24 Hours in Mumbai

Although I have a lot of food content I wanted to start posting on my blog, there is no better option than to start my food blog in Mumbai. Because this is where it all started for me. Quite literally because this is where I was born. Mumbai is India's largest city and is bustling unlike any other city in the world. It is said that on Mumbai's local train, the equivalent of Australia's population travels (don't know how true that is but I wouldn't be surprised if it is). So, by no means you can fully explore it in 24 hours. But...there are essentials you can cover. I have listed a few here. 

After a tiring 28 hours of travel, I finally reached Mumbai. Although I only had 24 hours, my jetlagged body made sure I was hungry enough to eat as much as I can. We stayed with our family friends and so we got to have a lot of home cooked food.

Although people often think of Indian food as super rich (because that is what Indian restaurants serve), at home our food is nutrient rich, vegetarian/vegan, and equally tasty (if not tastier). Here is methi ka paratha (bread made with gram flour, methi, curd). Three different curries - left to right - aloo mutter curry (potato and peas), daal (lentils), and bhindi ki sabzi (okra).

Ganne ka juice - sugarcane juice. My dad and I stopped by at the Jio World mall in Bandra Kurla Complex (newly opened). They made fresh sugarcane juice and packed it in this cute little bottle. It tasted the same as the ones on the street (but obviously costed more).

Now, I love making my own chocolate but Cadbury's chocolates have the nostalgia of childhood and an entire shrine dedicated to just various of their products. In India, Cadbury's sweets are a staple and often used on auspicious occasions ("muh meetha karne key liye"). My personal/childhood favorites have been Nutties (blended cashew nut and chocolate balls), the red boxes at the bottom.

Stopping outside the temple to buy the best chips - Lay's India Magic Masala

Although my trip was short so we did not get to have a lot of street food, I did have some warm jalebis made on the streetside. 

My last meal in Mumbai was quick because we had to leave to catch our flight. I met up with a good friend from NYC and we went to the posh Yauatcha in BKC again. Their dumplings were simply spectacular and presented spectacularly too! I have got to say, I have traveled a lot and lived all over but (maybe I am biased), you cannot have bland food in India. Every bite in this country is tasteful.

In conclusion - if you are on a time crunch here are the things to do in Mumbai:
1. Explore Bandra Kurla Complex for a more posh experience and world-class restaurants
2. Try some home cooked food. If you're a tourist and don't know any locals, there are plenty of shops that have home-style food/tiffin service
3. Have some street style sweets (they are available all over)
4. Have some Indian snacks like Dairy Milk Chocolate, India's Lays Magic Masala