Often considered a foodie’s haven, Delhi offers numerous street food delicacies—who can refuse the mouth-watering chaats and hot chole bhature—that capture the attention of people from all over the world. In fact, the Capital is also where one can try both global cuisines as well as dishes from other Indian states—dhokla from Gujarat, dal baati from Rajasthan, vada pav from Mumbai, etc. Despite the variety of regional dishes found in the city, the authenticity of flavours might be missing. In order to offer Delhiites a glimpse of the signature street food available in Mumbai, Nishit Dalal (36)—a satellite engineer by profession and a chef at heart—is hosting a two-day Bombay street food pop-up at Two Brothers Organic Farms, The Dhan Mill compound, Chhatarpur.
Serving authentic flavours
“I wanted to introduce Delhi to Mumbai’s street food. The four dishes are a burst of different types of flavours—from coconut flavours to spicy food and a sweet dish in the end to cool your stomach. That was the whole idea,” he shared.
The venue was abuzz with activity on Saturday as people from various parts of the city were seen at the space to taste Dalal’s food. Here, we met Devendra Damle—the Pune native currently resides in Malviya Nagar—in the early hours of the day. “There is a massive shortage of Maharashtrian food in Delhi. The only time I get to eat it is when I cook at home. So, this pop-up is great,” he shared.
The menu curated by Dalal comprises four dishes—Misal Pav, Pav Bhaji, Masala Pav, and Falooda, each with a unique Bambaiya twist. These flavoursome dishes have been prepared using some masala blends created by Dalal. “I do use some packaged masalas from the market but to get the flavour right, I make the masalas myself. Some masalas are from Mumbai as well,” shared the Lajpat Nagar resident, adding that a friend who travelled from Mumbai to the city brought the spices Dalal has used in these dishes.
The bhaji (served with pav) is black in colour and significantly differs from the red-orange bhaji one may get in Delhi’s streets. The black colour, he explains, comes from the addition of dry coconut—Dalal scoured 15 stores in Delhi to find the dry ones that would help him get the right taste. The Falooda too—it has been prepared with basil seeds and jelly—is sweet-smelling and has a distinct taste.
Shefali Batra, a food blogger and a holistic wellness coach from South Extension, shared, “I really like the Masala Pav, it is very good. Pav Bhaji is very different from what we get in Delhi so I think that is an acquired taste. I am not too sure of the Misal Pav, but the falooda is the star of this meal.”
A love for food
Having lived in Mumbai all his life, Dalal moved to Delhi for work in 2019. “Everyone was like ‘what will you do in Delhi; you have been here [in Mumbai] for so long’,'' he shared with a laugh. In fact, his friends have nicknamed him 'Bombay boy in Delhi', a tag he now enjoys. A food enthusiast, Dalal has previously organised similar events at home for a limited audience—usually his friends and acquaintances. With the success of day one of the pop-up, Dalal mentions taking his love for cooking forward.
This street food pop-up also put to rest the ultimate 'Bombay-Delhi debate'. On being asked what he prefers more, Dalal concludes, “Both [cities] serve different kinds of food, and the palettes are very different. For instance, in Delhi I love the chole bhature…you don’t get that in Mumbai. We do paavs-vadas better. It is a balance and I am glad I get the best of both flavours.”