the magic of food...

Living in any international city has its perks, and the one that I take advantage of most often is food. Food in a city like Mumbai is only rival to places like Paris, New York, and the like. What makes Mumbai better than those places, is how cheap you can find it here! As one very enlightened friend put it when I described to her about the street cuisine, "There is nothing more enjoyable than regional authentic food that is inexpensive and easily accessible!"

The food vendors here are actually really decent. They use fresh ingredients (at least the ones I go to), and are really cheap. There is a Dosa vendor 30 seconds around the corner whom I visit almost everyday to get Masala dosa with coconut chutney & sambar, and we exchange what little words we can while eating. After the first few times going there, he knew me by face, and without saying anything, there was a plate in front of me in 2 minutes. Same goes for our chai vendor. My typical meal on the street costs me about 15 rupees (including chai), which is about 30 cents. Another cool thing about them is that they experiment and concoct all kinds of interesting little snacks using nothing but veggies and spices. There is another vendor i go to who makes sandwiches out of potatoes and other vegetables, then toasts the entire thing, tops it with ketchup and masala spices, cuts in 6 pieces, and gives you a little toothpick. Its so simple, and tastes amazing. People who are vegetarian/vegan who have trouble finding food back home would love it here.