If you have been following me on Instagram, you’d know I quickly had a visit to Bombay (or Mumbai) and returned last week. Having been grown up in the city of dreams, a trip to Bombay always (repeat – always) excite me. Meeting family, friends, gorging on scrumptious food, even if it is something un-remarkable off the street has it’s own charisma. Bombay isn’t my hometown, but the melting pot of traditional cuisines, a destination for piping the dreams, the skies with multi-colored hues and home to seven islands the city that it is, I have some exceptional memories attached after living in the city for 15 years.
Having lived in a suburb in my former years, traveling to South Bombay for work during the later part of my life opened new avenues and outlets for this rather coy girl. Gobbling on cheese-chilli sandwiches during office hours always called for mid-morning breaks and some gossip amongst the few of us. I don’t know if they still exist, but there’d be line of hawkers along the crease of a footpath (facing on two opposite sides) on Nariman Point selling not-so-healthy stuff like mixed-juices, chaat, sandwiches and different other conglomeration of fast food from morning to mid-night. Ordering for late evening roadside snacks from the same place would definitely make it’s way on our schedule alongwith finalizations and correction of figures on the days when we burnt the night lamp during the peak period of filing the returns of taxes. These mini temporary structures made from very minimum equipments were the only emoluments of those old and young peddlers who’d travel from far-off suburbs like Kalyan, Borivili, etc everyday in conjunction with being a source of movable feast for hungry office-goers. Standing in queue near Jai Hind College for maggi subs (a very modern jargon for a roll) on the rare days when we’d be out of the office early was a celebration of sorts and wiping our fingers clean at Mohammed Ali Road during Ramadan or rewarding our very exclusive appetite at Khau Gali (in the lanes of Charni Road) etched sure enough fantastic chronicles of my life.
I can practically relate to eating in Bombay along the pavements or bylanes because the city has always been known for it’s notorious street food offerings. This is the city that is shaped by flavors from all over the India, so if you got to go down to the cultural history, go down through the food that has made noteworthy contribution in carving the image of city that it is. While you are in Bombay, explore different destinations that serve fine coastal cuisine; get flattered by fresh seafood like that of Bombils and Pomfrets, Crabs and Shrimps; delve into the tiny lanes of Mohammed Ali Road and look for pop-up stalls with mighty long tawas (pans) for savory and juicy Kebabs and Sheekhs; relish every bite ofpeculiar South Indian food across various small joints or from the hot tawas on make-shift carts; sip into flavorful Masala Chai from different tea-stalls found across several corners of the road; pack up a Vada Pav with dried coconut chutney from any local stall to indulge into a regionally curated Indian burger; smack your yearnings by romancing with conventional ingredients and flavors in the homes of Maharashtrians and watch as they are converted into a beautifully created dish; devour into sweet & spicy Gujrati Dhabeli which again can be found at any local stall; if looking for a breakfast indulgence – head to any small restaurant that serve classic Misal Pav and polish it off with a big glass of sugarcane juice; drive or walk through the Marine Drive to Chowpatty Beach for spicy Chaats, greasy treats and Ice-Golas that are sure to become everyone’s favorite; and if you can’t head over to Chowpatty, the busy Juhu Beach will also cater to all your authentic street-food needs. And if you prefer fine-dining, there are options galore and you sure are not to miss one if you drive through prominent places like the airport, Juhu, Bandra, Colaba, Marine Drive, Fort, Lower Parel, Worli, Churchgate, Cuffe Parade and many more. Whatever the budget, Bombay satisfies every palette and does so ever zealously. And this with many other reasons, Bombay will always be my favorite city – the one that gave me memories of childhood and adolescence I can treasure for a lifetime and still surprise me every-time I am there.
This year was a total revelation of a kind when I got to spend ten days of my short vacation without traveling to other parts of Bombay but just stay in a suburb because of the time crunch and action packed break that it was. The one and foremost solace was the Mumbai Metro that gave a sense of pride in a Mumbaikar in me. Apart from watching the Metro build over the years, traveling in it to office was a long-lost dream that never saw a day. But yet again, watching it live and running and getting to hop on one for a couple of journeys was a heart-warming experience. Apart from that, what definitely caught my attention was an array of different chic cafes and restaurants that have opened in Andheri (suburb in Mumbai) in last one year. I really wished I could go and try each and every cafe out there (which are one too many); but hey I ain’t going anywhere. Hopefully, I will conform to my eagerness on next visits. Out of most that I went to, a few remarkable ones were The Food Bar, Cafe-O and Hometown Cafe; the reviews for which I wrote down on my Zomato profile.
Albeit the running around and getting invited by families and friends, the joy of baking with mom never ceases out even on brief sabbaticals like these . Or baking for mom and dad, for that matter. It’s no surprise to know that I really didn’t cook much when I lived with my parents. And would invade the kitchen on some rare occasions because traveling from a suburb to town and back in a cramped local train everyday would wear me out though I know women who multi-task excellently and have immense respect for them. But when it came to baking which would mostly be on weekends, I loved stirring the spoons and mixing the batter along-with my older sister. Then we’d patiently wait for exquisite result to come out of the oven with eyes that screamed enthusiasm. And on few other opportunities my sister and I would dash into the kitchen so that we each got our share of cake batter to lick off mom’s fingers and then run our tiny fingers through the insides of the bowl rimmed with the mushy preparation. My passion for baking increased only after I got married and each time I wear my baking apron, the memories come back in a flourish. So while I was in Bombay this time, I baked banana bread for mom and dad; and sooner enough planned a brownie baking date with mom.
With ingredients that are easily available in any baking addict’s pantry, this brownie is super easy to whip up. If you are a nutella lover, it wouldn’t be harder to find a jar in your kitchen too just like mine. So, the hand blender was removed that was sitting prettily in the top most cupboard on my mom’s kitchen, washed, the attachments were fixed and we were set to do what we love the most. This came out as more of a cake brownie. I know most prefer the gooey fudgy brownie but give this light and moist brownie a try, I say.
Recipe for Nutella Brownie.
Ingredients :
- All Purpose Flour – 1 1/2 cup
- Baking Powder – 1 tbsp
- Butter – 1/2 cup, unsalted at room temperature
- White Granulated Sugar – 3/4 cup
- Coffee Powder – 2 tsp
- Nutella – 1/4 cup
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – 2 tbsp
- Salt – 1/4 tsp
- Vanilla Extract – 2 tsp
- Warm Milk – 2 tbsp
- Eggs – 2, at room temperature
Method :
Preheat your oven to 180 Degrees Celcius. Grease and dust your baking dish. Keep it aside. Prepare a coffee concoction in warm water and set it aside. Everything is pretty straight-forward now. Melt the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl with a whisk until it is well combined. Add in vanilla extract, coffee mix and eggs. Mix until it is soft and creamy. This will take a little time but worth the wait. To the flour add cocoa, baking powder and salt. Give it a stir so it is mixed together. Now, in the egg butter mixture add in nutella and milk. Again, mix this well. Pour dry ingredients over the the wet mixture and incorporate it with a gentle hand. Do not over mix it otherwise you will have a break dough. Batter will be nice and fluffy. Pour the batter in the prepared pan and spread evenly using a spatula. Bake it in your preheated over for about 45 minutes. Or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool before cutting them into squares. Serve warm with a dollop of vanilla ice-cream by the side.
Disclaimer : Bombay is now known as Mumbai; but I still like to keep it to it’s old name because for the nostalgia I am always hit by.