Mumbai the city of dreams, that has contributed not only to the entertainment and financial world but, also played a significant role in shaping the nation’s culinary palate with its innovative delicious gifts. Food in Mumbai has a distinctly different flavour from that of the food in other parts of the country. Mumbai has accommodated various cultures to give rise to its own distinct culture. The history has it that Mumbai has always been the focus center in the country. Be it economical or administrative. The diversity in Mumbai has certainly given us some amazing culinary treasures that we relish till today.

Eggs Kejriwal

This is a simple egg on a toast breakfast, This interesting sunny side up egg cooked with a layer of cheddar cheese at the center and then topped with finely chopped green chillies and served on crispy toasted bread.   This innovative dish originated in 1960s at the wellington sports clubs with a special request by Devi Prasad Kejriwal. Mr. Kejriwal had a special affinity for eggs and he asked the Clubs Chef to cook in a The sunny side up egg on a toast loaded with cheese. This fascinated the nearby dinners and they all asked to get what kejriwal was having. This led creation of this unique Egg Kejriwal.

Byculla soufflé

One of India’s earliest ‘gymkhana’ prototypes, the Byculla Club was established in 1833 and lasted the reigns of King William IV, Queen Victoria, and King Edward VII. Byculla Soufflé was the signature dish of this club. This unique concoction is said to embody the epicurean standards of the British Raj at its best. Four liquors, the kummel, green chartreuse, orange curacao and Benedictine were combined into a warm gelatin solution. This was folded gently into thick, beaten up double cream, along with some eggs whisked with a little sugar and topped with macro crumbs and served on silver salvers by khidmatgars (male attendants) to well-heeled guests, it was all the rage for a century and possibly feasted on by The Duke of Connaught, Prince Albert Victor, Lord Dufferin and Lord Curzon.

The Chicken Manchurian.

This unique indo Chinese gift was given to the Indian food palate by Chef and restaurateur Nelson Wang at the Cricket Club of India in Kemps corner, Mumbai. Wang was born to Chinese Immigrant in Kolkata. Wang came to Mumbai in 1974, with just Rs. 27 in his pocket. Out of many jobs he worked in Cricket Club of India in 1975, where a customer requested him to make something that was different form the available menu. Wang then used the basic ingredients of Indian dish, such as ginger, garlic, green chilies and instead of adding gram masala he added soy sauce, corn starch and chicken. This resulted in chicken Manchurian which is relished till today.

Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji a lip-smacking, hot spicy, buttery tomato and mashed vegetable preparation eaten with Pav on the streets and beaches of Mumbai. Although this dish is made differently in states across the country, The roots still remain in Mumbai. As per popular reads, there are two causes for the origination of this dish.

During the late British colonial era in Mumbai, When the mill industry was functional emerged this dish from leftovers. The mill workers undergoing a tremendous amount of physical labor received a very short Lunch break, which was not enough for a complete meal. Also during those times, the cotton market was in great demand. Traders would receive the cotton price through telegram in the night. The traders needed to be awake till late nights and finding food in nights remained a challenge. Looking at these two challenges one local vendor selling regular lunch, experimented with leftover ingredients of other dishes available on with him, He mixed potatoes, onion, tomatoes, vegetables, spices, and curries on a Tawa to create ‘Bhaji’ what we see today, As his Rotis and rice would be over after his daily sales he started to serve this ‘Bhaji’ with Pav.  This tasty, flavorful dish became an instant hit. Pav Bhaji became a midnight dish and a dish of mill workers and gained the popularity that we can see till date.

Vadapav

Who does not know the Indian burger Vada Pav ?. This delicacy was made by Ashok Vaidya in 1966, when he was motivated by the then political movements of locals having a business. Vada was a Maharashtrian delicacy which he started selling in between the Pav that he had borrowed once from an omelette vendor nearby. He served Crispy batter fried potato vadas in between the Pav along with green Chilli and traditional Maharashtrian red chutney.  He sold this Indian burger outside western railways Dadar station. Dadar being a very busy place and all the commuters looking for a food that they could eat quickly or carry on while on the go, thus this became one of the most popular and loved delicacy.