Bombay's Street Treats Trivia Quiz

Answer: Pav Bhaji

Pav is the word for bread in various Indian languages like Hindi and Marathi while bhaji means vegetables. Onions, tomatoes, garlic and other vegetables are mashed together and cooked on an open pan into a thick, spicy gravy. The bread is lightly fried in butter and then served with the gravy.

Answer: Vada Pav

The vada pav is commonly called the poor man's burger or Bombay's version of the hamburger. Pav refers to the bread which is a soft bread roll split into two parts. The vada is the filling which is a fried patty of potatoes, chickpeas and onions. It is a filling snack and convenient to eat on-the-go. It is usually had with coriander chutney or chilli-garlic powder.

Answer: Kulfi

Kulfi is popular throughout the Indian subcontinent. Traditionally cooked in earthenware, it is a creamier version of the western ice cream. Instead of a cone, the kulfi is hardened around a stick and can be chewed and eaten while holding the stick. Flavours include saffron, cream (called malai), pistachio and mango.

Answer: Pani Puri

The puri is a crisp, round Indian bread. For this snack, the centre is hollowed out. Pani means water in Hindi. Here, the pani is a spicy chilli water preparation. A mixture of chickpeas and potato is filled in the puri and the puri is then dipped into a sweet chutney and then the spicy water. Variations of this snack are eaten in different parts of India and are known by different names.

Answer: Dosa

Originally from the southern part of India, dosas were brought to Bombay (Mumbai) by migrants. The food is quick to prepare and healthy. Rice batter is fermented, sometimes overnight, and then fried on a pan to make a thin crepe. It can be had plain with chutney and a thin gravy called sambar.

Other variations include traditional ones like the masala dosa which has a filling of spicy potatoes to more modern variations like the Schezwan dosa which has a filling of noodles.

Answer: Gola

During the hot summer months, the gola is a great way to beat the heat and cool down. Shaved ice is put in a glass and then various syrups are added to create flavours based on customer requests. Popular flavours are kala khatta (made from the jamun fruit) and orange. The mixture is then compacted over a stick and eaten like a lollipop.

Answer: Frankie

Bombay's version of the kathi rolls that Calcutta is famous for, the frankie can be described as a roll. Fillings may include thick gravies of chicken, egg, mutton or vegetables. Along with raw onions, the gravy is spread on a flat roti, a type of Indian bread and then rolled to form the frankie.

Answer: Anda Bhurji

Anda bhurji is simply scrambled eggs. Tomatoes, onions, chillies or pepper may be added and the mixture is eaten with bread.

Answer: Ragda Pattice

Ragda refers to the dry pea stew while the fried potato cutlets are the pattice (probably a corruption of the word 'patties'). The peas are soaked overnight and then cooked in a pressure cooker to form a thick dry stew along with chillies, onions and tomatoes.

Answer: Bhelpuri

Bhelpuri means a mixture. The dish consists of dry, puffed rice along with chopped onions, tomatoes and chillies mixed with a tangy tamarind chutney. It is eaten using a crisp, flat puri as a spoon.

Bombay is often affectionately called a 'bhelpuri' as it is a potpourri of various Indian regional cultures. For a city that 'never sleeps' and is always on the go, the street food is a lifeline for those working odd hours as well as those unable to afford more fancy meals.