roadside snacks

Your basic roadside snack gets a gourmet spin as city pubs and eateries get experimental with their menus

From page 1 Like every self-proclaimed foodie, you relish a gourmet meal at a fine-dining restaurant. But every now and then, you also give in to the temptation of Bhel Puri or samosas at the roadside stall.
Several city pubs and eateries are now being clever about taking our craving for and our familiarity with street food to the next level by elevating certain items into restaurant dishes.

“It’s great to have something different from the regular Chicken Chilli to snack on while having a drink, and street food is the alternative,” says Mangal Dalal, co-founder, Cellar Door Hospitality, and a culinary consultant.
However, these menus offer a lot more than straightforward street food. To create a new gastronomical treat, they have given a few conventional items quirky makeovers; some have played around with the presentation, others have experimented with the ingredients. Take a look at some interesting snacks being served in Mumbai.

AWE SAMOSAS, VADA PAV BAO

Colaba Social Two kinds of cheese, red onions, white sauce, white wine and mushrooms — these are just some of the ingredients that go into preparing the Awesamosas (` 220) that are served with green apple chutney and Sriracha Chunda. Another fancy street food spin-off here is the Vada Pav Bao (` 160). This besan-free, crumb-coated vada is served sandwiched in pita bread and flavoured with garlic chutney, mayonnaise and chilli paste.
 

 

MUMBAI BHEL

The Treesome Café, Versova The Mumbai Bhel (` 150) is seasoned with jerk spices and does not involve the use of the usual chutneys found at the bhelwala. This snack is accompanied by a tangy tamarind dressing and pomegranate seeds that add a dash of sweetness to the preparation.
 

PERI PERI EGG BHURJEE, 3 CHEESE PAV BHAJI

Copa, Juhu A departure from what nightlife lovers are used to eating at their go-to midnight hawkers, the Peri Peri Egg Bhurjee (` 150) comes stuffed in a bread bowl, and is served with a sweetish bread. Instead of green chillies, the chef here adds fiery peri peri sauce to the eggs. The 3 Cheese Pav Bhaji (` 180) is the other item that stands out on the menu. With three varieties of cheese in every layer — orange cheddar, parmesan and mozzarella — and crunchy bread separating each, this one's a popular dish.

DHOKLA PAKODA (SIGNATURE STYLE)

Bombay Bronx, Breach Candy Everything in this bar is dedicated to the city. Then, why must the menu be any different? A mouth-watering bar snack, the Dhokla Pakoda (` 150) is batter-fried and served here.

Beer Onion Rings

In this weekly section, we get chefs to recommend one simple recipe that the beginners and the experienced will enjoy alike

Ingredients
1 and a 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour 1 tsp
■ baking powder 2 tbsp fresh
■ coriander, finely chopped 2 green chillies, crushed 2 and 1/2 cups of beer salt to taste black pepper
■ to taste, freshly grounded
oil for deep frying 3 large
■ onions; cut into rings

Method
Sift the flour with baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Add the coriander and crushed chillies, and mix well.
Whisk in the beer to prepare a thick batter. Mix in the salt and pepper as per taste.
Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed wok or pan over a medium flame. Drop some batter into the oil to see if it sizzles and rises to the surface. Once this happens, you know the oil is hot enough to be use.
Now dip the onion rings in the batter and make sure they are well coated. Place these coated onion rings in the hot oil carefully.
Fry till the onion rings are golden and crisp. Remove and drain on absorbent paper.
Serve hot.

PULLED PORK SEV PURI, PESTO PANI PURI

Tilt All Day, Lower Parel Unlike the usual toppings, the Pulled Pork Sev Puri (` 350) is made using pieces of pulled pork that are then seasoned with barbeque sauce and labneh (strained yoghurt), and garnished with green onions. The Pesto Pani Puri (` 325), on the other hand, retains the mashed chickpeas, and uses pesto sauce, bell peppers and red wine reduction to add a dash of sweetness to the puffed puris.

BHEL PURI SANDWICH, VADA PAV SANDWICH

Food For Thought, Fort The Bhel Puri Sandwich (` 250) brings together the goodness of the roadside sandwich and the crispy snack. “The bhel in this sandwich has the same spiciness and tanginess that you'll get at your roadside stall,” says Reshma Sanghi, chef, Food For Thought. They also serve something called the Vada Pav Sandwich (` 250). Using the spiced potato filling between two slices of toast, this snack lacks the deep-fried batter coating, but retains the garlic chutney and the flavour.