Diwali 2017: Buy sweets from Mumbai's most iconic mithaiwalas

Joshi Budhakaka Mahim Halwawala
The name of this shop might be a mouthful, but don't let that deter you. Enter, and you shall be rewarded with a sweet that is synonymous with the area in which the store is located.

"Our family's journey with sweets began over 200 years ago. My forefathers Joshi Jethabhai, his son Mavji and grandson Girdhar moved to Mahim from a small town in Gujarat back in the 1780s," says seventh-generation owner Ramchandra Joshi.

Girdhar would accompany his father in the door-to-door hawking of sweets in the neighbourhood. It was the enterprising Girdhar who decided to create a product that would be different from what was already available. "After many attempts, he invented a paper-thin halwa with wheat extract, sugar, ghee and dry fruits. It was named Mahim Halwa around 1830," says Joshi.

Today, apart from the traditional vanilla and kesar versions, there are several new varieties. "The bestselling ones during Diwali are the Jelly and the Maharaja Halwa," says Joshi, adding, "People who want to indulge opt for the latter as it is flecked with dry fruits. But we also have low-calorie halwas, which we introduced earlier this year for the diet-conscious."

Every sheet of halwa at the store is made by old hands, but Joshi shares that by next year, things might change. "The next generation isn't too keen on devoting all their time to the business, because they have all chosen different career paths. We are trying to automate the process, so they won't have to be physically present at the store all the time," he reveals. Besides, he shares that they are working on a new type of packaging in an attempt to increase the shelf life of the halwas to six months.

The story behind the name
Because of Mavji's old age, people would affectionately refer to him as ‘budha kaka' (old uncle). When his great-grandson (Girdhar's grandson) registered the name of the store in 1921, he chose to include the moniker in it.

Atâu00c2u0080u00c2u00886, Kapad Bazar Road, Mahim Koliwada, Mahim West. Call 24449457

MMâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088Mithaiwala
This mithai empire began as a family catering business the year before India attained Independence. It was Chandrabhan Nathanlal Gupta who set up the landmark store in Malad in 1951.

Cut to present day. You will seldom find the store empty, thanks to the shop having expanded its repertoire to include more than just mithai. Customers swarm the store for their daily dose of street food like chaat, samosas and lassi.

During Diwali, however, it's the mithai that takes centre stage. Pick from a variety of milk-based sweets, dry fruit-based ones, as well as Bengali delicacies, and if you can't decide, get an assorted box filled with your favourites.

Over time, MM Mithaiwala has ventured into taking corporate orders and exporting its offerings overseas.

Atâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088Opposite Railway Station, Parekh Road, Vijaykar Wadi, Malad West. Call 28899501

Ghasitaram's
"My family started Ghasitaram's in Karachi, Pakistan, back in 1916. It was the Partition that forced the two sons, one of whom was my grandfather, to leave everything behind and move to Bombay," begins Manish Bajaj, who runs the Andheri outlet. "It was here that they decided to start from scratch and here we are today."

Getting to this point hasn't been easy, though. Over time, they have had to figure out how to deal with the loss of skilled labour, as well as innovate to keep up with the times. "Luckily, my grandfather taught me how to make sweets, so the methods weren't completely lost," says the 48-year-old, who joined the family business when he was 14.

Once this was taken care of, it was just a matter of evolving, which they did by introducing items like chocolates, cakes and snack boxes to their menu.

"That said, close to 50 per cent of our turnover happens during Diwali season. Through the rest of the year, we also take catering orders for office or home parties," he adds.

Atâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088Jai Prakash Road, 2, Narsinh Niwas, near Navrang Cinema, Andheri West.
Call 26777023

Suleman Mithaiwala
Set up in 1936, this sweet shop sits in the heart of Bhendi Bazaar and does brisk business during Diwali. "We open at 8 am and often end up staying back till 2 am," says Irfan Mithaiwala.

It was Irfan's grandfather who moved to the city from Talegaon, near Pune, and set up shop, selling mawa sweets and their signature, Aflatoon, which is a mithai made from mawa, ghee, sugar, cashew nut and egg and baked into a little roll. By the time his father Abdul Latif and brothers had taken over, the store had become a runaway hit.

Today, their menu boasts of a wide array of sweets, from these traditional preparations to newer, often quirky, inventions such as Kaju-Choco Swiss Roll, Pineapple Barfi, and Peach Milk Barfi. They also make a seasonal sweet called Anda Pak (available through winter, but can be pre-ordered during Diwali). A rich blend of ghee, dry fruits, mawa and -- as the name suggests -- eggs, it is meant to help people keep warm in the cold.

"We are also available online, so you can sit at home and place your order. We ship worldwide as well," says Mithaiwala.

Atâu00c2u0080u00c2u008841F/G Mohammad Ali Road.
Call 66366606