COOK LIKE A LOCAL: MUMBAI

This harbour city has one of the richest food scenes in India

Discover one of the richest food scenes in India

Mumbai, or Bombay, is a city defined by layers of differences: cultural, religious, architectural and, perhaps most strikingly of all, culinary. Here, in India’s largest city, you can feast on the traditions of countless communities.

Start with breakfast in one of south Bombay’s Irani cafés. They were first opened a century ago by a second diaspora of Zoroastrian immigrants and soon became part of the fabric of city life. It’s a welcoming, all-day space for anyone – taxiwalla, lawyer or banker – to eat an affordable meal, or just sip chai and enjoy cool refuge from the street. There were almost 400 of these cafés by the 1960s; now, less than 30 remain. But a visit to Bombay would not be complete without finding one.

The Parsis are another important Bombay community. They also migrated to India from Iran (but much earlier, around 1,000 years ago) and their distinctive flavours add to the city’s joyful mix. Today, Bombay’s most genteel Parsis can be seen at the Ripon Club on a Wednesday, eating a delicious lunch of dhansak (a lentil and meat curry).

In much of the city, food tends to be vegetarian, catering to Hindu and Jain diets. Pau bhaji (a thick vegetable curry), for example, was originally invented as a cheap and satisfying lunch for textile mill workers. Vada pau, bhel, pani puri and the Bombay sandwich are also classic (and mouthwatering) street-food staples.

It’s a contrast in the predominantly Muslim area around Mohammed Ali Road. Busy all year round, the district fills beyond bursting during Ramadan. After the longed-for call of the muezzin sounds out at night, the food stalls that line the teeming streets here serve all manner of grilled meats and fried snacks. You can also find excellent kebabs and biryanis in its street-side restaurants. »