[jeevmenon]

I am excited to go back to Mumbai (resident 0-20 yrs) in 10 days time for 10 days. I would like to make the most of it and most would agree that its the prep thats the most exciting of it all. So, what do we do en-route driving through Maharashtra. I was just asking wifey if she would speak Marathi in rural MH. I was also thinking maybe one day we should stay in Satara with locals to soak it in before reaching Mumbai. Missal pav, Batata vada with Mirchi, Shrikhand, Lonche, Chikki, Kolhapuri Mirchi, Godd masala and the works. At Andheri Station I remember having eaten something called Ussal (?) Pav or was it Missal? Is there something called Ussal Pav? Going through Lonavala, Khandala, Western Ghats.

So here is the question:

1. Whats the Top 10 MH cooked food stuff?
2. Whats the Top 10 MH places?
3. Whats the Top 10 things to do?
4. Whats the Top 10 food items to bring back home?
5. Whats the Top 10 souvenirs to bring back home?

Any other suggestions are welcome!

[hvkumar]

1. Kothambir vadi, Misal, Usal, Sabudana vada.......
2. Matheran, Mahabaleswar, LOnar, Ganapatipule, Ajanta, Mumbai, Sinhagad, Shirdi, Pune
3. Eat bhel puri, travel in local train, do a trade in stock exchange brokerage, get wet in the rains (seasonal), attend sarvajanik Ganapati (seasonal), visit Siddhi Vinayak temple, walk along Marine Drive, eat fish, buy Apoos (seasonal), shop in Fashion Street
4. Apoos (seasonal), Lonavla Chikki, Bakar Vadi from Chitale's Pune, Aamras shrikand
5. Ganpati moorthy, T-shirts from Fashion Street, Holy ash from Shirdi

[Abhay]

1. Misal Pav, Sabudana Khichadi, Kande Pohe, Thalipeeth, Batata Vada et al
2. 10 is too few
3. like hvk said - eat bhel/panipuri on the road/beach (if in Mumbai), hike/trek the Sahyadris/forts
(if you are up to it ! ), stroll around in the rain, go shopping/bargain hunting , visit ancient ruins/temples, see wildlife/birds etc, relax on a beach and watch the sun go down.
4. Bakarwadi definitely. Chikki/Fudge too.
5. depends what you like - wooden handicrafts?

[jeevmenon]

Thanks Abhay and HVK. Where are all the MH guys? The APs, MX6s and the Kaas meet folks? Anyway, I am noting down all these. MH is groundnut country? MH-Biriyani?

[hvkumar]

You can also do slum tours in Mumbai - Dharavi, Asalfa, Cheetah Camp, Kurla, Park Site. The entrepreneurial activity you see there will put many SEZs and Industrial Areas to shame!

I was forgetting - Drink Sol Kadi.

And what abut sporting MNS flags on cars - that seems to be the fashion statement of the day.

Strawberries from Mahabaleswar-Panchgani.

No groundnuts in MH.

Tour of Best 5 Vada Pav stalls in Mumbai city.

Watch a movie in IMAX dome theatre.

[vrprabhu]

Abhay, HVK - you forgot 'pitla + bakri' and 'puran poli' and 'kanda (kekda) bajji' .....

Visit 'Ashtavinayak', Pandarpur, Shirdi - take your pick!

Visit 'Ajanta + Ellora' - and buy Paitani fabrics (sarees + bedsheets).

If you are upto it, trek to a couple of forts!

Finally, go to VT, and pay a tribute to those mindlessly killed.....

[ghodlur]

Add to the goodies - Gul poli, Ukdiche Modak, Sheera, Tilgul/tilache laddo. How about Kolhapuri Tambda rassa.

Visit Malshej Ghat, Barvi dam, Sinhagad.

Kolhapuri chappals, Solapuri chadars as ideal souvenirs.

[hvkumar]

Pour oil in your body in Shani Singnapur.

Relish the chillies in red-hot Kolhapuri cuisine.

[Abhay]

Originally Posted by vrprabhu

Abhay, HVK - you forgot 'pitla + bakri' and 'puran poli' and 'kanda (kekda) bajji' .....

If you are upto it, trek to a couple of forts!

damn! and those are some of my favourites too!
Definitely try a bhakri sometime, Jwarichi/bajrichi along with pithla/zunka..if you like/eat meat, then tambda/pandhra rassa is a kolhapuri speciality.

As is a visit to Bagdadis if you are near the Gateway of India..
I did suggest trekking and I can definitely suggest some easy and good forts if OP shows interest in it

[MX6]

Who said no groundnuts in MH. I was gently surprised to see boiled (salted) groundnuts being sold at KhedShivapur toll for 5 bucks a cup. With my friend helping peel the skin and giving me (as I was driving), it was heaven.

Wanted to give some to the monkeys at Kaas. But then, it didn't last.

And HVK. Don't mention wines and vineyards. Poor Nasik farmers are completely bankrupt and are facing a bleak future as of now.

@Jeev. Seems you are planning for 10 different places in 10 different days with 10 different food and 10 different things to buy and 10 different (too many 10s).

So you are just passing through Kolhapur/ Satara/ Pune/ E-way as I understand and are going to be put up in Mumbai for 10 days. MNS people and Shiv-sainiks will get angry if I mention this. But there's hardly anything Maharashtrian for you in Mumbai. Most hotels are Udupi based or up market cosmopolitan or chinese kind of joints.

But here's what I'd suggest you to do while in Mumbai.

Go to Haji Ali - have pizza/ sandwiches/ juice there. Go to Mahalaxmi temple.
Go to Bandra Bandstand and watch the waves crash against the rocky terrain. Also watch cops and chakkas troubling young lovebirds. (pity feb 14th is far far away). Have chatpata garmagaram masala laden corn on cob.
Go to Gateway of India and spend some time looking at places around and grabbing some photoshots. Take a "cruise" on a ferry from there and if possible go over to Elephanta caves. Eat at Leopold in the evening.
Go to Malabar hill. Climb the old shoe. Have a nice batatavada there overlooking the queen's necklace.
Go to Chor bazaar - zaveri bazaar, fashion street etc. You never know what all you can buy there. Have sumptuous gujarati thali in a famous place (trying to recollect the name) near Mistry bhavan HDFC bank.
Go to Sanjay Gandhi National park - visit the caves inside and take up the tiger safari. Have packed sandwiches / burgers in there and remember to dispose the waste in proper place.
Go to Nehru Planetarium/ Science museum near Worli seaface. Let the valet park your car and there's a beautiful place there to eat (again forgot the name).
Go to one of those dhabas dotting the road after Dahisar. Enjoy great food with truckers all around. Do a ceremonial drive on the ghodbunder road or go over to one of those swanky malls in western suburbs and pamper your wife
Go to Marine drive. Sit and watch glorious sun set. Enjoy watching dogs of all kinds of breeds being taken on walks. Eat Idlies made just outside churchgate station
Go to Juhu beach. Not a clean one. But I remember having unlimited Parathas and pepsi for 120 bucks in 2001. Not sure whether he exists. If not, go over to iskon and ask them whether they serve food there!

If you are not happy with the 10 things above, here's a 11th one!
Go to the high security prison where Kasab is beating up jail wardens. Ask them to serve you the chicken biriyani he eats. That should probably be the best ever thing currently available in Maharashtra!
You can also get to meet some of the most influential persons when in there!

[Abhay]

For some reason cannot edit my earlier post

"Definitely try a bhakri sometime, Jwarichi/bajrichi along with pithla/zunka and Mirchicha Thecha (thats crushed green chillies with a bit a garlic and a squirt of lemon juice - basic but amazing food)"

groundnuts? yes definitely and correct season too..I just ate boiled/salted groundnuts at home on sunday. Slurrp.

MX6, giving monkeys food isn't really a good idea anyways. They get bolder each day that people feed them and then turn into a menace (as seen at many places already)

[Wolfheart]

While you're in Mumbai;

Street Food:

Pav Bhaji, Frankie rolls and of course the quintessential Vada Pav. You can wash it down with Energee (flavored milk drink) and bottled lassi both produced and sold locally by Aarey.

Restaurant food:

Spicy Malavni (Maharshtra's coastal cuisine) seafood with sol curry and rice chapattis called bhakri.

Crispy batter fried Bombay Duck (it's a fish) which is a local specialty. Uber delicious!

Chicken Kolhapuri curry made with hot red chillies.

Kombdi Vade which I have heard of but never tried myself. And if you get a chance try the Berry Pulao at Brittania in Mumbai. It's quite similar to Biriyani but with an Iranian twist!

Apologies if you're vegetarian but I'm completely carnivorous.

Also try to get the Strawberries from M'blwr like HVK recommended and also the delicious Mulberries .

Souvenirs:

Try to get your hands on some Warli Tribal art. The Warli folk paint artefacts, t-shirts, wall hangings, mugs etc in their unique style.



If you travel in Thane ditrict towards Vikramgad or Wada, you could meet actual Warli folks. I have seen them perform a dance called "Tarpa dance" and it's a treat to watch. Tarpa refers to a wind instrument made out of a pumpkin. Tarpas are made after the monsoon ends. If you're lucky to find one this would be a great souvenir from Maharashtra. This is what it looks like:



In any case wish you a wonderful and happy stay in Maharashtra!

[MX6]

Originally Posted by Abhay

MX6, giving monkeys food isn't really a good idea anyways. They get bolder each day that people feed them and then turn into a menace (as seen at many places already)

Agree with that Abhay. One should never feed the wild animals as they are inherently afraid of humans. By feeding them, we make them lose that fear.

But then, that's not the only way we make animals lose fear and start attacking us or become a menace. First thing is we destroy their homes in the name of development. They then stray in to our settlements in search of food and shelter. Secondly, we artificially interfere in the food chain. We poach, kill many animals for various products. The animals below and above the one's that are endangered in the list become menace again.
Finally and most importantly, even when we go to some wild life sanctuaries, zoos etc, many idiots keep taunting, jeering, pelting things at these creatures there by making them more violent and retaliate.

Anyway, while it comes to feeding monkeys, we don't know who started it first, now it's impossible to take food in front of any monkey without giving some to it. It will always come near you for its share.

[hvkumar]

The names MX6 is looking for:

Maybe the Samrat restaurant for Thalis near Mistry Bhavan, Backbay Reclamation?

Maybe the Jewel of India restaurant next to the Worli Planetarium?

[MX6]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

The names MX6 is looking for:

Maybe the Samrat restaurant for Thalis near Mistry Bhavan, Backbay Reclamation?

Maybe the Jewel of India restaurant next to the Worli Planetarium?

Saar. Samrat is bang on target. Now my mouth is watering just reading the name. You are amazing saar.

And it is Jewel of India again. Samrat is too good. Loved the Puran polis there. I'm going to Samrat for a sumptuous meal when I come there in Oct!

The last I went to Samrat was in 2004! Would you believe it?