9 Famous Mumbai Foods You Have to Try
Are you a foodie looking for the best Mumbai foods to try? These 9 foods are popular in Mumbai and are seriously delicious!
Everyone knows India is famous for their masalas! In reality, there are so many different kinds of dishes if you travel throughout the country. Each region and state, even community, will have their own special dishes.
The treats in this list are uniquely famous from Bombay. Some of these Mumbai foods you won’t even be able to find outside of the state, Maharashtra!
From street foods, breakfast, main courses and sweets, these are all of the most popular foods you can eat in Mumbai. And don’t worry, they aren’t all too spicy!
Plus, in addition to trying the popular foods of Bombay, you can also check out these 15 unique things to do in Mumbai to get a true experience of the city!
This post is all about popular Mumbai foods.
Famous Mumbai Foods
#1 Vada Pav
Vada pav is the most famous of the Mumbai foods you have to try! The city is well-known for this street food and you can find it everywhere. Across the country if someone were to ask what food Mumbai is known for, vada pav is it!
Vada refers to the fried potato fritter which is central to the treat. It’s typically made from mashed boiled potatoes mixed with spices, herbs like green chilies and ginger, and sometimes other ingredients like garlic and mustard seeds. It’s coated with a gram flour batter and deep-fried until golden and crispy.
Pav means bread and it’s like a dinner roll. Put them together like a sandwich and you have vada pav! It’s typically served with green or red chutney on the inside. It’s not a very spicy dish, but if you’re sensitive to spice then you can ask for no chutney. Sometimes vendors will give fried green chilis if you want the extra kick!
Vada pav is extremely cheap and easy to find. It’s a popular street food you can get from street stalls, food carts, and local eateries throughout Mumbai.
Expect to pay around 25 rupees (30 cents USD). Enjoy it with a chai for the perfect snack!
#2 Misal Pav
Another one of Mumbai foods that is really popular is Misal Pav. It also originated in Maharashtra, the state Mumbai is in. This is a dish that can be spicy if you’re not used to the masalas in India, but don’t worry, there are ways to still enjoy it!
Misal is a curry-like mixture made from sprouted beans and other legumes. They are cooked with spices like mustard seeds, cumin, turmeric, red chili and include onions, tomatoes and sometimes potatoes. It’s cooked until the curry is thick and flavorful.
As mentioned, pav is like a dinner roll. When you order misal pav, they will usually bring you a small plate of the misal and 1-2 pav. You break off pieces of the pav and dip it in the curry to eat it.
If you are not a fan of spices, you can ask for usal pav. It’s very similar to misal pav except it’s cooked without all of the spices as misal, so it’s meant to be milder.
Misal pav is often served with chopped onions, a slice of lemon, and farsan which is like crispy fried little savory pieces. You add the onions and farsan in the misal and squeeze the lemon on top to enjoy!
Misal pav is less commonly found on the street than vada pav, but it is still easily and widely available. You can order it from local eateries or street stalls.
Expect to pay around 70-80 rupees (85-95 cents USD). It’s the perfect dish to have as breakfast or for a snack!
#3 Pav bhaji
Pav bhaji is one of my favorite Mumbai foods and it’s packed with flavor! This is a famous treat found all over the city and originated in Bombay.
Bhaji basically means vegetables and the word is used in many different contexts to mean different things. In pav bhaji, it refers to a vegetable curry. It’s made from veggies like potatoes, peas, carrots, and cauliflower.
They are mashed into a gravy and cooked with spices like pav bhaji masala (a spice blend specifically for this dish), red chili powder, turmeric, and more. The dish often includes a generous amount of butter or ghee (clarified butter) to enhance its richness and flavor.
Pav bhaji and misal pav are similar in the way they are served and you eat them. As mentioned, pav is like a dinner roll. Pav paji is typically served with chopped onions which you add and a slice of lemon to squeeze on top. The lemon helps if you are sensitive to spiciness!
You eat pav bhaji by tearing off pieces of the bread and dipping it in the bhaji. Sometimes green chilies are served alongside for those who enjoy an extra kick of spice.
This food is easily found from street stalls or local joints, similar to where you would be able to get misal pav. It’s a hearty dish and utterly delicious!
It’s also cheap. Expect to pay around 150 rupees ($1.80-$2 USD) for a plate. It can be eaten as a meal or as a snack. If you’re craving something savory and fulfilling, this is the perfect option.
#4 Poha
Poha, or pohe in Marathi, is a popular breakfast or snack across Maharashtra. It’s one of the Mumbai foods that is often made by locals in their home on a regular basis. It’s also very easy to find all over the streets of the city!
Poha is beaten rice. It’s made from rice that has been parboiled, rolled and flattened into thin flakes. The poha itself can easily be bought from any grocer, similar to how you would find rice. But poha, the dish, is a staple in Mumbai and simple to prepare.
The poha is rinsed with water to soften it. Spices such as mustard seeds, cumin, and curry leaves are cooked in oil along with onions, green chilies and peanuts. Turmeric is also added which gives it the yellow color. Some people also add in potatoes and peas.
It’s served on a plate and you eat it with a spoon. It’s topped with lemon juice and coriander leaves. Sometimes it will come with coconut on top or served with a scoop of chutney on the side.
This is a very basic but delicious dish that you can easily make at home yourself! (Well, if you can find ‘poha,’ which is not as easy in the US). I always follow Swasthi’s recipe which is very straightforward and simple!
Poha can be found in street stalls, food carts and small local eateries. Since it’s a popular breakfast, you can find it easily in the morning from sellers that set up a stand on the street.
Poha is generally around 60-100 rupees (70 cents – $1.20 USD) depending on where you get it. It’s perfect for breakfast or as a snack and pairs perfectly with chai!
#5 Thalipeeth
Of all the delicious Mumbai foods, thalipeeth is lesser known but delicious! This is a dish you will only find in Maharashtra and is a more rural or traditional treat, perhaps why it’s not as famous as the other snacks.
If you like paratha, think of thalipeeth as the Marathi version of paratha. It is essentially a type of flatbread, but it’s truly unique!
Thalipeeth is made from a combination of flours that commonly include jowar (sorghum) flour, besan (chickpea) flour and rice flour. It’s mixed with spices like cumin, turmeric, and sesame seeds along with onion, green chilis, and fresh coriander.
It comes on a plate and is served most often with a side of curd (yogurt). You eat it by breaking off pieces and dipping it in the curd. Sometimes you’ll get it with a small scoop of butter on top which you can spread and melt across the thalipeeth.
Thalipeeth is not as commonly found as a street like the other famous Mumbai foods. You’ll find thalipeeth in small, local Marathi food joints.
Expect to pay 60-100 rupees (70 cents – $1.20 USD). It’s a great option for breakfast or as a snack!
#6 Puran Poli
Puran poli is a delicious Mumbai food! It is a Maharashtran treat that is like a sweet flatbread stuffed with a thin filling. It’s not easy to make and you won’t find this all over India, so be sure to try it while you’re in Mumbai!
Puran is the sweet filling that goes inside the flatbread. It’s made from cooked chana dal and jaggery (unrefined cane sugar). It’s flavored with cardamom and sometimes nutmeg.
Poli refers to the dough which is typically made from whole wheat flour. The puran poli sort of looks like a chapati or roti because it’s also made into a thin circle.
Typically, puran poli is served with katachi amti which is a lentil soup made from the leftover water used to cook the chana dal from the filling. It gives a savory and tangy balance to the sweetness of the puran poli.
To eat it, you break off pieces of the puran poli and dip it in the katachi amti. The filling is a bit flakey and may fall out, so be sure to also eat up the delicious sweetness that lands on your plate!
This dish is not super easily available because it’s most popular to have during festivals or special occasions. Maharashtran families would typically make this during holidays. If you know any locals who make this, that would be the most delicious! But you also can find it in small joints or restaurants that serve traditional Maharashtra cuisines.
Expect to pay around 100-200 rupees ($1.20 – $2.40) for this dish. You can have it any time of the day for a meal or a snack, but it is especially common during festive times!
#7 Modak
A delicious sweet dumpling, Modak is one of the Mumbai foods that’s significance goes beyond just a treat! Modaks are known to be the favorite sweet of Lord Ganesha, popularly known as the elephant God.
During the Ganpati festival which is the biggest celebration in Maharashtra and celebrates Ganesha, you can find modaks everywhere! Modak-making is often a family affair. The process of making and sharing them creates a sense of unity, devotion and happiness.
Modak consists of two main components: the outer shell made from rice flour dough and the sweet filling. The filling is usually made from grated coconut and jaggery, and is often flavored with cardamom or nutmeg.
The filling is stuffed inside the rice flour dough and either steamed or fried. It takes a lot of practice and can be quite difficult to shape and fold them correctly!
Modak is a small sweet which fits easily into the palm of your hand and can be eaten in just a few bites. During Ganpati, local families will offer modaks to the Ganesha idols in their homes. Of course, they will enjoy many of them too!
During Ganpati, you can find modaks being prepared and sold in sweet shops, temples, and households across Maharashtra. This festival is based on the lunar calendar but generally falls in September. Other times of the year it’s not as common, but you will still be able to find them in a sweet shop.
Usually buy them in single pieces or in small boxes. It shouldn’t come out to equal more than 50 rupees per modak (60 cents USD). If you are friends with any locals and have the chance to learn how to make it, that would be the most fun way to taste it!
#8 Bombay Duck Fry (not really duck!)
Of course one of the most popular Mumbai foods will include seafood! Despite its name, it’s actually a type of small fish that’s native to the coastal waters around Mumbai and the Konkan region, meaning the region along the coast of Maharashtra and Goa.
Bombay duck fry is a soft and delicate fish with a distinct flavor. It’s marinated with spices like red chili powder and turmeric along with ginger and garlic paste. Then it’s coated with rava (semolina) or besan (chickpea) flour and shallow-fried until crispy.
It’s typically served as an appetizer or side dish. Squeeze some lemon on top and dip it in some chutney! It would go great with some prawns curry and rice.
You can find Bombay duck fry easily at seafood restaurants, and sometimes other general restaurants. You won’t find it anywhere outside of Mumbai or Goa!
It generally costs 200-300 rupees ($2.40 – $3.60 USD) for the plate. But, expect to pay a little more on your outing because it’s just a side or appetizer and you’ll need to order other food too!
#9 Malvani Chicken Curry
This chicken curry is unique to Mumbai and the surrounding area and is extremely flavorful! As mentioned, Konkan is the coastal region near Maharashtra and Goa. Malvan refers to a smaller area within the Konkan region. So, this dish is really unique to the area!
Malvani chicken curry is packed with flavor and quite spicy! The curry has a coconut base made and is cooked with many different spices along with onion, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes. As the name suggests, it famously includes Malvani masala.
Malvani masala is actually made up of a ton of spices, like literally about 15 spices or more! It’s used in many different local dishes aside from the chicken curry too.
So, you can imagine all of the flavors in the dish! The curry is rich and thick and will have pieces of the chicken. Just a heads up, the chicken will have bones. Malvani chicken curry is typically eaten with a bread like chapati or naan, or else rice.
This can easily be found at any restaurant in Mumbai that serves non-veg food. If you don’t want chicken, you’ll have no trouble finding other options with similar flavors, just look for ‘malvani’ to get the same spices. It’s commonly used with seafood too.
Expect to pay about 200-400 rupees ($2.40 – $4.80 USD) depending where you go. Remember, you’ll also need to get bread or rice to eat it with!
I hope you enjoy the delicious flavors and have fun trying these Mumbai foods!
This post was all about famous Mumbai foods.
