Mumbai food: Vegetarian dishes to try at signature non- vegetarian eateries

While a large part of the island cityrsquos culinary landscape is earmarked by its coastal Mughlai Iranian and other meaty offerings the greens connoisseurs neednrsquot be disappointed This time our food trail led us to some stellar vegetarian fare that signature nonvegetarian eateries in the city have been dishing out for years Some conventional some experimental but most so good that they could even appeal to dedicated meat eaters Herersquos the long of itVeg Stroganoff Piccadilly ColabaR180The Veg Stroganoff at Piccadilly is a Continental addition PICDatta kumbharItrsquos hard to believe that a signature Lebanese food joint known for its mutton shawarmas and fila chicken could also dish out a superlative Veg Stroganoff The Veg Stroganoff says Parvez Buzorg is the Continental addition to the menu It has been a popular choice among our patrons right from the start Also located on Colaba Causeway we get a lot of foreign tourists who seem to prefer this dish over our nonveg fare Guess they get enough meat back home he saysWe see why Served with brown rice topped with a tuft of parsley the sauce has a brown base the right amount of thickness and sweetness cooked with zucchini bell papers and cheese that refreshingly enough doesnrsquot overpower the tasteMochar Ghonto Oh Calcutta TardeoRs 410The mochar ghonto at Oh Calcutta is a picture on a plate PICpradeep dhivarTherersquos a popular Bengali proverb tatei kapad tatei bhat do not destroy the banana tree it gives you both food and clothing The truism stands validated in the case of the Mochar Ghonto a Bengali dish prepared from banana flowers at Oh Calcutta The large purplered blossoms grow from the end of a bunch of bananas ldquoItrsquos a favourite among most of our Bengali patrons even those who like the fish served hererdquo says Sunil Panda manager Garnished with coconut shavings the dish is delicately spiced has a subtle sweetness and a hint of coconut that compliments the banana flower The prep is tedious mdash a tiny black string needs to be extracted from each floret and each dish comprises hundreds of florets ldquoThe taste makes it worth the effortrdquo he smilesBharwan Mirchi SalanGajalee Phoenix MillsRs 300Restaurant manager Kisan Badhei adding shredded cheese to the Bharwan Mirchi Salan at Gajalee PICpradeep dhivarThis seafood haven has several vegetarian delights tucked into its menu Try the Bharwan Mirchi Salan which has been satiating its patrons for over a decade now The Hyderabadi long capsicum is the key ingredient Itrsquos stuffed with potato cashew paste green peas paste coriander leaves and mustard paste and then cooked in a spinachbase gravy Itrsquos rich in flavour but tempered on the hotness and is had best with tandoori rotis The shredded cheese garnish which is optional adds to its appeal Restaurant manager Kisan Badhei who has had a long innings with Gajalee says ldquoThis dish was created by Chef Ramachandran about 10 years ago mdash he now mans our Singapore restaurant When he came up with the concept he had said lsquopyaar se main mirchi bhi khila sakta hoonrsquordquo Badhei says most groups that come to dine here have a mix of vegetarian and nonvegetarian preferences ldquoThis dish scores with both We wanted to keep a standout vegetarian item that is not commonly found in restaurants in the cityrdquoBhindi Masala Trishna FortRs 400The bhindi masala is prepared North Indian style in onion paste PicSneha KharabeYet another seafood sanctum in the city Trishna can impress with its greens too The Bhindi Masala here is one of their top ordered dishes along with their butter garlic crab and Bombay Duck fry This dish is a departure not just from seafood but also in terms of flavour at this Mangalorean eatery Itrsquos cooked in north Indian style in thick onion paste and medium gravy The bhindi is first seasoned and fried and then cooked in the gravy prepared beforehand as it is a longterm process explains restaurant manager Taranath Kuckien ldquoCustomers donrsquot want to wait long so we prepare the gravy in advance Since it is a popular item therersquos never wastagerdquo he says With its spot on flavours and generous quantity the dish Kuckien tells us is a hit among the foreign patrons visiting the restaurant ldquoThey love okra and are experimental with their greens when in IndiardquoMapo Tofu Bastian BandraRs 700For Kelvin Cheung chefconsultant at Bastian the Mapo Tofu with Sichuan peppercorns and garlic has a special place in his heart ldquoIt is a dish I grew up eating It was always a favourite in our household because it went so well with ricerdquo he saysChef Kelvin Cheung of Bastian tempts us with the Mapu Tofu and Veg Tempura PicSayyed Sameer AbediBut itrsquos not just Cheungrsquos favourite The patrons who frequent this Bandra seafood joint named after Sebastian the crab in Disneyrsquos The Little Mermaid love it too ldquoItrsquos addictive because you get a kick from the chillies and Szechuan peppercornsrdquo he laughs The silken tofu he feels is the key ingredient because ldquothe firmer tofu gives too much of a chewrdquo and doesnrsquot absorb the sauce as much ldquoPersonally I prefer the soft silken tofu with rice versus a firm tofu which is better for frying and grillingrdquo he adds The tempura vegetables and popcorn grits a classic southern dish with a silky texture comes a close second ldquoBoth vegetarian and nonvegetarian diners love them because the taste is so comfortingrdquo Cheung adds with a grin of satisfactionTurnip cake Yauatcha BKCRs 700The Turnip Cake takes 24 hours of prep time Stuffed with radish these are lapped up with as much fervour as the seafood dim sums PicsPoonam BhathijaIf the fresh hot dim sums pocketed with minced prawn chicken or crab meat top the list of most patrons at Yauatcha The turnip cake gets lapped up as much if not more For good reason The turnip cake actually dim sums is made of shredded radish typically Chinese radish or daikon and plain rice flour are spicy and crispy on the outside with a surprising moist texture within ldquoItrsquos a labour of love for us because it takes 24 hours to prepare The radish paste needs to be steamed for two hours and then kept to dry for another five hours It is then refrigerated overnight below 5 degrees celsius Once cold it is removed and cut into square piecesrdquo explains head chef Wang Yixuan They are then deep fried and topped with garlic fragrant chilli spring onion and fresh red chilli The vegetables used in it are procured locally while the spices come from Hong KongWe peeked into the kitchen to see the elaborate preps for the Turnip CakeEggplant Schnitzel Imbiss ColabaRs 275The eggplant schnitzel at Imbiss is their only vegetarian offering it blends in with the meaty jointrsquos German cuisine PicDatta KumbharThis ldquomeating jointrdquo as the board outside reads sits in the quiet Fourth Pasta lane in Colaba Known for its German fare specialising in pork Imbiss has included just this one vegetarian dish on its rather experimental menu The idea says owner Dhiresh Verlekar was to ldquogive nonvegetarians an option should they look for a respite from meat at timesrdquo But clearly it works for the vegetarians too The dish comprises three slices of eggplant where just the middle one is stuffed with cheese They are all seasoned with spices coated with bread crumbs and then deep fried ldquoWe chose eggplant as it cooks fast and easy and the texture is great The idea is to serve it like lasagna with the cheese in the centre mayo and tossed salad on the side Itrsquos served with mushroom sauce and brown saucerdquo he addsVegetarian Thali Hotel Deluxe FortRs 200The vegetarian thali is as exhaustive as it gets PicSameer MarkandeHotel Deluxe the popular Kerala cuisine haunt nestled in Fort is not just for hungry Malayalis wanting authentic seafood and mutton sukka ldquoWe realised therersquos an equal demand for the vegetarian thali as well After all that is the staple food of Keralardquo says Mehboob Rehman manager Promptly served on a banana leaf the spread is as exhaustive as it gets Itrsquos lined up with two types of pickle inji curry a brown curry made with ginger that goes well with hot rice four kinds of sabzi including avial and a mountain of rice that is topped with dal and sambhar The rasam and payasam served in small plastic cups complete the meal ldquoWe serve the Palada payasam only on Sundays It is rich and made of rice ada milk sugar and gheerdquo he says The restaurant has been around for 75 years but this vegetarian thali was introduced about a decade agoCajun spiced potatoes Bombay Barbeque Andheri WestRs 250Love them or hate them but therersquos no ignoring potatoes And at Bombay Barbeque otherwise known for its murgh tikkas the Cajun Spiced Potatoes is a much favoured appetiser Itrsquos the most asked for item in our starters because itrsquos a crunchy fusion of the cajun spice imported from Louisiana and the locally grown baby potatoes says chef Sugata Sengupta Prepared using garlic powder mayonnaise cajun spice red onions parsley coriander fresh cream and Bydagi chillies the spicy starter is part of their buffet menu We parboil the baby potatoes and leave it to cool Each potato is pressed individually and deep fried till crisp he explains He believes itrsquos the sauce that does the magic We blend the cajun spice with the mayonnaise to make it spicier than the standard fare Most Mumbaikars like it that way he addsChef Sugata Sengupta adding the last touches to the most popular appetiser on his menu the Cajun Spiced Potatoes Pics Poonam Bathija