A vegetarian food trail through Mahavir Nagar khau gully in Kandivli

By the time this story goes to press regular patrons are confident that several new stalls will pop up at Kandivlirsquos khau gully Mahavir Nagar Popular among collegians and adventurous foodies this haunt that runs along a bustling stretch is home to quirky dishes like burger idli cheese burst noodle vada pav ramen with Indian tadka dilkhush dosa a heartshaped dosa Korean pizza and other oddball finds Herersquos our triedandtested trail featuring audacious mixandmatch innovations for scrumptious vegetarian fusion fareIdli or burgerThe idli burger is served with four dipsWe begin our trail with a bold fusion that presents idli as a cheesy burger Babu Naidu founder of Avantika Chennai Cafeacute traces the ideation of this dish back to his village near Chennai ldquoWhen we were kids our elders would mix and match all kinds of ingredients into food like mutton paneer and dry fruits in idli The idea was to make small modifications to the food as per the liking of the children so that they eat healthyrdquo he recalls as two steam idlis sizzle on the tawa The layers are lathered with green and red chutney followed by mixed vegetables paneer cheese and chipotle sauceBabu NaiduAn IT professional Naidu quit his job after the pandemic to take the family legacy forward ldquoWe have many restaurants across South India Since I was born in Mumbai I wanted to introduce the city to South Indian flavours with a twistrdquo he says After an exhaustive recce he opened his first branch in Mahavir Nagar ldquoHere people willingly experiment with foodrdquo he adds Our burger idli Rs 139 is topped with another mini idli and sided with chutney and sambar The first bite is a burst of flavours that does not overpower the idlirsquos taste ldquoEven though eating habits have changed kids will remain kids Offer them something healthy which is either presentable or sprinkled with small amounts of flavours they like and they will relish itrdquo he explainsAt Avantika Chennai Cafeacute shop no 54 Raj Arcade opposite DMartCall 9920406565Extravagantly GenZJumbo gulab jamun and fusion sev puriA counter placed outside the eatery Oye Chatore grabs our eyes Alongside Internet personality Orryrsquos caricature a poster reads lsquoWe are totally slaying at GenZ chaatrsquo ldquoWe call it an Orryapproved chaat stall because he posted about it soon after we launched itrdquo shares Pratik Soni who cofounded Oye Chatore with Nikunj Dasani and Navaljit SinghWhile it serves authentic desi chaat the GenZ counter is reserved for fusion chaat like pani puri shots panini and fusion sev puri among others We try the TFW Extravaganza Rs 180 where sev puri is garnished with Italian ingredients Sev is replaced by loads of grated cheese which is melted using a torch gun This snackable chaat is sweet sour and cheesy all at once For gulab jamun lovers this eatery serves it in a jumbo size Rs 60 Nearly as big as a fist the dessert is warm and decadentAt Oye Chatore shop no 53 Raj Arcade opposite CromaCall 9821854741Toasted and happeningBangkok caramel toast and Grilled halloumi sandwichRecentlyopened stall Bestie Toastie was started by Darshana Tendulkar to break away from the junk foodonly trend here ldquoMahavir Nagar is mostly visited by college students Anything that includes potatoes and loads of cheese sells quicker In an attempt to subtly introduce youngsters to fruits and vegetables through fusion food I founded Bestie Toastierdquo she sharesDarshana TendulkarThis writer calls for their grilled halloumi sandwich Rs 230 and Bangkok caramel toast R150 The former is a mix of tossed veggies loads of halloumi cheese a rare ingredient in street food and a toasted loaf of bread While it makes for a filling snack we particularly enjoy the Bangkok caramel toast which is an instant sugar rush The dish is a chunky slice of bread drenched in a sugary and milky syrup made of slowly cooked fresh cream butter served with and without salt and brown sugarAt Bestie Toastie near shop no 29opposite DMart Call 7021248349Blooming good ideaPeri peri blooming onion and major spicy supreme corn dog topped with a special sweet and spicy sauceIn February this year an overseas family trip birthed Anmol Mehtarsquos Alla Bella Mozzzrella Jointly run with his wife Charmi this venture introduces the city to Thailandrsquos blooming onions and Korearsquos cheese dog ldquoAs soon as a new dish is introduced here everyone serves their own version in quick timerdquo Mehta chuckles This gully thrives on trends and continues to introduce variations until it is overdone and a new food trend takes overAnmol and Charmi MehtaFortunately for the Mehtas blooming onions remains an iteration specific to their shop We order their peri peri blooming onion Rs 120 and major spicy supreme corn dog R250 The blooming onions require slightly larger than average onions to be cut such that it blooms open like a lotus This is then fried sprinkled with peri peri masala and topped with peri peri sauce ldquoThere is a difference in what we ate in Thailand and what we serve here Our blooming onion caters to Indian street food fans mdash it is pocketfriendly and masaledarrdquo Anmol suggests As for the cheese dog their special sweet and spicy sauce rescues it from being an overload of cheese If you are not big on cheese but still want to try it opt for the mini version three to four inchesAt Alla Bella Mozzzrella 2nd counter outside Gupta Snacks opposite Jungle JuiceCall 9920367807Momo mastersTandoori momos in bright orange gravyRight across the street is another famous haunt Named Crime Master Momo this one commits the delectable and spicy crime of cooking some of the best fusion momos Founders Dhaivat Parmar and Karan Marvi quit their jobs as civil engineers to start this in 2021 ldquoThe khau gully in the neighbourhood Mahavir Nagar is roughly 10 years old We are relatively new and one of the few to serve momos with gravyrdquo the duo reveals We order the hottestselling Afghani momos R190 and tandoori momos R180 Four cooks behind separate stoves are trying to cater to an overwhelming crowd of young impatient patronsDhaivat Parmar and Karan MarviThe founders share that while they serve over 160 plates daily the count increases to 230 on weekends Our momos are tossed into slowcooked sauces in the pans The creamcoloured Afghani sauce we learn is inspired by the sauce traditionally served with Afghani kabobs On the other hand the tandoori momos are a hattip to Punjabi cuisine They are served drenched in sizzling bright orange gravy topped with a dollop of hot Schezwan sauce Post our snacking tears roll down our cheeks itrsquos our winner from this trail If you cannot manage high spice levels the Afghani momos as a creamier alternativeChefs prepare the Afghani momosAt Crime Master Momo shop no 72 near Xth Central MallCall 9987284547Bowled overOur trail ends with at All Dipped India home to one of the most viral desserts mdash bowl cake This unique bestselling dessert was the result of founder Khushbu Obaid Shaikhrsquos pregnancy craving ldquoI was craving a cake but did not want those stale cakes from the cake shops I wanted a fresh and warm bakeAfter watching many cake tutorials my husband and I began baking at home We baked a layer of cake in a baking tin and did not bother to layer it Why in a bowl Because we ate straight out of the tin the kick from my baby was a signrdquo she recalled revealing that she delivered a stillborn baby and launched All Dipped as a tribute to the childBlueberry bowl cake and Khushbu and Obaid ShaikhWhile their bestselling and original introduction is the Swiss chocolate bowl cake we call for their newly launched R249 blueberry bowl cake It is prepared in less than five minutes A layer of blueberry cake is placed in a white chocolate filled sustainable and locally available bowl It is lathered with whipping cream drenched in some more warm liquid white chocolate and topped with extra blueberry sauce and white chocolate ballsPatrons gather around the stall to grab their own bowl cakesThe founder writes lsquomiddayrsquo on our bowl as per our request before serving it to us Around us collegians are feeding their social media with clicks of these instant bakes The cake is spongy soaks in the warm white chocolate completely as we slip into instant food comaAt All Dipped India Shop no 4 ShubhKamna CHS near Shiv Sagar RestaurantLog on to alldippedindiaAlso ReadLove trying new desserts Here are some musteat finds across Mumbai