Grant Road Bhaji Galli: A Winter Wonderland!

One of the most fascinating things about Mumbai is the way it houses so many cultural microcosms within it. From a distance it may look like just another big crowded metro city, but if you look closely you can understand so many communities and cultures, without ever leaving the city's limits.

Particular localities in Mumbai are home to a larger concentration of one community than other parts of the city. Evidence of this can be seen in various forms - the names of shops in the area could reflect the presiding community of business owners, the cuisine served by old eateries in the locality too would suggest a thing or two. But to my mind, the most brilliant lens into an area's population is its local market.

A few months ago I spent a day exploring the Matunga market, which is such a vibrant reflection of the large South Indian community that resides in and around the locality. (You can read about that here.)

And earlier this week I visited another such market. With it's mogri and ponkh, and one-stop undhiyu shop, the Grant Road bhaji galli (vegetable lane) betrays the large Gujarati population in the area.

Apart from the food culture of the locally residing community, another thing that a market often signifies is seasonality. The quality, quantity, and variety of fresh produce available indicates the time of year. And on the west coast of tropical India, there is no better time for fresh vegetables like winter time!

Bright orange fingers turmeric root, and knobbly knuckles of mango ginger wafting their aroma of raw mango, reminiscent of summer. Bunches of green garlic with their wispy white beards. Radishes and carrots - with their big bunches of leaves - swelling with pride as they strive to impress every shopper that passes. And a whole palette of purples: from burgundy amarant leaves or laal maatth, purple yam or kand, and bright bulbous brinjal, to deep - almost black - rat-tail radish or mogri. 

And of course, specialist stalls stocking every ingredient needed to make the Gujarati winter dish: Undhiyu. Just tell the vendor how much you intend to make and he gives you a kit with the perfect proportion of all ingredients!

All my senses were dancing with excitement! 

Now I can't send you the smells and flavours through this blog - yet! (The technology for smell transmission has already been invented so perhaps it won't be long before Instagram adds a "smell" filter to Insta Stories...)

But until then, I can share with you the what I saw, so here it is!

Cross sectional hues

Fresh sprouted beans by weight

DIY Masala Blend since before it got hip at the gourmet grocery stores

Jeera biscuits, khari biscuits and rusk toast to add crunch to chai-time

Locally made cornflakes for chivda and other dry fryums

Green Apple Ber - a variety of the ber fruit

Burgundy Amaranth leaves peeking out from behind the greens

Purple yam or kand - a winter special 

Baby Brinjal

Deep purple (almost black) rat-tail radish or mogri - another winter special

Honey Melon and the most beautiful Guavas

Green garlic - these bearded beauties are also a winter special

Don't worry, the bright is louder than the bite.

Winter radish!

One-stop shop for all your Undhiyu needs.

And all this tucked away in a little lane next to Grant Road station, in the middle of buzzing Mumbai