Mumbai Food: Celebrate the biscuit culture of the city

Baked goods perfected over generations quietly manufactured inside buildings over a hundred years old have been key in defining Mumbais quaint food heritage Unfortunately in the glitz of mawa cakes and bun maska the humble biskoots some of them with a story as old as the buildings they are made in havent got their due Despite the gloss over their creators continue to labour to ensure their original taste is maintained Heres saluting the citys best biscuitmakers and their creationsAlmond MacaroonsAt Paris Bakery Dhobi TalaoFor Rs 70 for pack of 30Danesh Nejadkay of Paris Bakery Dhobi Talao lures us with a box of almond macaroons PicAtul KambleLike most bakeries in Dhobi Talao Paris Bakery traces its origin to easily about a 100 years There is nothing Parisian about the counterfringed store that fronts the bakery Parsi yes evident from the picture of Zoroaster that hangs on a wall two winged lamasus guarding the door leading to the baking areaBefore my father took over the shop in 1963 it was owned by Irani merchants Before that it used to be a Parsi restaurant called Cooper We figured one of them must have made a trip to Paris and named the shop after the city There are no French breads made here though says the chatty Danesh Nejadkay who took over the reigns in the 80s when he was a young man in his 20s The almond macaroons we have paid a visit for are made occasionally due to escalating cost of dry fruitRough around the edges a shade softer at the centre they are moonfaced teatime delights I figured that with so many bakeries around selling bread alone wouldnt work So I started experimenting The macaroons are a result of trial and error They are fairly popular he saysCoconut Jam BiscuitsAt Kyani amp Co Dhobi TalaoFor Rs 150 per kgFarokh Shokri of Kyani amp Co PicsAtul KambleAlthough they sit a fiveminute walk away from each other Farokh Shokri is nothing like the vivacious Danesh of Paris Softspoken he quietly mans Kyani amp Co the south Mumbai Irani institution The coconut jam biscuits that we have our eyes on have been made here since the 70s back when he was young running around my fathers feet trying to understand the show Farokh recallsHow famous are they JRD Tata would send his driver over to buy them in bulk The recipe most probably has roots in Goa Many a Goan ship worker whod come to Mumbai on their annual break worked here as parttime baker We continue to follow the recipe he adds The crispy coconut bits offset by the dollop of jam in a hollow centre makes it a divine chai companion Just as we are leaving he points to a portrait that hangs on a wall Its my late father Aflatoon Shokry The portrait was drawn by MF Husain during one of his many tea time visits here he says matteroffactlyDotivalas BatasaAt Faredoon and Burjor Princess StreetFor Rs 272 for 1 kgThe batasas are stored in these tins of yoreThis ones not a bakery but Faredoon and Burjor sitting diagonally opposite the famous Zoroastrian place of workship Wadiaji Atashbehram have always specialised in all Parsi items says Soonoo Netarwala whose grandfather opened the shop 100 years ago While its a goto for traditional community items such as African and Malabari sandalwood and sudrehs the snacks too were a part of their repertoireBut with time demand has dwindled The Parsis are dwindling too she laughs These batasas from Surats famed Dotivala brand are buttery salty and a popular chai snackOat and Raisin BiscuitsAt Yazdani Restaurant and Bakery Horniman CircleFor Rs 100 for 250 gmsYazdanis architecture makes it a standout in a congested lane PicsAtul KamBleThe centuryold Yazdani might be known best for its multigrain loaves and twisted khari but its their crispy oat and raisin biscuits that continue to have a loyal following Strangely enough the recipe finds its origin in a book that was not even a cookbook says Zyros Zend copartnerI was in Mahabaleshwar on a holiday staying at a Parsi lodge I dont even remember what the book was but I remember stumbling upon a picture of the biscuit and randomly thought why not try making something similar I tried it out when I came back and the results were satisfactory and thats how it got incorporated in the menu This was around the late 90s Its the woodfire oven that makes all the difference to his baked goods Zyros addsWe dont commercialise we dont publicise we never go for the kill Just like the old phone sets and chipped walls grumpy bosses on the counter too are just as much a part of the Irani cafeacute heritage he says with a chuckleWine BiscuitsAt Warden Bakery Grant RoadFor Rs 70 for 200 gmsMalikacircAcircu00c2u0080Acircu00c2u0088Attawala PicSuresh Karkera It takes over an hour for owner Malik Attawala to prepare the wine biscuits every morning The preparation is elaborate but Attawala doesnt mind the effort because the biscuits are hotsellers The bakery located on a milling street at Nana Chowk has been churning out cakes and biscuits since 1979The pistabadam chocolate walnut and cashew biscuit varieties are popular too Earlier our customers were mainly Parsis Now we are patronised by the Gujaratis says the 32yearold My father Nasruddin dug into family recipes because my grandfather would make them at homeOsmania BiscuitsAt Karachi Bakery BandraFor Rs 140 for 400 gmsKarachi Bakery PicsAtul KambleSitting on the busy Linking Road is Karachi Bakery A recent entrant into the city bakery scene Karachi Bakery was set up in 1953 in Hyderabad by a Sindhi gentleman called Vijay Ramnani making it the only city bakery with roots across the border Vijays grandfather used to work in a bakery in Pakistan which is where the recipes originate fromThe top draws of Karachi Bakery are the fruit biscuit and the Osmania All the recipes date back to late 40searly 50s We sell around 55 varieties across Mumbai Hyderabad and Dubai says store incharge Rahul SadnaniCoconut MacaroonsAt Byculla Bakery BycullaFor Rs 7 for a single pieceBesides the macaroons the pudding too is popular PicsShadabacircAcircu00c2u0080Acircu00c2u0088KhanWe arrive at Byculla Bakery one evening when the Irani cafeacute sees maximum business Im sorry but youll have to wait Have some coconut macaroons till then says owner Darius last name withheld on request offering us a seat at the colonial cafeacute with high ceilings We realise that the coconut macaroons are a goto snack for those onthego With a crisp exterior and a soft and chewy texture the macaroons go back to the time of his father who arrived from Iran in 1910After working at small shops he started this Irani cafeacute says the 83yearold The glass jars are filled with til rawa biscuits nankhatais and butter kharis Its hard to pick a bestseller All sell equally well he smiles like an indulgent mother unable to pick a favourite among her kidsPista BiscuitsAt Crown Bakery MahimFor Rs 220 for a 1 kgCrown Bakery has been a goto since inception PicAtul KambleEetablished in 1954 by Khodaram Golabi and later taken over by his grandson Rohinton Khosravi and his elder brother Crown Bakery has been a goto for baked goodies since inceptionThe pistachio biscuits are hot sellers for 25 years They are crispy heavy and flavourful sprinkled with pistachio bits Aslam a baker here for 20 years says Its the vanilla essence that makes it specialEggless NankhataiAt Lalit Bakery Kandivli WFor Rs 65 for 250 gmsAniket Lokhande PicsSnehaacircAcircu00c2u0080Acircu00c2u0088KharabeLast year when Mira Road businessman Prabhat Lokhande took over Lalit Bakery he realised the vegetarian nankhatai biscuits were more in demand than other varieties While Lokhande and his son Aniket supply bread to other bakeries from their Goregaon factory the biscuits are made right at the shop Interestingly the recipe for the eggless nankhatai was shared by a Bihari worker named Akhtar Ali who was employed when the bakery was set up in 2005Ali went back to his village because age wouldnt permit him to put in long hours But we retained the recipe because its so delicious and our patrons love it says Aniket 22 The other variety to try is nachni flavoured biscuit Here we replace cornflour with ragi Its healthy because of the fibre content For those who dont mind piling on calories the Lokhandes have 21 more flavours ranging from chocolate chip to coconut and butter We make sure nobody feels left out smiles AniketShrewsburyAt Sethna Bakery JogeshwariFor Rs 70 for 250 gmsBeing the only one in its genre in Jogeshwari Sethna bakery enjoys a loyal patronage In fact they dont mind standing and grabbing a snack All the breads and biscuits are baked inhouse says owner Bemad Irani We ask for a paper plate of their famous Shrewsbury biscuits The lightgolden hued circles are crisp and deliciously butteryShrewsbury biscuits PicSneha KharabeThe cashew biscuits and Shrewsbury are the oldest items on our menu Their recipe was created by my grandfather when he set up shop in 1954 says Irani He makes enough everyday to fill the jars on the galla billing counter We dont export or supply elsewhere Producing in excess sullies their quality