple with deep-stambh, old style houses and tulsi plant.

Water is stored in big plastic bins now, instead of wells. 

The colourful boats still remain a visually arresting feature. The old cane baskets are there, but alongside, there are also plastic ones.

The kolins wait every morning for the catch to come in, like they have always done. Except now each woman has a cell phone, and the clothing is more varied. 

The morning ritual outside the homes still includes tulsi puja and rangoli

Spices and chillies are still dried in the sun, and ground to make personalised masalas

This house has a tulsi plant holder shaped like a boat. 

Change has come to this house, you can see a girl's school 

uniform hanging from the clothes line.

The current generation may not all go fishing, 
but the sea remains a constant presence, visible
at the end of  many tiny lanes.

And the boys continue to dive and splash and enjoy themselves, as generations before them always have done. 

Walking through Worli Fishing Village always makes me uncomfortable. On the one hand, I want to see the old traditions continue. On the other hand, there is the villagers' own desire to modernise, to become more like the rest of city. What we need is a strong conservation movement that helps document and preserve old houses and ways of life, but provides room for the aspirations of local inhabitants. I was in Ahmedabad this week, speaking at a training program on heritage management, and there is some excellent work that is being done in that city to revive the inner city areas. We need something similar for Worli. Or soon these little lanes and colourful boats will be things of the past, and glass and concrete will take over this part of the city too.

Of temples and food



- By Deepa Krishnan

I've been doing a lot of food walks lately. Last month I did a Matunga food-walk for the BMW-Guggenheim Foundation, as part of a 3-week Mumbai event that they organised.

At the start of the walk, the organiser from BMW-Guggenheim Lab explains what the  lab is all about

A food walk is, of course, a wonderful way to understand a country. Especially in India, where food is not just a personal dietary preference; but a reflection of a way of life. Our walk began outside the Astika Samaj temple, where I explained to the group how as a Palakkad Brahmin, I have so many  "food memories" associated with the temple. 

The Samaj has been painted afresh as part of a
major kumbhabhishekam ceremony.  But for me, this temple
is more about food than religion :) :)

For me, Astika Samaj will always be associated with their wonderfully dark nei-payasam which our neighbour Moorthy-mami brings us as prasadam (recipe here). Made of ghee, jaggery and rice, the prasadam is a thick gooey delight that leaves you licking your fingers.

I also remember the many feasts I have had here, at thread ceremonies, bangle ceremonies, naming ceremonies and what not. Served on banana leaves, these elaborate multi-course meals are not just about food, but also about an old and established way of doing things. Ammu-patti's blog explains some of my community's food traditions very nicely here.

Typical Iyer saddhi. These days, the jangri (orange-coloured sweet) is  wrapped in plastic so you can put it in your purse rather than waste it! And the meal is served on plastic table cloth  which can be whisked away quickly for the next round of seating. But the steel tumbler remains, thank God :) There is a lot of comfort in knowing that some things don't change!

My cousin's bangle ceremony was held some years ago at Bhajana Samaj, another popular temple in Matunga. 

Ceremony to celebrate the pregnancy and to pray for the health of mother and child. And of course, to eat lots of food!!

During the bangle ceremony, I sneaked into the kitchens to get the early morning bustle as they prepared the morning "tiffin".

Coconut being grated for the chutney and for the sambar. Idlis being removed from the traditional cloth  base (don't see this cloth often these days). Our breakfast was idli, vada, sambar, chutney and sweet pongal. 

After the ceremony we all got to take home some of the delicious 'bakshanam'. I have taken home countless murukkus, laddoos, athirasams, thengoyals and so on from all these family functions!!

A couple of months ago I went to Bhajana Samaj during Diwali. It was buzzing with activity, as they were selling specialty South Indian sweets. They were being cooked "on the spot" and sold. More fun with my camera!!

Super-efficient team of caterer A S Rajashekar. They handled the tasting counter and ordering process smoothly and with a smile. I went with my mom and aunt, we met several other people from our community and had a pleasant time chatting.

Just standing outside these temples brings back so many memories for me. And each time I visit Matunga, meet people I know, taste my traditional food, it adds a new layer of comfort.

Mistress of spices? :) :)

- By Deepa Krishnan

The Jan issue of India Today has a photo of me on a walk through the incense and spice market at Null Bazaar. This is part of a story from their India Today Woman supplement, about how food trails are becoming very popular in India.

In their wisdom, the editors have decided to title this photo "Mistress of Spices". Oh well :) :)

Here's what I said in the article:
Krishnan feels food walks are becoming popular as the very nature of travel is changing. "People want more immersive experiences. For example, India is associated with many rich smells - spices, incense, sandalwood, the fresh smell of coriander as you walk around a market. When you stop and linger to experience these fragrances, then you are really seeing the country. Walking through a local bazaar, embracing it with all your senses, is the most elemental way of immersing yourself in a new culture," says Krishnan.

Dosa with a twist

- By Deepa Krishnan

These days, even regular middle class food in this city has become a global adventure. 

Arya Bhavan is a tiny Udupi restaurant in Matunga, and I recently had this scrumptious dish there:

Chinese Spring Dosa with Coconut Chutney, Tomato Chutney, Sambar and Cheese

What a mad medley of multiple cuisines!! Inside the dosa, the stuffing is Chinese-inspired, with pan-tossed cabbage, sprouts, spring onions and what not. The dosa and sambar are South Indian, so is the coconut chutney, but the tomatoes in the red chutney (and the chillies) are South American. Cheese of course is a truly global thing, and no one really knows where it originated - perhaps the Middle East, or Europe or Central Asia. 

Now put all these together, serve it beautifully on a banana leaf and what do you get? A divine, spicy, tangy, tasty combination that leaves you quite astounded. At a price that even the aam aadmi can afford.

No wonder the Udupis are thriving!! Wah re Mumbai meri jaan!

Eating out at BKC

- by Deepa Krishnan

After many years of being a totally boring office complex, BKC is slowly becoming a nice place to dine out.  I am referring of course, to Yauatcha and Otto Infinito, both of which have added some zing to the area in the past year or so.

For me, the nicest thing about dining at these two places (they are in the same building) is that there are wide roads leading up to the restaurant. You can actually pull up at a decent-looking open driveway, see some open spaces, and feel the breeze in your hair as you walk up to the restaurant. 

Path leading up to Yauatcha and Otto Infinito

There is lots of space for parking nearby. Unlike South Mumbai's restaurants, you don't have to go through ridiculous manouevres to reverse, turn, slide and somehow squeeze the car into tiny spaces. Or worry about whether or not there is valet parking. Otto Infinito even offers open air dining minus the crazy din of car horns.

Outdoor seating at Otto Infinito

The restaurants themselves are large, with lots of seating, and views through wall-length glass windows.

There's a yellow theme going on at Otto Infinito

And a blue one at Yauatcha

The food at Yauatcha is tasty and attractively presented, but I cannot figure out why the portions are stingy (our fried rice was a small portion stuck at the bottom of a mostly empty bowl). There were 3 of us, and after 3 soups, 3 starters, the main course and lots of tea, we were still feeling like hungry little Hobbits.

Main course - rice, noodles, chicken. 

Maybe it was because the food didn't flow smoothly to the table in a nicely orchestrated sequence. The service was outstandingly bad, with long periods of being ignored by waiters, orders written wrongly, and multiple waiters totally clueless about what was happening at our table. In fact, it was so amateur that I wondered if some rookie training session was going on. But even with the snafus, Yauatcha is a nice place to catch up with friends for Sunday brunch. There are big tables where a large group can be comfortably seated, the food tastes good, and there's a casual buzz. You can do some people-watching as well! 

With Otto Infinito, we had some hits and misses with the food. Some stuff was very good, and some was mediocre, but the service was superlative and made up for everything. The outdoor tables are really attractive, and right now in Mumbai's short-lived winter, I'd say it makes for a perfect evening out with wine and a Mediterranean salad. 

Apart from these two stand-alone restaurants, BKC has some other casual dining options as well: 

California Pizza Kitchen, BKC

Le Pain Quotidien, BKC

California Pizza Kitchen, Pizza Hut, Le Pain Quotidien - and maybe a couple of more places that I don't know - offer casually trendy places to catch up with friends. Of these LPQ is more boutique, if cafes can be called boutique! There are also expensive restaurants at the Trident and the Sofitel. The only inexpensive thing I have seen so far in BKC is a "canteen" at the Family Court. I'm hoping more  places will open up soon, making BKC a great dining option in the city.

Jehangir Art Galllery - a Kala Ghoda icon

- By Deepa Krishnan

I was perhaps 12 years old when I saw Jehangir Art Gallery for the first time. We were on a BEST bus ride to the Gateway of India, and we drove past the gallery. 

I remember wondering what it was like inside. 

Jehangir Art Gallery, established 1952. 
They are celebrating their 60th year now.

It was only ten years later, when I started working at the Army Navy Building across the road, that I finally found myself going to Jehangir Art gallery often.

The Army and Navy Building, as viewed from the terrace of Jehangir Art Gallery. After my MBA, I worked for 6 months in this building.

It was Samovar Cafe, actually, that originally drew me to the Jehangir Art Gallery building. It was the perfect little place for an inexpensive lunch or a late afternoon snack. I loved the laid-back atmosphere, and the mixed crowd of office-goers, artists and college students.  

Samovar Cafe
Photo source: Their facebook page

Everytime I went to Samovar, I'd pop in and out of the art galleries. Over time, it became a pleasurable thing, and I started enjoying the feeling of being surrounded by art.

This year, with the 60th celebration, I popped in again to take a quick look.                     

60 Years of Being Jehangir
The history of the gallery

The Founding Family - the "Readymoneys"

Key events in the gallery's history

Artists and writers reminiscence on what Jehangir means to them

Photos of "regular Mumbaikars" who are often seen in Jehangir Art gallery. It is the gallery's location and accessibility to the common man that makes it unique.

I also climbed upstairs to see the Terrace Gallery which has been renovated recently through a donation by renowned photographer Kakubhai Kothari.  

One straight and one curved wall, a long gallery, 650 square feet.This new gallery is primarily for photography exhibitions.
I am looking forward to seeing some!

The air-conditioning was nice and cold, perfect for a sunny afternoon, although I have to say, I didn't much like the paintings on show. I hope they start putting up more photography exhibitions soon. I saw the Event Calendar and looks like the earliest photography show is from Dec 31 onwards.

Spice Market at Lalbaug - a photo-walk

- By Deepa Krishnan

Some months ago I went exploring the spice and pickle market at Lalbaug.

Lalbaug Market, as seen from the flyover
(click on photo for super-duper large view!)

Apart from spices, there is a bustling vegetable market, a farsan market called Chivda Galli, and a busy fish market in this area. Wedding and religious paraphranelia, shops selling daily needs items, kitchen utensils and provisions, all make for an interesting introduction to to Maharashtrian cuisine and culture.

Here are some photos from my walk. I really haven't been able to do justice to everything I saw, so I've focused mostly on spices in this set. But I hope this will give you some flavour of the area.

Gunny-sacks of coriander, still greenish, being cleaned and dried

Coriander powder is an essential element of Marathi cooking, and is used in a wide assortment of curries and vegetables. It is often combined with cumin and other spices to make masalas. 

The most conspicuous thing in the market are stacks and stacks of red chillies. Several varieties are on sale. 

Kashmiri Mirchi, the non-spicy variety, great for adding red colour to dishes

An extra-spicy variety - packs quite a wallop!

There were women sitting behind the chilli sacks, sorting the chillies by size. None of them had any sort of gloves or protection for the skin. It is not really crazily expensive to get a pair of gloves - so this sort of carelessness is mostly a result of ignorance. It's not just in the spice market - I see this lackadaisical attitude towards safety in many small industries.

Another popular item sold in this market is dried copra. Coconut trees are plentiful in the coastal areas of Maharashtra, so it is used in both fresh as well as dried forms. Copra is ground along with garlic and red chillies to make lasun chutney, a local favourite.

Edible Copra. India is the world's third largest grower of coconuts, after Indonesia and the Philippines

For those who wish to make their own masalas, the stalls offer a range of spices. I've named them in Marathi  below in sequence, starting with the lower row, and I hope you can click on it to see a larger photo. Bottom Row (starting from closest one): kalajira (nigella), methi (fenugreek), dhania (coriander), jeera (cumin), rai of two types (mustard), saunf (fennel), safed til (white sesame), and ajwain (carom).  Top Row (starting from closest one): (anasphal) star anise, two more jeera boxes (cumin), jaiphal (nutmeg), kalimiri (pepper), lavang (clove), dalchini (cinnamon), tirphal (Sichuan pepper) and dagadphool (stone-flower, a lichen) and tamaalpatra (bayleaf).

Spices for sale on the main road, near the Lalbaug flyover.
Above the spices are a set of cans containing lonche (pickles) for sale.

While most of the spices above are familiar to all Indians, tirphal (Sichuan pepper) is not. It is something you see only in Konkani cooking. Tirphal grows in the area around Goa. You can see a recipe here for coconut chutney flavoured with tirphal.

The people who shop in this area are typically Marathi-speaking communities (erstwhile mill-worker families). Although most of the mills are no more, the area continues to remain home to the workers, who have now moved to other occupations. There are also Gujarati-speaking women, but fewer in number.

Maharashtrian women buying chilllies and copra

Gujarati lady entering utensil shop

Once you buy the spices, you can bring them to the grinding mill if you want your own customised spices. This photo shows the inside of a masala shop in Chivda Galli. On the right is a lady who is waiting for her ground chilli powder.

Woman waiting for her turn at the masala shop.

The shop also offers a menu of spices, powders, pickles and papads.

The shop offers Malvani Masala, Sunday Masala, Mix Masala,
Garam Masala,  Goda Masala, Banarsi Masala,
and Ghati Masala. They also sell pickles.

In Chiwda Galli, there are several shops selling different types of farsan. You can also see the workshops where the farsan is made and packed.

Chiwda Galli, Lalbaug

I found a shop that sells the syrupy concoctions that all the gola-stands in Mumbai use. I always wondered where they got their stuff from, and now I know :)

Sai Krupa Sherbet and Cold Drink offers wholesale cans of sherbet in several flavours:  orange, lemon, pineapple, kala-khatta, mango, raw mango, rose, kokum, ginger-lemon, gooseberry, pista, butter-scotch, kesar, elaichi, and strawberry

There are two interesting buildings in Chivda Galli. The first is Hanuman Theatre, which is now a party hall. Hanuman Theater is where, when the mills first started, the mill workers would gather for tamasha shows, bringing the rural culture of Maharashtra into the city of Mumbai. Inside there is a shrine to a lavni artiste, a lady who was said to be possessed by the "devi". Adjacent to it is the dargah of Chand Shah Vali, where a Hindu Gaikwad family have for multiple generations been the caretakers. The dargah was destroyed by Hindu rioters in 92-93, but has been built again. The Gaikwad family continues to officiate here. 

New Hanuman Theatre Mangal Karyalay and Dargah of Chand Shah Vali. The tall building behind is Hilla Towers, built in the compound of a Parsi fire temple. 

I didn't photograph the fish market, the meat market and the pickles and spice market on the main road. Or the shops with tea and groceries and vegetables. Or the interesting chawls. I did of course, photograph the most popular "madka" shop in Lalbaug Industrial Estate :) 

Where there are spices, can the pickle jars be far  behind?

I'm going back there soon for another photo-walk. Anyone who wants to join me is very welcome! :)