MAHARASHTRA
Vada Pav
Vada Pav, or the Poor Man’s Burger, is among the top Mumbai street food dishes. It is essentially a bun bread (pav) and a fritter(vada) stuffed with mashed potato. The dish is served with spicy and sweet chutneys, fried chilies, and garlic powder chutney.
Popular Variants: Schezwan, cheese, and grilled Vada Pav
Where To Try: Anand Vada Pav Stall and Parleshwar Vada Pav Samrat in Vile Parle West
Also Try: Samosa Pav, Kheema Pav, and Dabeli
Misal Pav
Quintessentially from Pune, the dish is a mix of curried lentils, topped with potato bhaaji, poha, chivada, chopped onions, and tomato. This hot and spicy street food of Mumbai is eaten with pav and yogurt. If you are looking for options in healthy street food in Mumbai, then Misal Pav has got your back. Start your morning with this sumptuous, healthy breakfast.
Where To Try: Mamledar Kacheri at Naupada in Thane West
Also Try: Misal Vada
Bhel Puri and Sev Puri
Among the vegetarian dishes of street food in Mumbai, Bhel Puri and Sev Puri are the most popular ones. Bhel Puri is a Marathi Chaat made out of puffed rice, vegetables, and a tangy tamarind sauce. Sev Puri is another chaat essentially made of Puri loaded with diced potatoes, onions, 3 chutneys (tamarind, chili, and garlic), and topped with sev (small pieces of crunchy noodles made from chickpea flour paste). It is seasoned with raw mango or a hint of lemon and chaat masala.
Where To Try: Sharmajee’s and Badshah’s at Girgaon Chaupati Beach at Marina Drive
Also Try: Dahi Puri, Pani Puri, and Chinese Bhel
Ragda Pattice
Top street food in Mumbai, Ragda Pattice is a combination of ragda – soft and spicy rugged flavored chick peas – and pattice – deep fried patties of mashed potatoes. The ragda is crushed with pattice and finely chopped onions, tamarind sauce, and green chutney is poured on it.
Where To Try: Kailash Parbat at Sheela Mahal in Colaba
Kanda Poha
Kanda Poha, another popular Mumbai street food, is an easy-to-make snack. Onions (kanda) and flaked rice (poha) are mixed with chopped potatoes, green chilies, and peas. The mixture is then tempered with mustard seeds and garnished with fresh coriander and lime juice.
Where To Try: Shree Shuddh Shakahari Upahar Gruh in Lokmanya Tilak Market in Vashi
Also Try: Sabudana Khichadi
Falooda
Falooda, an Indian adaptation of the Persian dessert, is a rich drink of vermicelli mixed with milk, almonds, pistachios, rose syrup, and basil seeds, topped with ice-cream. This street food needs no introduction and is a perfect street food in Mumbai in summers to cool off heat.
Where To Try: Badshah at LT Marg in Crawford Market
Also Try: Juices and milkshakes at Bachelorr’s at Chowpatty Sea Face
Pani Puri
Pani puri is universal love! There is not a single person on earth who does not like Pani Puri. And the one you will try in Mumbai will make you fall in love with the tangy flavorful water balls all over again. Most popular street food in Mumbai, you can have Pani Puri at any of the street food stalls in the city. You even have variants in the taste of waters like Hing Jeera, Khatta Meetha, etc. Work up your appetite with a plate of Panipuri in Mumbai.
Where To Try: Santa Cruz, Bandra, Juhu
Must Try: Kailash Parbat in Colaba
Pav Bhaaji
Another popular Bombay street food is the Pav Bhaaji. An assortment of mashed vegetables cooked with spices and seasonings (bhaaji) is served with bun bread (pav) heated on a pan. Butter is applied on the bun. If you are roaming hungry and looking for street food in mumbai at night, then you will find at least one Pav Bhaji stall open late in night in your area where you can kill your hunger pangs.
Where To Try: Cannon Pav Bhaji on Dadabhaji Naoroji Road near CST
Also Try: Tawa Pulao and Brun Maska (butter in bun)
Bombay Sandwich
The Bombay Sandwich is a street food of Mumbai with a combination of most unlikely ingredients. It consists of three buttered white bread slices with slices of beetroot, boiled potatoes, cucumbers, onion rings, and mint chutney between them. The sandwich also comes with a toasted variant.
Where To Try: Mafco Farm Fair on Worli Sea Face and Sandwich Wallah outside Xavier’s College in VT
Steamed Idlis and Vadas
Another famous street food in Mumbai for breakfast is Idli – Vada served with Sambhar and coconut chutney. Idlis are steamed batters of fermented black lentils and rice. Vadas, on the other hand, are savory fritter type snacks made using Lentils, chilies, onions, and curry patta leaves.
Where To Try: Udipi Idli House and Anand Bhawan on Dr. B R Ambedkar Road in Matunga East