Just Walking Around

Saying Goodbye to the Old Man …2016

A few weeks back a close circle of family and friends  had gathered at our residence , to discuss the preparation for welcoming the New Year by way of a get together and a party like every year. During the discussions venues were discussed , menu was talked about , whether DJ would be required and the other Nitti gritties . During the family talk my father –in law Nitin Desai shared an old anecdote of how they in their childhood used to celebrate New Year’s. As a ritual all the kids in their Parvati wadi where they lived would make an effigy of “the Old Man”. They would use old shirt and old pants , sew the hand and feet ends and then stuff this with old rags , straw , paper to fill out the effigy . The head would be made out to look like a old man with flowing white beard and a hat on top. This effigy would be carried across the neighborhood with accompanied chants and merry making by the group and finally close to mid night the Old Man would be burnt amidst loud cheers of “Happy New Year”  

While another year comes to a close , and some among us are drawing up New Year’s resolutions only to be given up by the 2^nd or 3^rd week of January. Before the New Year begins , a night of madness , fun and frolic has become the norm with city folks like us. In keeping with the tradition some in the city and areas under influence of the Christian community living in that area like Byculla, Mazgaon, Dhobi Talao, Bandra, Mahim Andheri and Borivili  , are gearing up to “burn the Old Man” on the night of December 31^st.Walk through these areas and you will find that cocky old chap in borrowed clothes, hoisted as if on a gibbet, with a bottle of hooch in hand and a cigar sewn into his mouth.

While the origin of this ritual is not known, it is sure that this tradition must have been passed on by our colonizers , the British . As per known facts on November 5 every year the British burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes , who was found guilty of conspiracy in 1605 to blow up the House of Lords. The Scottish have a similar New Year tradition in which they celebrate by making a bonfire and burning a straw figure “ the Auld Wife” . In their patriarchal world , the Old Wife symbolized the old year which was to be forgotten. . In another part of the world namely New Mexico , they celebrate the Fiestas de Santa Fe to celebrate the conquest of retaking the city in 1692 , an effigy known as “Zozobra” or Old Man Gloom is burnt.

Made of hay and clothed, the old man represents all the sorrows of the year gone by that are to be burned away before the new year begins. Commonly referred to as Mr. Old Man or Old Man Gloom, the effigy burning symbolizes the burning of all the gloom the previous year contained.

The tradition also allows people to write notes expressing their reasons for sorrow and place it around the man so that it burns along with him. Leaving no room for any negativity to be carried forward into the next year, the tradition is the perfect way to end the year and bring as much joy to the New Year as is possible..

 Many see the New Year as a new born baby, born on January 1, who turns old in a year’s time and goes away at the end of the year, carrying with him the burdens of the passing year. Another baby or year is born the next day, and so along with celebrations the truth of life is carried forward in this symbolic burning of the Old Man, the chain of death and birth, of passage of time, of old and new, of time and tide. The belief is that there is an old man in all of us who is worldly and so we burn the old man with his vices.

This typical tradition be it imbibed from the British or the Portuguese or which finds its replica in our very own Hindu tradition of burning the Ravana on Dussara , the culture of burning the Old Man has become part of our lives and is vibrant and visible in the small by-lanes of Mumbai.

While most people bring in the New Year with a party, this is one tradition you must take part in at least once in your life. With all the negativity left behind, it may just end up being the most amazing year you will ever have..

Wishing all my readers a Happy New Year…..

Just Walking Around

Yuletide Season ----Merry Christmas

Its that time of the year again when there a dip in the temperatures and nip in the air , cheerful atmosphere , all across town you see shops and mall decorated in hues of Red , White and Green symbolizing the most child friendly festival adopted from the west. Its “Christmas” time..

What with 2 kids at home celebrating Christmas has become sort of a ritual @ Pikle’s ,in our home in Matunga. Every year around this time we start preparing by buying goodies (special Christmas sweets ) and small accessories to decorate the small pint sized Christmas tree that we put up on the Christmas eve. Its fun shopping for the Star shaped lantern in Red or Snowy White , to be lit up in our French window along with the sparkling –twinkling rice bulb lights. Then some more decorative nick knacks like , small bells , colorful balls , candy canes , little angles and the great big start to be hung from the mini Christmas tree.Not to missed are those red and green Hollies to put up along with the Star lantern. And finally some special gifts to be placed below the tree as surprise for the kids to opened on Christmas day.

A week before Christmas if you walk across the Christian dominated areas of Mumbai like in Mahim –Bandra or Orlem in Malad or the IC colony in Borivili or closer home near Wadala , you can soak in the festivities. You will find corner shops selling Christmas trees , decoration for the tree and the home, Santa caps & masks , holiday cards and banners. The atmosphere is cheerful and generally up-beat. If you are lucky you may some one dressed up as Santa and cheering the crowd with his loud HO HO HO…What fun it is.

At the Don Bosco Church just behind from where we live , and near the Five Gardens on the Sunday a week before Christmas you will find small roadside stalls selling the Christmas sweets and goodies. These are put by local Christians staying in Wadala and Matunga. Here you get traditional festive sweets like  Rich Plum Cakes. No Christmas celebration can ever be complete without this dark, rich fruit cake. The plums, nuts and cherries that go into it are macerated in dark rum for months before they get mixed into a batter with secret spices like nutmeg and other wonders to produce a moist, dense knockout of a cake. Next comes the Marzipan mini chocolates .While the original French marzipan is made from almond meal, the desi one has been employing the use of cashew nuts to come up with a sweet that is truly the Queen of Christmas. It can be either moulded into cute fruit shapes or simply rolled out onto the top of a cake for that extra indulgent layer of goodness.

The other sweets you can try are the Milk Cream chocolates . These are  truly laborious sweet to make, this one sees a liter of milk reduced to a quarter to which ground cashews and sugar are added. The skill in this one is that the whiteness of the milk has got to be maintained and even the slightest hints of beige are not acceptable. Next come the Kul-Kuls , these are crunchy wonders and they are equally fun to eat. Basically fried bits of rolled up milk and flour dough. Then there are the Coconut Cakes , not a choice if your are calorie crunchers . This cake is a dense, moist confection of fresh and desiccated coconut melded with salted butter and other secret ingredients. Also called ‘bhat cake’ in Goa and delectable to the very last crumb. A special and unique sweet is the Gauva Cheese .A warning though : no cheese goes into the making of this halwa-like sweet that is made from the pulp of guavas that are simmered with lime juice and sugar to reach a fudgy consistency. Translucent and jelly-like this is one sweet that is worth its weight in gold or rather sugar if you may say so..

Then there is the Walnut Fudge a hit with all the ladies due to its chocolaty taste .Its luscious and dense with a lingering taste of chopped walnuts and condensed milk and treacle tempting your palate this is one is a knockout of a sweet that may not be very traditional, but one that has come to adorn the tables all across the city during this season

Also favorite with the shoppers are the Nankhaties a totally Indian biscuit of the purest white colour is a crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth crowd pleaser that is more-ish to a fault. Originally a round button-like cookie, nankaties that are also called ‘snowballs’ can also be seen cut in shapes like stars and hearts. Or you can eat the melt in the mouth Date Rolls which are nothing but 

a plump date stuffed with a quarter of a walnut. Then enrobe it in soft milk-flour dough and bake the little finger–sized cookie to a shimmering golden hue. Voila! You have a simple and yum date roll ready.And last but not the least there are the Coconut Ice and Cocoa Rocks .While the former is a luridly pink coconut barfi-like sweet, the latter is a blob of freshly grated coconut coated in melted chocolate which you can call the original Bounty bar.

Buy them , eat them or share these with your kiddos and friends and have a wonderful time . Go out the night before Christmas to the nearest Church and enjoy the fun filled festive environment. Listen to the children or the elderly group sing the Carols . Watch the decorative Cribs put up at the church  show casing the birth of the baby Jesus .In the decoration scene put up ,close by is his mother Mary and the three wise men who traveled all the way to seek His blessings. A year before last we were in Goa and went about the small town of Ponda close to mid-night enjoying  the various Crib decoration put up at the local Churches and open grounds near the Convent Schools. It looked like as if  baby Jesus was smiling from behind the clouds showering us with his blessing in the form of soft glow emanating from shining Moon and the twinkling Stars in the sky.

So this year be sure to have a hearty laugh with your kids when you buy them the red and white balloons. Soak in the energy and the general buzz and leave the mundane worries behind. And for now here’s wishing all of you A Merry Christmas ….Have Fun and enjoy the holiday season…

PS --- For the Christmas Enthusiasts a special list from where you can get the goodies mentioned the blog

Ann Dias at Dadar (west). Call, 9869173268 for all kinds of delectable goodies that take the form of sweets and cakes.
Betty Bayross at Santacruz. Call, 9870047712 for varieties of moist, yummy cakes.
Vienna Bakery at Santacruz (east). Call, 022 26672811 for cakes, cookies and sweets.
Hearsch Bakery at Bandra (west). Call, 022 26435361 for sweets and savouries.
Gary’s at Mazgaon. Call, 022 23741447, 9819751551 for cakes and divine rum balls.
Venus Cake Shop at Malad (west). Call, 022 28805710 for cakes and other confectionery.
A1 Bakery Bandra (west). Call, 022 26426211 for cakes and sweet buns.

Just Walking Around

NCPA & A Memorable Family Night Out

I was checking out Book My show for watching the latest movie releases and there were the obvious choices Dear Zindagi , Kahaani 2 , Befikre … but none of the options were good enough for a family viewing in which there are kids aged 3 & 9. While checking out the events listings , I stumbled upon “Carry On Entertainment” –A Puppet Theater –Performance by the world famous Puppeteer & Ventriloquist Ramdas Padhye & his family to be held at Experimental Theater NCPA , Nariman Point. Old memories were triggered of having fun at the Marathi play put up by Ramdas Padhye with his effervescent puppets. Booked 4 tickets to this show so Netra & Bhakti could enjoy the same experience that I had experienced nearly 3 decades back.

That Sunday evening we drove across town to the city side as it is called, enjoying the evening visuals of the maxim city . The busy as bee area of Labaug – Parel now fallen silent due to the textile mills giving way to tall sky scrapers ,and over the teeming Crawford Market where you can shop from pins to glass crockery , bags to furnishing , children’s toys to ladies accessories anything that you want to shop for can be got here at great bargains. Then passing over the JJ Flyover one of the longest bridges winding over the area famous for the land mark Phool Galli Raza Jama Masjid brightly lit for the upcoming Eid –E Milad ul Nabbi and passing the non veggies delight Hotel Shalimar  and ending at CST or Victoria Terminus as it was called.. The evening light falling on the iconic buildings of VT Station and the Bombay Municipal Corporation and finally reaching National Center for Performing Arts (NCPA) at lands end at Nariman Point.

The NCPA itself is a sprawling complex having 4 theaters and managed by a trust with enthusiastic members who want to promote Arts and Culture through the various show presented here. The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai, is India's premier cultural institution. Inaugurated in 1969, it was the first multi-venue, multi-genre cultural centre in South Asia. The NCPA is committed to preserving and promoting the India's rich and vibrant artistic heritage in the fields of music, dance, theatre, film, literature and photography, as well as presenting new and innovative work by Indian and international artists from a diverse range of genres including drama, contemporary dance, orchestral concerts, opera, jazz and chamber music. Today, the NCPA hosts more than 700 events each year, making it India’s largest and most holistic performing arts centre.

The NCPA was the brainchild of JRD Tata and Dr. Jamshed Bhabha, two visionaries who saw India's need for an all-encompassing world-class performing arts centre. Luminaries from various fields have contributed towards lending the NCPA the iconic status it now enjoys, with such artists as Satyajit Ray and Yehudi Menuhin as its earliest mentors. Built on land reclaimed from the sea, the NCPA campus houses five theatres (including the innovative Tata Theatre, designed by the postmodernist American architect Philip Johnson), as well as galleries, libraries, restaurants, and numerous reception spaces. Boasting the best-appointed auditoriums in India in terms of equipment and expertise, the NCPA frequently attracts major events from overseas and is ideally suited to host large productions, including fully-staged operas and ballets.

We entered the Experimental Theatre one of the smaller venues inside the complex which also hosts 4 other venues The Godrej Theater , Jamshed Bhaba Theater , Tata Theater , & the Little  Theater.

The show started with a  gala song setting the tone “Carry On Entertainment” . The show was Hosted by Aparna Padhye the wife and professional companion of the great puppeteer himself. The show was special as it was the Centenary Celebration of the most famous puppet – Ardhawat Rao or Gappi das or Mr.Crazy as he is lovingly called. To start with we were introduced to the art of puppetry by mesmerizing us with nothing but a glove puppet and act with 2 gloves one white and one black and a face of a sweet kitten. The act itself was enthralling and loved by everybody in the audience. And to let you know in the audience was sitting the Marathi & Hindi Theatre thespian Vijaya Mehta enjoying and laughing all the way. This 3 minute act was followed by introduction to various forms of puppets , the  string puppets or The Marionette , puppets controlled by strings hooked up to a T-Square. This followed by a beautiful presentation by Satyajit Padhye , Ramdas Padhye’s talented son and the future of this family troop. The act was visually appealing and mind blowing . A Huge round of applause went into the air when it ended. The show carried on with Satyajit bringing on the now famous “Chotu Singh” the street smart and boisterous puppet know for his wit and sarcasm brought alive by his masters voice. 

The audience and especially the little children cheering on in between the act. There was a small Audio – Video presentation on Yeshwant  Keshav Padhye or simply YK as he was known. Ramdas Padhye’s father and the person who started it all. The pioneer of Indian Puppetry & Ventriloquism. It charted the life of YK Padhye his journey as Maharashtrian Magician and how he got inspired by puppetry and ventriloquism the art of throwing voice and making the puppets come alive. He got his 1^st puppets special made to order from  London and performed with these puppets a family of 4 – Ardhwat Rao , his wife Avada bai and 2 sons Shamu & Gampu during 1930’s . The people who watched the shows were amused and mesmerized by his acts of ventriloquism. The puppet Ardhwat rao was brought in the Indian house hold by Ramdas Padhye who carried on the legacy. He and his wife Aprana made numerous shows with this famous family of puppets on Doordarshan the government promoted Television Channel. The shows were very popular with kids and elders alike in the late 1980’s . After their AV presentation the puppet of Ardhwat Rao was once again brought to life with fun , witty jokes and sarcasm before our eyes right there on stage. Bringing back old memories . I looked at my kids and both Netra and little Bhakti were totally lost in this dream world , laughing cheering and having a gala time .

The final act was called dream world a song and dance performance by the entire family of the Padhye’s their backstage crew and off course the every smiling and fun filled puppets .

All through the show there was this old Parsi lady who must have been in her 70’s,  sitting besides me and engaging me in short talk , cheering the show and having fun . As she was alone she asked me if we could drop her some where close to Churchgate as she had to go to her home in Kemps corner. She looked familiar but I couldn’t put a finger on who she was. After the show she gave away her name “ Meher Moos” , and it struck me , She was the Meher Moos the famous Social Celebrity , Globe trotter and Travel Enthusiast . The only woman to have travelled across 180 countries , she’s been to countries including Iceland, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Myanmar. Exotic locations in Tunisia, Jordan, Brunei, North Korea, Micronesia, Mozambique and Malawi are all on her list.  The travelling bug caught on when she started her carrier as an Air Hostess with Air India taking her to different countries in her professional life . And even after retirement after becoming the DGM at Air India , she continued her travel till date. Hats off to this sweet old lady with a twinkle in her I when she asked me to Google her name in the lobby of NCPA.

We dropped her off at the corner of “ Pizza By the Bay” –the famous Italian Cuisine Restaurant right opposite The Ambassador and positioned at the corner and sparkling view of the Marine Drive. The restaurant was earlier known as Jazz By The Bay and hosted Jazz and Blues band on weekends till some time back. They still have live music sometimes on special occasions. The food here is authentic Italian with Pasta’s , Spaghetti , Pizza’s The striking art deco inspired interiors create an extremely stylish and vibrant family dining experience. During lunchtime, its famous soup, salad and sandwich buffet remains a big favorite, while the newly introduced healthy breakfast served outdoors, overlooking the sea makes Pizza By The Bay the talk of the town . You can try their mouth watering Starters like Bruschetta – freshly baked bread topped up with garlic butter finely chopped garlic & parsley , Or Bruschetta Al Pomodora Plum Tomato, Red Onion, Basil In Evoo And Baisamic Reduction. Or the tasty Ravioli Di Formaggio- Golden Fried Pockets Stuffed With Cheese and others like Paprika Patatoes , Jalepeno cheese poppers etc. For the main course you can select from the wide variety of Pizza’s like Plain Cheese pizza , Pizza Primavera (with black olive , mushrooms and zucchini ) or the more exotic like Chicago Supreme , Mexican Ole or the Meat Lovers Pizza .

If you are not that hungry you can try their light on the stomach Pasta’s like the Alfredo in white sauce and a little cheesey or the Sarentinno in tomato sauce base lightly spicy and stuffed with chopped egg plant , zucchini and topped up with grilled chicken pieces.

Enjoyed the view , a hearty meal and had a fun filled conversation with the family which both me & the missus hardly get time for . And before we left for home Kashmira literally pulled us to a small ice cream parlour going by the name of “ K Rustom and Co” next doors to the Tanishq showroom and in the building encompassing the Brabourne Stadium. This small shop sells the best ever Ice Cream Sandwiches, in flovours like Strawberry , Chocolate & roasted almonds , Choco Walnut , Tutti Fruity , Mango , Sitaphal and even Pan. These heavenly creations are nothing but small slabs of ice cream placed between crispy orange colored thin wafers and served in paper napkins. You eat it right there on the footpath across the shop and at any given time you are sure to find a small crowd of 20 – 30 people flooding its counters. What way to end this memorable night .

We went back home with warm hearts and great memories and to last us a life time.

Happy Weekends …

Happy Reading … 

Just Walking Around

Bombay Bakeries

Some time back Bhakti was taught about community helpers in her pre-school class.She was told about Policeman, Fire Fighter , Doctor , cobbler, Vegetable Vendor, Fruit seller and some more. The little kids were made aware of what each profession meant , how each of these community helpers helped in our daily life. As a project the teacher asked each parent to each their kid to enact 1 community helper in the next class a few days later.

In response my wife Kashmira though it would be  best we make Bhakti enact someone uncommon, Yet someone we rely on to “Give Us Our Daily Bread” – The Baker. We dressed her up like a baker with a Chef’s Top Hot, an apron , and a tray . We taught her the famous nursery rhyme “ Hot Cross Bun . One a penny Two a penny Hot Cross Bun” . Bhakti did an excellent  job in her classs , boldly singing the song and carrying off the act very well.

That set my mind wondering how the measly bread or in local parlance the small pav has got integrated in our lives . On Sunday’s your breakfast can’t  be said to be complete without the omlette pav or Egg Half fry and pav. Or slices of buttered bread or jam spread across and gobbled off with your Kadak chai.

And where do you get this double roti as it is called in the streets. That’s right at the Bakery.You can hop across the road to the nearest local bakery for these soft white pavs or the kadak brown ones called the Brun , best when eaten buttered and dipped in tea at the local Irani Café. Then there are the sweet Buns with Tutti Frutti or Black Raisins. In Matunga you could visit the New Roshan Bakery in the flower market within the Mahavir Complex. Here you could see the master baker mixing and kneading the dough and scooping into the metal baking trays. These were then put in the wood fired oven and the pav baked under the watchful eye of the master Baker. With few hours you could see the helpers pulling out the tray lined with soft pav’s looking like puffed up balls. If you are lucky you could get these fresh hot and fluffy pavs when you came to buy at their sales counter. The building that hosted the bakery has long been demolished but they have a small shop at King Circle from where you can buy these heavenly pav. Eat them , smack you lips and enjoy the feeling….

If you are looking to buy something more than your daily bread. Try the City Bakery at Worli.It is one of the oldest bakery and located at literally the heart of Mubai at Worli naka. While on your way to South Mumbai it falls on the left just after Poddar Ayurveda Institute . You can not miss the wafts of sweet smell emanating from this Bakery as you pass by. Do stop over and check their wares. The staff here is very simple but very attentive. You can pick a lot more than the regular pav or buns. There are the Croissants (Kro son) those twisted bread crunchy on the outside soft of the inside eaten with a hot soup . Or try their multi grain bread introduced keeping in with the latest trend of eating fibre based bread. Also famous are their crunchy cookies available in choco chips , walnut and in peanut butter. Or try their desiccated coconut filled biscuits or the jam filled biscuits a super hit with the kids due to their appealing look and sweet taste. They also have a variety of options in Khari’s – the puffed pastry biscuit which forms a great Jodi with the chai .The Maska khari is crunchy yet melt in the mouth once bitten. Then there is the Cheese Khari , or the smaller version of the same named as cheese sticks , methi sticks , ajwain sticks and many more. Then there is rusk or toast as we call them in options of plain , special ,whole wheat  and  methi toast.

They are also famous for their small snacks based on what else bread off-course. The veg rolls with mixed vegetable filling , Paneer tikka roll ,Mushroom , Veg Schezwan roll a little spicy but tasty . Then there are the vegetable and non veg puffs , those small rectangular bread pockets filled with minced meat , chicken or in veg filling. Also you could try the ready to eat pizza’s in 6 inch size , cheesy and stuffed with fresh veggies . Also a must try is their Doughnuts , freshly baked filled with fresh cream and sprinkled with icing sugar , or the jam filled ones or the chocolate coated ones.

Something unique is their Vol –Au-Vent , French for "windblown", to describe its lightness. It is a small hollow case of puff pastry. Vols-au-vent are typically made by cutting two circles in rolled out puff pastry, cutting a hole in one of them, then stacking the ring-shaped piece on top of the disc-shaped piece. This pastry is usually found filled with savory ingredients, but can also have a sweet filling. Also the other unique item is their Mawa Samosa – sweet mawa or khoya based samosa baked to perfection and melts in your mouth when you bite into them leaving a sweet after taste. Try them next time you pass this bakery.

A bakery is also famous for what else but Cakes and Pastries . The best ever cakes and pastries can be had at another famous landmark in Mumbai simply known as B Merwan & Company . Established in 1914, as a 102-year-old Irani cafe and bakery, right outside Grant Road station (East), has been an essential part of Mumbai from the times when it was still Bombay.Started by Boman Merwan, Merwan is now managed by his grandsons and has been expanding since its start.

The bakery is famous for its mawa cakes. Merwan bakes and puts out at least 5,000 cakes by 5.30 am and hardly five last till 7.30 am. .Merwan has the best mawa cakes and no other bakery can make such pieces to perfection. Wherever you go, you will come back to Merwan for the mawa cake.

 The family has now branched out into franchise chain with “ The Merwan’s" cake shop dotted  across the city of Mumbai. Here besides the famous mawa cakes you can treat yourself to the best ever Walnut and date cake , the chocolate brownie , the Christmas cake or the Plum cake and something as unique at the Chocolate éclair or Moca éclair those gooey , chocolaty pastry item . Then there are the soft and light tarts – lemon , strawberry , apple , apricot , apple & blueberry and custard . Also famous are their yummy pastries regular like Black forest , white forest . Exotic ones like Blue berry , Cranberry , Honey Crunch , Trio drip and Chocolate Crackle. Rich ones like Dutch Truffle , Hazelnut Truffle and Ivory Tragan. Newest addition are the soft , light and fluffy Cheese cakes – Orange , Blueberry , Strawberry or Passion fruit . Scoop them with a snoop and gobble it down and savour its texture and sweetness.

But if you are a true blue connoisseur Que up at the original B.Merwan & Company bang opposite the Grand Road Station at 5.30 am to devour the freshly baked bun maska , brun maska or a mawa cake with the kadak meethi chai….

You could always get nostalgic and remember your nursery rhyme ….

Pat-a-Cake, Pat –a-Cake,

Baker's Man;

That I will Master,

As fast as I can;

Prick it and prick it,

And mark it with a T,

And there will be enough for Tommy and me

Happy Reading….

Just Walking Around

Midnight Sweet Stops…

True Indian dinner is never complete without the one final spoonful of sweet dish. We as Indian are blessed with a very sweet tooth and sweet cravings , with out the botheration of the Western fads of dieting , however tough you are on the outside. We can not resist that one last bite of a sweet be it the hot gulab jamun or that all time favourite ,one scoop of vanilla ice with chocolate sauce or the rabri with hot jalebi .Sweeten our mouth and giving that one last burp of appreciation to the dinner we just ate.

To confess on my part I too have picked up this habit of scavenging for a small sweet just after the regular dinner at home. This infectious habit picked up from my dear wifey who in turn has inherited it from her Pappa and my father-in law Nitin Desai. A really sweet habit ,I say. The hunt may lead me to a small piece of Dairy Milk left in the fridge or that small price of mithai leftover in the box which came as a gift. Currently am surviving  on the ladoos Rava and Besan still around as part of the faral from Diwali which got over a couple of weeks before. If nothing else is found then the ordinary dates (khajur ) saves the day.

But if you seriously crave sweets there are places in Mumbai that can fulfil your cravings. Try Baba  Falooda in Mahim . This small establishment has been serving the most lip smacking and mouth watering falooda’s for last 20 years in a small by lane of Mahim near the Mahim dargah. At any time and more so close to mid night you will find his loyal customers lined up at his stall coming on foot ,cars and bikes . The owner manages the counter with orders and is well supported by his spirited staff who churn out the best ever falooda and kulfi’s . The best dish on the menu is the Baba Special Falooda served in a tall glass , earlier in  glass ware and now in disposable plastic glasses. Filled with rose falvoured milk , stuffed with dry fruits like cashew , anjir and raisins. Topped with pieces of malai kulfi , vermicelli (sevaiyan) , sabja (puffed black seeds). A tall glass will make your tummy so full and your heart so content you are sure to come back for more.

Besides this sweet concoction which has become a brand on to itself ,Baba Falooda serves other delicacies like the rabdi kufi , pieces of requested kulfi be it malai (hottest selling ) , kesar , anjir or pista topped up with the thick rabdi and rose syrup. Dig into the pieces and savor its flavor as it melts in your mouth..

Best place to satisfy your sweet cravings and fill your tummy with the coolest falooda…

Next on the list is that unique and a little weird ice cream parlor going by the name of Bachelor’s just near to the Charni Road Station bang opposite Girgaum Chowpatty , located at Mumbai’s famous Marine Drive or the Queens necklace. Unique because of its location , small but well staffed and serving till as late as 1.30 am. Weird due its unusual flavours of ice creams.One glance at tier menu and you will go crazy. They have ice creams like Green Chilly – regular milk based ice cream with cut green chillies for spiciness. Golden banana tastes perfectly like those small but sweet Elaichi Kela . Then for the more adventurous they have Ginger , Litchi-Jamun Exotica and  Litchi-Watermelon Fusion. If you don’t want to experiment try their ever green and most selling , Chocolate or Raosted Almond or the Choco chips or safe bet like butter scotch and anjir-walnut.

They also serve thick milk shakes , Mango , Sitaphal , Pineapple or Strawberry. You could also try their Creamy Desserts ---Strawberry cream or the Cholate Cream , Plum cream, Chic choc cream , Kiwi cream . Though the management should be advised that the cream needs to be served chilled instead of just whipping out from the can. Doesn’t do the justice to the dessert.

All in all a great place to eat your ice cream and enjoy the cold wind caressing your face at the Marine Drive.

But if you personally ask me nothing beats the experience of stuffing your mouth with true India dessert. Head to a small place near Byculla opposite JJ Hospital and famous for its India sweets. Goes by the name of JJ Jalebi, you guessed it right , famous for their Brown Jalebi’s. Yes brown as they are made of wheat flour instead of the regular Maida . Deep fried in pure ghee and dipped in sugary Chaasni .These round pieces of heaven will melt in your mouth leaving an after taste which you will remember all your life. The JJ Jalebi has been serving these delicacies from 1947 and are most sought after by sweet lovers and aficionados like me.

Eat the Jalebi hot out of the kadhai (frying pan) just like that or try it with rabdi . You are sure to lick your fingers and enjoy the sugary syrup to its last drop. Besides their trade mark jalebi they also have other sweets on which you can drool , like the Malpuwa that sweet pan cake made of flour and egg and sweetened with sugar. You need to try it to believe its softness and mind blowing taste. Or try their Phirni , the thick kheer type sweet served in earthen kulhad’s (cups). Both these items are the hottest selling items during Ramazan time. The place in front of the stall is teeming with sweet lovers , pushing and shoving each other to get to that one last piece of dessert before dawn when the fasting starts.

Take tour of these sweet shops and indulge in a little bit of desserts to satisfy your sweet pangs .And forget  about those extra calories for once you can always burn them Just Walking Around….