Mohammad Ali Road - What to eat and what to take-away

In Mumbai, Ramadan means Mohammad Ali Road. If you haven't hogged in the lanes of Minara Masjid, then you are seriously missing out on loads of awesomeness in life. Now don't go thinking, "Oh, but I am a vegetarian" or "Oh, I am not a foodie" because this place has something for everyone. Mouthwatering milk sweets for vegetarians, blast of colors and culture for abstemious and of course loads and loads of juicy meat for the carnivorous.

Minara Masjid, Mohammad Ali Road

Most of the food items here are best enjoyed fresh and hot, but there are few things worth taking away as well, for family and friends or simply for storing in the refrigerator to eat later.

So lets get started with what to eat and what to take-away from Mohammad Ali Road

A variety of dates

Dates are an excellent source of fiber, sugar, magnesium, potassium and carbohydrates which aid the body in maintaining health post fasting. Buy a box of these beauties and have them first thing in the morning for good health. I also love dates for baking or in smoothies, since they are naturally so sweet.

Price: Starting at Rs. 300/- per kg
Worth take-away: Definitely yes

Noshid Dates

But if you already have loads of dates at home, and need just one to open your roza (fast), then walk up to any table and they will welcome you with open arms. We joined these labors, who offered us not just dates but also their entire feast.

Right opposite Minara Masjid

Baida roti and kheema burgers

According to me Baida Roti is a complete meal. On a normal day I'd eat around 2 of these and I'll be sorted, but of course not for iftar. The roti is cooked in egg batter, then filled with mutton! If you are a bread lover (unlike me) then try the Kheema Burgers, because these guys do not source their bread from outside, but exclusively make it in their bakery and trust me its the softest bread.

Price: Around Rs. 50/- per piece
Worth take-away: No, it gets soggy and re-heating it takes away the juices.

Baida Roti

Kheema Burger

Veg and non-veg bhajiyas

Only Mohammad Ali can do this, give you onion bhajiya and chicken bhajiya in one go. having said that, veg bhajiyas are cooked separately and also sold on separate counters.

Price: Starting at Rs. 50 for 100 gm
Worth take-away: No, because we all know bhajiyas are best enjoyed hot.

Potato, Onion and Moon Dal Bhajiyas

Chicken Bhajiya

Masala milk

This is my absolute favorite! Like if I stayed around Mohammad Ali Road, then I'd have a bottle of this every single day! Probably two! This drink is so good, it makes me pity lactose intolerant people.

Price: Rs. 40/- per bottle
Worth take-away: Yes, take it for every person you know, store it in the refrigerator for your night binge or breakfast, it's and absolute hit.
Tip: I love the bottles and use them for indoor plantation of money plant.

Masala Milk at Noorani

Mawa jalebi

Honestly, I don't like Indian sweets because they are really heavy in the stomach, but this my friend is an absolute delight! Yes, it is heavy, very heavy, but it is worth every bite. This is the only thing I force my friends to eat and I have never come across anyone who regretted it. This time around I also got a chance to make the mawa jalebi at the Burhanpur shop.

Price: Rs. 240/- per kg
Worth take-away: Mawa Gulab Jamun yes, but Mawa Jalebi no, because it loses it's crisp.

Mawa Jalebi at Burhanpur Jalebi

The Mawa Jalebi I made! Yay!

Mawa Gulab Jamun at Burhanpur Jalebi

Shawarma

There are a lot of shawarma stalls but my favourite is the one besides Burhanpur jalebi shop, because this is the only place where I like the pita bread shawarma. Having said that, they also serve it in wheat roti, rumali roti and pav.

Price: Rs. 40/- per roll
Worth take-away: No, unless you like mushy-soggy shawarma.

Chicken Shawarma

The kingdom of breads

There are proper shops at Mohammad Ali, Khau Galli that give all kinds of breads - naan, pav, khamiri, sheermal, etc. You can buy these to team up with the kebabs and seekhs or just take-away home in bulk.

Price: Rs. 8/- per piece
Worth take-away: Yes, if you love bread, this is your paradise, if I were you, I'd store this in bulk.

Naan

Kebabs, seekhs and tikkas

A lot of people think that kebabs and seekhs are same mixture rolled into different forms, but you are completely wrong. Kebabs are supposed to be soft, that is why they have chana dal in it and seekhs are supposed to be thick because they are roasted on sticks. So don't try one and leave the other, thinking it's the same.

Price: Rs. 120/- for 2 pieces
Worth take-away: Yes, but not in bulk. It's good for one meal option.

Kebabs at Noor Mohamamdi

Chicken Seekh at Noor Mohamamdi

Chicken Tikkas in different flavors 

Halwa puri

Halwa hai kya? I love saying that, but I am not a fan of Halwa Puri, because I neither like puri nor enjoy halwa. It just looks really nice to click with jujubs, makhana, charomagaz and what not for topping. If you ever try this, let me know how you like it.

Price: Rs. 20/- per plate
Worth take-away: Halwa yes, Puri no

Halwa Puri

Malpuha

I think this is the star! Everyone loves it. This is basically the Indian version of pancakes and just like pancakes this is worth a try, only if you eat it right out of the kadhai.

Price: Rs. 10/- per piece
Worth take-away: No, but a lot of people still do because only Mohammad Ali serves the best Malpuhas.

Malpuha at Tawakkal

There is a whole festive feel to this place. No matter when you choose to go, it's lively and throbbing with the meticulous flavours of spice and sweet, but to go hear during Ramadan is a different feel all together. Always a treat to the eyes and mouth!

P. S - Always ask what's in your plate, because there are a lot of dishes in the bylanes of this place that you would not want to eat, like tongue soup and intestine dishes. Even though I am a hardcore non-vegetarian, but I don't have an appetite for such food.