Falooda to Aflatoon: Mumbai chefs pick their favourite desserts in the city

Earlier this week the Taste Atlas magazine picked several Indian mentions in its list of 150 legendary desserts in the world The sole representative from the city was the ice cream sandwich from Churchgate landmark K Rustom While the city is more popular for its street fare Mumbai hides some unique dessert creations that are distinctively original We speak to city chefs to enlighten us on their pick to add to the listMalai magicMy Pick Malai khajaMunaf Kapadia founder The Bohri KitchenA dessert that comes to my mind is the malai khaja If you visit the Bohri neighbourhood near the JJ Flyover there are multiple shops that serve this delicacy It owes its origin to the Dawoodi Bohra community I call it the Bohri baklava mdash a pastry stuffed with malai with a generous coating of butter on top and garnished with dry fruits When you cut the pastry the malai oozes out of itIconic reputationMy Pick Mahim halwa at Joshi Budhakaka MahimSantosh Rawat executive pastry chef The St Regis MumbaiUkadiche modak mdash simple and delicious mdash is a delicacy that I associate with the city along with the occasional sitaphal ice cream at Haji Ali Juice Centre The Mahim halwa though is one that demands the title legendary for its reputation as a dessertA migrant taleMy Pick Motichoor laddoos from Punjab Sweet House BandraYashasvi Modi founder and chef The BurrowThe story of desserts in the city is the story of migration My early memories of growing up in Bandra are with visits to Punjab Sweet House I would love their assortment of North Indian delicacies My pick would be the motichoor laddoos which have evolved into so many forms and influenced my own creationsPersian influenceMy Pick Falooda at Badshah Crawford MarketChef Gresham FernandesWhile Mumbai is not renowned for a distinct traditional dessert like other cities one dessert meriting recognition as legendary is the falooda Originating from Persian culinary traditions it has been transformed into a distinctive and whimsical creation Itrsquos a great example of how Mumbairsquos culinary scene combines various influences to create something truly special and deliciousOf comfort and familiarityMy Pick Black mawa jalebis on Mohammed Ali RoadHusna Jumani pastry chef Crust and CrumbleMy usual dessert choices are sitaphal ice cream at Haji Ali Juice Centre or kulfis at Chowpatty But as a special I would go for the black mawa jalebis at Mohammed Ali Road They are unique to the city While the malpuas are an Eid specialty the mawa jalebis are a yearround delicacyTaste of sweet nostalgiaMy Pick Caramel custard at Britannia amp CoChef Irfan Pabaney country head SodaBottleOpenerWalaA dessert that deserves a mention according to me especially because you do not come across it very often and for the people who make it so fantastically is the caramel custard at Britannia amp Co It is a classic and just superb This would go on my list alongside the falooda and the malpuas from Bhendi bazaarChildhood memoriesMy Pick Phirni at MadanpuraShahbaz Shaikh head chef Lil GambyIt is a myth that phirni is made only during Eid festivities My childhood memories are built around treats of phirni after weekend shopping with my mother or relatives The dessert is refreshing diverse and comes in so many delicious flavours that you cannot miss itTruly uniqueMy Pick Aflatoon from Bhendi BazaarAli Akbar Baldiwala executive chef Slink amp BardotI have a deep fondness for malai puffs from Tawakkal Sweets a treat that holds special memories from my childhood spent at my dadirsquos home But a definitive dessert for Mumbai is aflatoon from Bhendi Bazaar The term aflatoon means something that has no match Interestingly this treat was born right in the heart of Mumbai specifically in Bhendi Bazaar cementing its status as a true Mumbai creationChoices galoreMy Pick Falooda at Badshah gulab jamun at Jhama Sweets in ChemburVicky Ratnani celebrity chef and authorPic CourtesyJhama sweetsMumbai has a tonne of desserts to choose from It can change from season to season In winters there is nothing better than the strawberry and cream at Bachelorrrsquos A musthave for everyone is the delicious falooda at Badshah near Crawford market The other choice would be the decadent gulab jamuns from Jhama Sweets in Chembur They are iconic and stand out