Mumbai food: Relish batata vadas, misal pav during this famous Dadar eatery

 On a stormy evening, we navigate by a swarming flower marketplace circuitously Dadar hire and make a approach to Mama Kane’s Swatcha Upahar Griha, located underneath a bustling flyover. The medium though ample vegetarian eatery, apportionment Maharashtrian break and lunch options is dotted with patrons, chatting over a crater of tea and piping prohibited Potato Vadas, a star on a menu, served with a dry garlic chutney.

Misal Pav

The distance of a vada astounds us. Unlike other joints where a batata vada can simply get squished between a pav, this one resembles a cricket ball, and a span can easily fill adult a entertain plate. “Earlier, they were one-and-a-half times incomparable given we would offer usually one per image aur usse pet bharna chahiye. However, many wouldn’t be means to finish it and so, we reduced a size,” shares 50-year-old Dilip Kane, about a entire Mumbai snack, introduced on a grill menu behind in a 1930s, maybe during a time when it was even unheard of.

Potato Vada with garlic chutney

“I am not certain if my great-grandfather (Narayan Vishnu Kane) was a initial chairman to deliver it in Mumbai, though he was really one of a first, and it was his possess recipe. We still use a same proportions for mixture and a technique,” says a low-profile fourth-generation owner, as we take a punch of a deep-fried golden delicacy, mislaid in a comforting flavours of richly spiced potato-coriander stuffing and a crispy, thick coating. Little warn afterwards that about 300 plates of Potato Vada are sole daily. The menu also facilities varieties like Misal Pav, Kothimbir Vadi, Aluvadi (a colocasia root roll), Sabudana Khichdi and Thalipeeth along with Sandwich and a operation of beverages.

Kothimbir Vadi

Hitting a century
In 1910, Narayan Vishnu Kane migrated from a encampment in Konkan to Mumbai, after jacket adult a anniversary business of creation Ganesh idols during Pen in a Raigad district. He non-stop a shed on Tulsi Pipe Road, charity tea, coffee, bhajiya, Aluvadi, and chiwda, generally to labourers, who worked in circuitously areas. Over a decade later, Kane bought a space in a newly assembled Smriti Kunj, a stream residence of a 106-year-old eatery, one of a oldest flourishing restaurants in a city. “Previously, a eatery was called Dakshin Brahmananche Swatcha Upahar Graha. In 1930s, it was altered to Mama Kane given his nephews would call him mama. Running a grill was formidable in a 40s given of World War II. Many people fled a city,” recalls Kane, adding that until a 40s, a women of
the residence would prepare in the kitchen.

Third-generation owners Ramkrishna Kane (left) mans a billing opposite of Mama Kane’s Swatcha Upahar Griha started in 1910 by Narayan Vishnu Kane (in garlanded photograph). Pics/Sneha Kharabe

Ek rice plate
Kane senior’s son, Shankar Narayan, who assimilated a business in a 1950s, was instrumental in introducing a Rice Plate, a vegetarian lunch dish existent on a menu compartment date. Featuring a apportionment of rice, chapatis, dual forms of vegetable, dal, buttermilk and a honeyed (mainly shrikhand), a lunch image was accessible during ‘5 until 1985. Today, a full dish is labelled during ’85 while a half-one costs ’65. “We have always been a common man’s hotel. The thali was a bonus for indent workers and hawkers, who would come to Dadar from as distant as Vasai. We had also introduced equipment like Sheera-Puri, Kande Pohe and Puri Bhaji for them,” smiles Kane. His grandfather also combined South Indian varieties like Idli, Medu Vada Sambar and Dosa to woo a village that migrated to a neighbourhood.

The minimally furnished, atmospheric eatery

Apart from daily commuters, a Dadar landmark also hosted personalities like Marathi author PuLa Deshpande, Shiv Sena personality Manohar Joshi, Bollywood actor Govinda and Marathi actors, who would dump by for a discerning punch of Misal Pav or lust quencher Piyush. Back in 1950, a grill was also used as a set for a renouned black-and-white Marathi film, Lakhachi Goshta, destined by a inclusive Raja Paranjpe.

While many of a menu has been a consistent given a 1970s, a few months back, a owners private a Dosa varieties. “It is formidable to find adequate staff, so, we can't cope with a immeasurable menu, generally during festivals,” confesses Kane. With a staff strength of 35, a grill witnesses a daily squeeze of mixture from a Dadar market. Items like Puran Poli and tender mango sherbet make a anniversary appearance. Meanwhile, a partial of a grill has been converted into a gymnasium to horde private functions.

What a destiny holds
While a children — his father, Kamlakar, uncles Ramkrishna and Mukund Kane and his elder brother, Shridhar — now manages a restaurant, a Kanes have also diversified their interest. For instance, his father Kamlakar, armed with a grade from Sweden, was allocated as a arch programmer with Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFS) in a 1960s, while his elder brother, an M-Tech from IIT dabbles into program consulting. “I was a franchised accountant though couldn’t conduct both, so, now we usually run a restaurant,” he says. When we ask for a tip behind a abounding landmark, he justifies, “You get Maharashtrian food during really few places, that too, affordable fare. Plus, this food is ideal in Mumbai’s climate, as against to Punjabi or Chinese, that can't be consumed each day.” As an afterthought, he adds, “I would like to make a grill air-conditioned and supplement other cuisines to a menu too.”

Time: 10 am to 9 pm (Monday closed) 
At: 222, Smriti Kunj, Tulsi Pipe Road, Senapati Bapat Marg, Dadar (W).
Call: 24221161

Also read…

Why Dadar eatery Cafe Colony is renouned with Mumbaikars (Click here to examination review)

Popular Mumbai eatery’s Misal Pav bags endowment in London (Click here to examination review)

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