A vegetarian food trail through Mahavir Nagar khau gully in Kandivli

Patrons gather around the stall to grab their own bowl cakes.

By the time this story goes to press, regular patrons are confident that several new stalls will pop up at Kandivli's 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 heart-shaped dosa), Korean pizza, and other odd-ball finds. Here's our tried-and-tested trail featuring audacious mix-and-match innovations for scrumptious vegetarian fusion fare.

Idli or burger?

The idli burger is served with four dips

We begin our trail with a bold fusion that presents idli as a cheesy burger. Babu Naidu, founder of Avantika Chennai Café, traces the ideation of this dish back to his village near Chennai. "When 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 healthy," 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 sauce.

Babu Naidu

An IT professional, Naidu quit his job after the pandemic to take the family legacy forward. "We have many restaurants across South India. Since I was born in Mumbai, I wanted to introduce the city to South Indian flavours with a twist," he says. After an exhaustive recce, he opened his first branch in Mahavir Nagar. "Here people willingly experiment with food," 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 idli's taste. "Even 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 it," he explains.

At Avantika Chennai Café, shop no 54, Raj Arcade, opposite DMart.
Call 9920406565

Extravagantly Gen-Z

Jumbo gulab jamun and fusion sev puri

A counter placed outside the eatery Oye Chatore grabs our eyes. Alongside Internet personality Orry's caricature, a poster reads: ‘We are totally slaying at Gen-Z chaat.' "We call it an Orry-approved chaat stall because he posted about it soon after we launched it," shares Pratik Soni, who co-founded Oye Chatore with Nikunj Dasani and Navaljit Singh.

While it serves authentic desi chaat, the Gen-Z 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 decadent.

At Oye Chatore, shop no 53, Raj Arcade, opposite Croma.
Call 9821854741

Toasted and happening

Bangkok caramel toast and Grilled halloumi sandwich

Recently-opened stall, Bestie Toastie was started by Darshana Tendulkar to break away from the junk food-only trend here. "Mahavir 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 Toastie," she shares.

Darshana Tendulkar

This 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 sugar.

At Bestie Toastie, near shop no 29,
opposite DMart. Call 7021248349

Blooming good idea

Peri peri blooming onion and major spicy supreme corn dog topped with a special sweet and spicy sauce

In February this year, an overseas family trip birthed Anmol Mehta's Alla Bella Mozzzrella. Jointly run with his wife Charmi, this venture introduces the city to Thailand's blooming onions and Korea's cheese dog. "As soon as a new dish is introduced here, everyone serves their own version in quick time," Mehta chuckles. This gully thrives on trends, and continues to introduce variations until it is overdone, and a new food trend takes over.

Anmol and Charmi Mehta

Fortunately 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. "There is a difference in what we ate in Thailand and what we serve here. Our blooming onion caters to Indian street food fans - it is pocket-friendly and masaledar," 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 inches).

At Alla Bella Mozzzrella, 2nd counter outside Gupta Snacks, opposite Jungle Juice.
Call 9920367807

Momo masters

Tandoori momos in bright orange gravy

Right 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. "The 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 gravy," the duo reveals. We order the hottest-selling Afghani momos (R190) and tandoori momos (R180). Four cooks behind separate stoves are trying to cater to an overwhelming crowd of young, impatient patrons.

Dhaivat Parmar and Karan Marvi

The founders share that while they serve over 160 plates daily, the count increases to 230 on weekends. Our momos are tossed into slow-cooked sauces in the pans. The cream-coloured Afghani sauce, we learn, is inspired by the sauce traditionally served with Afghani kabobs. On the other hand, the tandoori momos are a hat-tip 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; it's our winner from this trail. If you cannot manage high spice levels, the Afghani momos as a creamier alternative.

Chefs prepare the Afghani momos

At Crime Master Momo, shop no 72, near Xth Central Mall.
Call 9987284547

Bowled over

Our trail ends with at All Dipped India, home to one of the most viral desserts - bowl cake. This unique best-selling dessert was the result of founder Khushbu Obaid Shaikh's pregnancy craving. "I was craving a cake but did not want those stale cakes from the cake shops. I wanted a fresh and warm bake.

After 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 sign," she recalled, revealing that she delivered a stillborn baby, and launched All Dipped as a tribute to the child.

Blueberry bowl cake and Khushbu and Obaid Shaikh

While 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 balls.

Patrons gather around the stall to grab their own bowl cakes

The founder writes ‘mid-day' 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 coma.

At All Dipped India, Shop no 4, ShubhKamna CHS, near Shiv Sagar Restaurant.
Log on to @alldippedindia

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