Do you have the stomach for the underbelly

Former chef, Sherpa Atash of Seek Sherpa is organising a food walk which takes you down the streets of Mumbai’s underbelly to taste some of the most delicious and one-of-a-kind dishes in the city

Though Dongri and Bohri Mohalla are notorious for their association with crime in the city, these neighbourhoods are host to some of Mumbai’s richest food culture, according to Sherpa Atash of Seek Sherpa. Home to the Bohri community, Dongri and Bohri Mohalla offer a number of dishes that any Mumbaikar would be hard pressed to find elsewhere in the city. To bring this unique facet of the city’s food culture to light, Atash is organising a food walk through the winding old city streets and stopping at some of Mumbai’s unique and overlooked food destinations.

The neighbourhood, which covers both street-side stalls and restaurants, covers everything from kebabs and biriyani to hand-churned ice cream. For the former Taj chef, the neighbourhood holds sentimental value as he discovered it on his jaunts with his former colleagues. “I have been visiting this area with my fellow chefs since my days at Taj,” he reminiscises. “The food around these areas is something all chefs love to eat — simple, hearty and robust.” When asked to give some examples, the chef points out Noor Mohammadi’s Chicken Sanju Baba, a dish specially created by the hole-in-the-wall restaurant for actor Sanjay Dutt, who loves visiting the place. The chicken dish with its sweet gravy, rich in onions melts in your mouth. Aside from this dish, you can also try out other specialties like dal ghee, nalli nihari (a slow-cooked meat stew), white biryani and chicken hakimi (a roasted chicken dish with a butter and curd gravy). Food is not all that this restaurant has to offer. An original and priceless painting by M.F. Hussain also hangs on the wall of this no-frills restaurant.

Another example he cites is that of the bara handi, at CST, which consists of 12 different kinds of meat slow-cooked in 12 different ways in separate clay pots. This dish is absolutely unique to the locality. The trail ends at a dessert place, Taj Ice Cream. One of the city’s oldest ice cream joints, it serves completely hand-churned ice creams.

“The response to the walk has been positive,” says Akash Ahooja, another member of the Seek Sherpa team. “We have conducted this walk with just two people, and a group of thirty five. The idea is to show that the area is really attractive in terms of food, despite popular presumptions.” Sherpa Atash also agrees with this view. “The unfortunate part is that not even locals are aware of the diversity of fare being offered in the areas,” he laments. “On the bright side though, this makes it a perfect destination for a food tour,” he concludes.

Dangerous Dining at Dongri: A Group Food Tour in Dongri On July 20, 1 pm and 6 pm onwards Meeting point: McDonalds, Outside, Opposite CST, Murzban Road, Azad Maidan, Fort For more details, contact +91-9643982934