Mid-day's most passionate street eaters fanned out across the eastern and western suburbs, Navi Mumbai and SoBo to bring you an introduction to the top 11 champions of marinated minced meat on coal
Stationed outside Ghansoli Dargah in Vashi, Ahmedbhai Shaikh’s little kebab pop-up is popular with Navi Mumbai's meat eaters. The meat comes all the way from Taloja. Pic/Sneha Kharabe
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Even as the city's culinary heritage continues to be earmarked by Irani cafes and vada pao outposts, there is a meaty chunk of its food history that has a shadowy presence. Mughlai food chains like Bademiya, Delhi Darbar, Ayub's and the famous khau-gallis of Mohammad Ali Road and Mahim might be the first names that come to mind when talking 'seekh', but there is a whole informal network of roadside vendors popping up each night with just table and kebabs. Come morning, there is no trace of the thousands of hungry mouths they fed the night before. Chicken, goat and buffalo meat varieties are served on a strictly available-still-stocks-last basis. The prices, sometimes as low as Rs 7, reinstate our faith in the adage 'in Mumbai, no one goes hungry'.
Mid-day's most passionate street eaters fanned out across the eastern and western suburbs, Navi Mumbai and SoBo to bring you an introduction to the top 11 champions of marinated minced meat on coal.
MS DARBAR SEEKH centre, VASHI
Statement piece: Chicken and buff seekh
The little joint outside Ghansoli dargah in sector 1 of Vashi has seven varieties of kebabs on offer. Owner Ahmedbhai Shaikh opened the stall in 2002 after giving up a life of crime. When he arrived at the spot, this wasn't the bustling neighbourhood it now is. "Even the dargah was tiny, without any of these structures around," he says. Now, consider yourself lucky if you cut through the crowds to get to him. The seekh here tastes different from anything else you get in the area — it has a springiness to it that we think comes from the generous fat content, but, it enhances flavours. His meat comes all the way from Taloja, 25 kms away, because he's particular about where he sources his raw material from.
WHERE: Outside Ghansoli Dargah, Sector 1, Vashi
WHEN: 6 pm to 11.30 pm
CALL: 9702202209
JAMAL'S SEEKH, DHOBI TALAO
Statement piece: Mutton seekh
Sitting at the mouth of the lane leading to Liberty Cinema, Salmani's kebab stall sells succulent mutton, alongside spicy chicken tikka and mutton liver fry, all hot off the coals. The mince for the mutton seekh is mixed with homemade garam masala, garlic-ginger paste, chili, coriander and pudina leaves and left to marinade for six hours, before it's shaped on skewers. Salmani, who opened the stall five years ago after quitting as cook at Bademiya, says, this particular dish is the fastest selling.
WHERE: Next to Walter D'Souza Garden, Gol Masjid, Liberty Cinema lane
WHEN: 6.30 pm to midnight
CALL: 8286581479
CHACHA'S STALL, kemps corner
Statement piece: Mutton seekh
It's 10 pm on a Wednesday evening when we drop by at Abdul Sattar's Chacha's kebab stall beside a bus stop at Kemps Corner. Fortunately, we are in time to taste the last few pieces of mutton seekh, coal being fanned fanatically underneath to keep at bay the wind that an arriving BEST bus throws Chacha's way. "I prepare four kilos of meat every day, and I'm sold out by this hour," says Sattar, who runs the makeshift stall through the week. He also sells tandoori chicken (Rs 40), chicken liver and mutton kiri for Rs 20 each, served with pav and spicy coriander chutney.
Giving Sattar company is a brown mongrel, who turns up at the spot at 6 pm every day. "He's a regular," Chacha laughs, "even during monsoon." For the 22 years that the table has been set up on the stretch, Chacha says he hasn't faced trouble. He credits the lack of nuisance to the Petit Parsi sanatorium behind him. "If it was outside a residential complex, I would've had to shut shop years ago."
WHERE: Opposite Shalimar Hotel
WHEN: 7 pm to 10 pm
JAVED SHAHID KEBAB CENTRE, GOREGAON
Statement piece: Mutton and Chicken seekh
This 'centre' in Mithanagar is no more than a table with a boundary wall behind used to store kitchen paraphernalia. The seekh kebabs are juicy, adequately spiced and fresh as they come. No wonder then that 40-year-old Shahid Shaikh sells 500 plates a day (5,000 during Ramzan). Business starts at 4.30 pm and he is sold out by 11.30 pm. We hear that parcels from here have even made it all the way to Saudi and Dubai. The smiling kebab maker says the cast of television show, Crime Patrol, and composer duo Meet Brothers are regulars. Chicken fry, boti fry and chicken leg piece (all Rs 25) complete the paisa vasool menu.
WHERE: Opposite Gausia Masjid, Mithanagar Municipal Road, Off MG Road
WHEN: 4.30 pm to 11.30 pm
CALL: 9167321569
NAWAB SEEKH PARATHA, DO TAAKI
Statement piece: Chicken seekh paratha
If you are craving a filling snack and don't mind the calories, head to Do Taaki's most famous kebab outpost. The paratha here is deep-fried, like your maida poori but larger and thicker. It comes alongside four stout seekh kebabs, onion, lemon, green chutney and a bunch of pudina sprigs. To enjoy it, place the kebab on the paratha, garnish with condiments, roll and savour. Holding fort since 1980, Nawab, say locals, makes a seekh meaner than all competition. They are right. The seekh is soft and flavourful.
The crowd that gathers at the stall now manned by the third generation of the Qureshi family, Abdullah Qureshi, is only indication of
its success.
WHERE: Do Taaki junction, Nagpada
WHEN: 7 pm till midnight
CALL: 9979568718
MOHAN BHAI'S SEEKH, WORLI NAKA
Statement piece: Mutton seekh
Sitting in the middle of a courtyard of a busy BDD chawl, Mohan Bhai's setup is popular with the residents. Lose your way, and pretty much anyone in the neighbourhood will know how to lead you to him. A small crowd huddles around him when we get there past 9.30 pm. He offers us a mutton seekh priced at an unbelievable Rs 7. The kebabs are juicy and perfectly spiced. We don't need the chutney. The stall dates back 50 years, when Mohan Bhai, a resident of Kalina, would accompany his father as a little boy to set up shop here. Now, he makes at least 500 seekhs a day and he claims that Sachin Tendulkar has also tried his creation. Particular about quality, Mohan Bhai now sets up stall only when he gets "good mutton", but on Sundays, he is sure to arrive.
(Shut on Tuesdays and Thursdays).
WHERE: Central courtyard of Building No. 103. BDD Chawl, off Worli Naka
YASEEN BHAI BARBECUE, NAGPADA
STATEMENT PIECE: Mutton and Chicken seekh
We wait on a wooden stool, coal ash wafting in the air at Nagpada's favourite dug-out for seekh kebabs. Five men throng the only grill of this open-air eatery to pick up orders for those who trickle in late into the evening. It's been over 98 years since the Qureshis first opened shop, and nothing has changed, certainly not the juice of the kebab. We hear music director Anu Malik has been a loyal patron. The minced meat, mixed with traditional Indian spices, ginger-garlic paste and finely
diced chilies, is on the grill before being served with hot pav, sliced onions and pudina chutney. It's cheap, filling and delicious from the word go.
WHERE: Dimtimkar Road, Mastan Talao
WHEN: 7 pm to 10.30 pm
CALL: 90045780605
SAMEER QURESHI KEBAB STALL, MUMBAI CENTRAL
STATEMENT PIECE: Mutton seekh
It's easy to walk past Sameer Qureshi's kebab stall outside the Mumbai Central post office and not realise you've missed a street food gem. The unassuming pop-up, the only food stall sitting between various photocopying and typing centres, has been hawking mutton seekh, kaleji (Rs 84) and pota (Rs 84) for 5; years. The stall, we learn, was set up by Qureshi's father when he moved to Mumbai from Uttar Pradesh. "He chose a busy spot, hence business is decent," he says. Qureshi happily shares that he makes between Rs 44- Rs 5,644 each night. The Madanpura resident prepares three kilos of marinated meat and reaches the spot by : pm. Footfall is heavy, so if you want a bite, get here by 54. "It's rare that I have leftovers, but when I do there are enough underprivileged hungry mouths to feed," he says.
WHERE: Outside Mumbai Central post office, Belasis Road
WHEN: 6 pm to 11 pm
MOHAMMAD BABUL, ANDHERI EAST
STATEMENT PIECE: Mutton seekh, kaleji and boti
Kapadia Nagar in Kurla West is fragrant with grilling meat after 8 pm. A stall that sits ahead of the colony's gate run by 74-year-old Maqsood Ali, aka Munna, is responsible for creating the mood. It was set up by his father 6: years ago, and sells a smorgasbord of kebabs, ranging from the favourite boti fry and mutton kebab, to the recent addition, Russian chicken cutlet. "The mutton seekh are hot selling, while the Russian cutlet is one we introduced a few years ago," says the chatty Munna. Chicken sticks, long chicken cutlets, and the omelette include other popular items on Munna's thaal, all priced between Rs 54 and Rs 64.
WHERE: Kapadia Nagar WHEN: 4 pm to midnight For the last 66 years, Mohammed Babul and his brother have been the makers of fresh seekh kebab, kalegi and boti carrying a whiff of masalas that speak of their Bihari origins. "The masalas are ground at home using jeera, elaichi and safed mirchi," he says.
WHERE: Opposite Chakala Cigarette factory
WHEN: 6 pm to 11 pm
CALL: 9619825583
Pics/Sneha Kharabe
BALBIR'S KEBABS, ANDHERI EAST
STATEMENT PIECE: Chicken seekh and chicken potta
Balbeer Singh is not in the mood for conversation when we meet him at 10 pm at his Western Express Highway stall. The chicken seekhs are fast flying off the table, as we wait for our turn to be served. Singh, who started the business &' years ago, tells us, "I used to eat kebab at stalls nearby and realised it was a lucrative business. I convinced a karigar from one of the shops to join me." The chicken seekh is marinated in a homemade masala, comprising chilli powder, cumin and coriander. The minced chicken is folded in and allowed to sit, for the flavours to set in deep.
WHERE: Opposite Magic Bricks Metro, WEH
WHEN: 6 pm to 11 pm
CALL: 9322008846
MUNNA'S SEEKH, KURLA WEST
STATEMENT PIECE: Seekh and Russian cutlet
Kapadia Nagar in Kurla West is fragrant with grilling meat after 8 pm. A stall that sits ahead of the colony's gate run by 74-year-old Maqsood Ali, aka Munna, is responsible for creating the mood. It was set up by his father 6: years ago, and sells a smorgasbord of kebabs, ranging from the favourite boti fry and mutton kebab, to the recent addition, Russian chicken cutlet.
Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
"The mutton seekh are hot selling, while the Russian cutlet is one we introduced a few years ago," says the chatty Munna. Chicken sticks, long chicken cutlets, and the omelette include other popular items on Munna's thaal, all priced between Rs 54 and Rs 64.
WHERE: Kapadia Nagar
WHEN: 4 pm to midnight
By Kusumita Das, Anju Maskeri, Jane Borges, Aastha Atray Banan, Gaurav Sarkar, Phorum Dalal and Jaison Lewis
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