Mumbai is (deservedly) famous as the heart of Bollywood, and perhaps because of this starry connection the whole city glitters with excitement and opportunity. Of course there are two sides to this – the heat, the crowds and the obvious poverty can deter some travellers. But Mumbai undeniably has an astounding sense of energy in its markets, boutiques and nightlife, and the wealth of art and architecture are great rewards for those visitors who brave the crush of people to see them.

The cultural diversity of Mumbai can be seen in the culinary richness that the city offers in the form of street food with Muslim, Gujarati, South Indian, Parsi, and Maharashtran influences. These flavors, colors, and textures create dishes that pop in your mouths without burdening your pockets.Not only do you have a chance to taste some incredibly flavorful combinations of ingredients, but standing along the humid streets of Mumbai, watching countless people go by, is part of what adds to your experience.

To celebrate the love of such a diverse culture, lets check out well known food items.

1. Vada Pav

If you take a walk down any street in Mumbai, you’re bound to quickly come across vada pav, one of Mumbai’s most popular and widely available street food snacks.

Also referred to as the Mumbai vegetarian burger, vada pav consists of a spiced mashed potato mixture, which is deep fried into a patty, packed into a white fluffy bun, and garnished with a variety of different chutneys and spices for seasoning.

Although it sounds rather simple, and it is, it’s one of greatest tasting vegetarian burgers you’ll likely ever eat. The chutney makes all the difference. And also, don’t miss those fried chilies on the side to give you a kick of heat and flavor.

2. Bhelpuri

A type of chaat made with puffed rice, exotic spices, onions and tangy chutneys, bhel puri has never failed to mesmerise the young and old alike.

Another Mumbai street food you’ll commonly find throughout the city. Although it’s common around India now with many variations, bhelpuri is one of the homegrown Indian snacks from Mumbai.

The basic recipe includes puffed rice and sev, which are mixed together with potatoes, onions, tomatoes, again a variety of chutney, and it’s often topped with a handful of chopped cilantro. The result is a crunchy snack that’s tangy, spicy, and sweet from all the sauces, with a wonderful balance of flavor. It’s the type of Mumbai street food that once you start eating it, you can’t stop.

3. Sev Puri

Chaat is a word that is used to describe a huge variety of mostly savory snacks in India.

Sev puri begins with a flat puri, which is essentially a little round chip, topped with mashed potatoes, onions, cilantro, sev, and a trio of garlic, tamarind, and chili sauces to give it an incredible balance of flavor. Finally, sev puri is topped with a handful of sev, as the name suggests, and also sprinkled with little bits of green sour mango.

Take a full bite of sev puri, and the flavor explosion will overwhelm your mouth and it may just turn out to be on of your favorite Mumbai street food snacks as well.

4. Pav Bhaji

This has an interesting history, and it was originally a late night food that was made for workers from leftovers. A combination of vegetables were mashed up, mixed with spices, and served with bread.

Today, the common recipe includes potatoes and tomatoes, mashed up with spices, and served with buttered toasted bread to mop it all up. It’s simple, and delicious, and it’s a street food you can’t leave Mumbai without trying.

5. Kebabs and Rolls

On this list of top Mumbai street food you’ll find a lot of vegetarian food , but kebabs and rolls are undoubtedly non-veg.

Mumbai has a number of legendary restaurants that serve delicious kebabs and rolls. Bhuna rolls are made with boneless chicken which is cooked in a spice filled gravy, and wrapped within a freshly cooked rumali roti, which is a thin roti that’s very similar to a tortilla.

A bhuna roll is the perfect late night snack that you want to be eating at about 3 am in the morning, and feeling really good about it.

6. Pani Puri

The pani puri here is claimed by many to be the best they’ve ever had. With their crunchy puri (round, hollow, fried crisps), mouth-watering pani (flavoured water with tamarind chutney, chilli and chaat masala) and onion-potato stuffing, this claim is undeniably well-deserved.

It takes some serious street food genius to come up with something like pani puri. Who would think to add flavored water to a circular chip that gets soggy?

The little puris are poked with a hole, half stuffed with potatoes and chickpeas, seasoned with spices, and filled with chutney and flavored water. As soon as the vendor hands you one, you’ve got to eat it on spot immediately so the puri remains crunchy, and the spice filled water will collapse in your mouth with the potatoes and chickpeas.

Pani puri is a just a wonderful thing to eat. However, since it does contain water, do be cautious where you eat it.

Time to say Goodbye until we meet again!