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!