Italian Streetfood in Mumbai

You read it right! Italian streetfood! Pasta, Pizza and Maggi on the road! I couldn't believe my ears either. Streetfood in Bombay is associated traditionally with chaat, vada pav, sandwiches, samosas, bhajiyas, frankies, dosas and pav bhaji. More recently it is Chinese Bhel that has popped up everywhere. But pasta and pizza completely caught me by surprise. We definitely should have seen it coming, live as we do in a city like Bombay, where anything's possible. I have been telling everyone who will listen about this discovery. 

Introduced to me by my cousins, it's an experience I will never forget. Tucked away in the dark lanes of Cuffe Parade, just outside World Trade Centre, the American Fast Food (yes, that's the name on their card) stall is easily missable. Be on the lookout for a red umbrella to spot them.

What's on offer is a wide variety of pizzas, pasta and maggi! One look at the menu, and you immediately know that the names for pizzas have been lifted from Domino's - Farmhouse, Fresh Veggie, Peppy Paneer, etc. Not that you would mind it. They have about fifteen varieties for pizza, all vegetarian ofcourse, all of which are also available on a base of khichiya papad! Khichiya papad is basically a rice papad made from rice flour. Crunchy and yum!

What stands out in their menu, though, is the ten to eleven varities of penne pasta right from the usual red and white sauce to the restauranty pesto sauce to the unheard of mongolian sauce. They even have something for paneer lovers (so essential in our country!). It's delightful to see not just the regular ingredients with the pasta, but also ingredients like olive oil, mushrooms, jalapenos, olives and basil, which honestly I would not expect from a streetfood stall.  Not to forget, every dish is topped with heaps and heaps of cheese. Oh Dear Lord! We tried the Penne with Red and White Sauce. It was delicious. So it tasted like a typical Indian version of pasta, but who's complaining. 

We also tried the Maggi in Mongolian Sauce and I was hooked. So I love maggi, in any form. But this was such a refreshing taste to a noodle snack we've been consuming for years. Loved it! Also, try the versions with paneer, mushrooms and baby corn. We had a go at the plain maggi with cheese as well and it did not disappoint. The only thing you might notice is that the noodles aren't actually maggi but a thinner, different variety. The taste more than makes up for it, so don't dwell on it.

The prices at this place are as good as a restaurant. One close look and you notice the branded ingredients being used for food preparation - Amul Cheese, Amul Fresh Cream, bottles of Barilla's flavoured sauces, heaps of oregano, chilli flakes, genuine olive oil, etc etc which is what justifies the prices. The Maggi varieties are anywhere between Rs.80-Rs.150; whereas the macaroni/penne pasta will make your pockets lighter by Rs. 100-Rs.250 per dish! Your immediate reaction is 'that's pricey', but once in a while, when out to have fun its worth it. 
Quantity is good enough for 2 to dig in. Fairly hygienic. Takeaways available. Caters to parties and functions. Open from 5pm to 1am everyday.

Best time to visit this place is on those late night drives with friends when you're craving a nice snack at the least. Chuck Amar/Khurshid/Aslam for a change. Head to cuffe parade!

American Fast Food:
Opposite World Trade Centre Gate No. 3,
Cuffe Parade, 
Mumbai - 5.
Contact: Manoj Kumar Gupta - 9820668536/9820681898. 

Enjoy!

Red Onion & Indian-Spiced Hummus

Greetings! My frequency of posting is horrible. I know. Must do something bout it. Soon! This time I bring to you, no not a dessert, but one of my favourite and everyone's most loved 'Hummus'! With a slight twist. Slight, I assure you.

This is a recipe I've tried out from BBC GoodFood India's amazing magazines that I subscribe to. Every month I'm eagerly awaiting my issue and once it arrives, there is little else I can think of. Literally. It goes with me everywhere till I haven't licked it clean. If you have any interest in cooking/baking/experimenting with recipes, this magazine is a must! Apart from easy and quick triple tested recipes, it contains updates from the food industry, goss on the latest/best places to dine as well as local and international specials. Get your copy here!

An Indian take on the Classic Hummus, this recipe is super easy to put together. Serve with good quality pita bread. I haven't gotten down to making Pita on my own yet. I just bought it from Moshe's and it was perfect. Feel free to go for store bought pita, just make sure it's the right store.

Red Onion and Indian-Spiced Hummus

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

400g chickpeas (boiled)

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 red onion, thinly sliced

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 tbsp tahini paste

2 tsp coriander, finely chopped

Salt to taste

Pita bread

Paprika (optional)

Method:

1. Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and fry the onions till soft and light brown. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
2. Toast all the spices on a low heat, then remove from the heat and grind to make a powder. 
3. In a food processor, blitz the chickpeas, tahini, spices, red onion, lemon juice, coriander and salt until smooth or till a little chunky, as you may desire.
4. Empty in a bowl and drizzle with the remaining olive oil.    
5. The recipe doesn't call for it, but I dressed my hummus with liberal amounts of Paprika. Cannot get enough of it.
6. Warm the pita bread and serve with the hummus.

Cheers!

Mango and Pineapple Sorbet

Hello! Hello! Not gonna get into the "its been horribly long' mode.. Can't end up doing that everytime. So I'm getting straight to the point. Mango and Pineapple Sorbet. We've entered a full-fledged summer here in Mumbai. It's so terribly hot and its only going to get worse in the course of the month. What better than a refreshing sorbet to beat the heat. The only good thing that comes with Indian summers is Mangoes!!  Hence, they were the obvious choice of flavour. Though still expensive, I've welcomed them with open arms. We all would. It's the king of fruits after all. Not to forget we all have our childhood summer memories linked to some juicy, juicy mangoes. You might be wondering why the pineapple bit comes in. That's because I didn't want frozen aamras (mango juice) in the name of a sorbet. The tartness of the pineapple complements the fleshy sweetness of the mango well and gives it a nice twist. Feel free to experiment with different fruit flavours!

This recipe is super easy. Barely any ingredients. I whipped it up after another stupid day at the office. Stopped by the market after work to pick up some pineapple. Found a vendor selling ready, packaged slices of the same and that was perfect for me. Cooking should be kept hassle-free and I wasn't going to waste time (or energy, honestly did not have the patience) in peeling and cutting up the fruit. So ready slices it was and I was on my way. The only thing that takes up the hours here is the freezing of the sorbet. I'd leave it overnight for best results. 


While I'm at it, let me educate you on some of the many great things about a sorbet. It's devoid of any dairy products so works great if you're lactose intolerant. Also, the absence of dairy products means its much lighter to consume. You don't have to feel guilty about reaching out for extra scoops! A sorbet also acts as a palate cleanser, especially after you've had a heavy, greasy meal. So, go ahead, make yourself and your loved ones a refreshing sorbet. Everyone deserves one in this heat ;)

Mango and Pineapple Sorbet

Ingredients:
100 gm caster sugar
Juice of 2 limes and grated zest of 1
1/2 pineapple, cut into chunks
2 mangoes cut into chunks
200 ml water


Method:

1. In a pan, mix the caster sugar, lime juice, lime zest with 200 ml water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5-7 minutes and them cool. 
2. Add the cooled mixture to the cut up fruit and mix in a blender. Mix till completely smooth.
3. Freeze for atleast 4 hours or till firm.
4. Scoop out and serve!