Mumbai Guide: 10 Dishes That Find Its Origins From The City Of Dreams

Pav Bhaji is a beloved dish featuring a thick vegetable mash (bhaji) prepared with spices and butter, served alongside soft, buttered bread rolls (pav). Originating in the 19th century for textile mill workers, it has become a staple Mumbai street food, with popular spots like Sardar Pav Bhaji and Cannon Pav Bhaji.

Bombay Sandwich: A distinctive sandwich, it layers boiled potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and beetroot in buttered bread, featuring spicy green chutney and "sev." Often grilled, its origin is uncertain, likely developing as a quick snack in Mumbai, where it remains a beloved street food near offices and colleges.

Eggs Kejriwal: A unique egg dish, often served as a snack or breakfast, consisting of fried eggs on chilli cheese toast. It's said to have originated at the Willingdon Sports Club in Mumbai.

Chinese Bhel, a Mumbai street food fusion, blends crispy fried noodles with a tangy, spicy sauce and vegetables. It showcases the city's cosmopolitan essence and love for vibrant flavors, adapting Chinese cuisine to local tastes.

Vada Pav, known as the "Mumbai burger," is a beloved street food featuring a deep-fried spicy potato fritter (vada) in a soft bread roll (pav), often accompanied by garlic chutney and fried green chilies. Created by Ashok Vaidya in 1966 for mill workers, it has become a staple for Mumbaikars of all backgrounds, readily available throughout the city and emblematic of Mumbai's vibrant food culture.

Bhel Puri and Sev Puri are popular chaat snacks. Bhel Puri features puffed rice, vegetables, chutneys, and sev, while Sev Puri includes crispy puris topped with potatoes, onions, chutneys, and sev. Bhel Puri likely originated in Mumbai from Gujarati migrants, as did Sev Puri.

Misal Pav is a spicy sprouted lentil curry from Maharashtra, especially popular in Mumbai. Served with pav and garnished with farsan, onions, and coriander, it has regional variations, with Mamledar Misal in Thane and Aaswad in Dadar being notable.

Bombil Fry, or Bombay Duck Fry, features lizardfish from Mumbai's waters, not duck. This popular dish involves coating the fish in a spiced batter, often made with semolina or gram flour, and shallow-frying it until crispy, cherished by seafood enthusiasts.

Triple schezwan fried rice: "Triple" signifies the three key elements: fried rice, noodles, and Szechuan gravy, typically accompanied by fried noodles and Manchurian balls. Emerged in late 80s Mumbai, Triple Schezwan Rice fused fried rice with Manchurian gravy, crispy noodles, and a fried egg. Surprisingly, this food is unique to Mumbai.

Masala papad, rooted in ancient Indian papad tradition dating back 2,500 years, is crafted from ground pulses. The famous Lijjat Papad brand was founded in 1959 by seven Gujarati women in Mumbai. The Mumbai version of masala papad quickly became a popular snack in restaurants.