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To say that watching Kunal Vijaykar personify and channel every Indian foodie and indulge in the best that this nation has to offer is anything short of pure joy would be an understatement. With his YouTube channel especially, the television star, actor and author has indeed travelled extensively to give us a glimpse of street foods, rare recipes, new restaurants and celebrity indulgences that we might not have known about. And with his latest food adventure, Kunal Vijaykar has bolstered this belief.
When you think of the words Mumbai street food and Khau Gully, the first places you might think of are Juhu Chowpatty and Mohammed Ali Road—the most well-known places for Mumbai’s most iconic street foods. But in his recent video of Khaane Mein Kya Hai, Kunal Vijaykar takes us through a very different and yet extremely popular food scene of Mumbai—Kandivali's Mahaveer Nagar Khau Gully.
Video Credit: YouTube/Khaane Mein Kya Hai
“It is believed that if you want to eat the best vegetarian street food in Mumbai, then you must visit Kandivali’s Mahaveer Nagar,” Kunal Vijaykar says in the video, before embarking on a true gastronomic journey that revealed dishes you might have never heard of. First, he visited Navdurga Vada Pav, a stall where he not only engaged in banter with the woman who makes innovative Vada Pav plates but also tried a number of dishes.
The Cheese Burst Vada Pav was the first dish Kunal Vijaykar tried and he described it as “very spicy, sweet, creamy, cheesy and fattening”. Next up was the Ulta Vada Pav, which, in case you are wondering, turns the idea of Vada Pav on its head. “What are they doing to Vada Pav!” Vijaykar exclaimed before trying the dish, but after a bit, he said it was quite tasty. “Inside, there’s an unfried Batata Vada stuffed into a Pav, which is then dipped in a besan batter and deep fried. This is then topped with cheese and chutney.”
For those who love spice, the stall then offered up Masala Vada Pav. Vijaykar guessed it might be a Pav Bhaji type of masala, but it turned out to be one with a Schezwan type of spice blend and sauce. “Only in Kandivali,” he exclaimed, before heading off to take a break from savoury and spicy to indulge in something sweet. Vijaykar next went to Conical Gaufres, where he tried the KitKat Nutella Mix Waffle. “Loaded with KitKats, Nutella, two-three types of chocolate sauces, waffles... Should I actually be eating this or not? This is a chocolate overload,” he said. “Only a fit and slim person can eat this.”
Vijaykar next tried the Milk & Dark Delight Waffle which he described as a blend of dark and white chocolate. “I anyways really like waffles, and then it’s loaded with so much chocolate sauce,” he explained. Next, Vijaykar and his team visited Tandoor Se and More at Mahaveer Nagar, where the first dish he tried was the Afghani Soya Chaap. “I’m not somebody who eats soya, but the gravy and the sauce of this one is very interesting,” he said.
Next up, Vijaykar tried the Peri Peri Momo, Veg Cheese Momo, Corn Cheese Momo and Veg Steamed Momo at this place. “Everything has cheese in it,” he exclaimed. “If you add cheese to anything, it will become tasty.” A spot of change was brought in by the Tandoori Veg Momo, which was a plate of momos “which have been marinated and then cooked in a tandoor,” Vijaykar described. “They look just like tikkas, but they are actually momos.” Lastly, he tried the popular Gujarati-origin Cheese Panki. “A think steamed layer of besan and even this has cheese! I didn’t expect cheese in this, I’m not used to eating cheese in Panki, but the taste is really good,” he said.
