MUMBAI PAUSED: September 2018

Correct Food Series: Cutting Chai at Kaalu's Stall, Vile Parle.

How can you make cutting chai and the experience of drinking Mumbai's most popular beverage even better? All you have to do is pause and have a cutting chai at Kaalu Mama's Tapri on the Tejpal Road running parallel to the railway line on Vile Parle (E) like the auto drivers of the station, down the road.

It was the line of drinking water pots where autorickshaw drivers who operate from outside the station were stopping and saying hello to the man making chai that alerted me to the place. Kaalu appeared to be a busy but cheerful man who seemed to have many years of experience.

One sip of the chai and I discovered what was different. It wasn't anything new but the use of a coal and coconut shell powered stove instead of the usual kerosene stove that gave the chai a special taste.
Maybe other make it this way too but this one was truly rich, the flavour of smoke was just right and I liked it enough to talk about it to you.

More than Correct Food: Cutting Chai at Kaalu's. Tejpal Road, Right side, towards and close to Parle Factory.

Mahim

Beach life. It's going to thrive on sea walls.

Grant Road

Punjabwadi

Indian Male: Toxic.

And why 17?

Vashi

The Mahatma Rebranded for his 150th.

Jambul Marg

Car Culture In Mumbai: Visarjan in a car.

Reay Road Station

Tazia and Sabeel.

Dr BR Ambedkar

Children at an exhibtion at the Lad Museum where postcards from the past were on display and video on the press that printed Ravi Varma 's work was showing.

Jambul Marg

Eastern Freeway

Western Express Highway + Sion-Panvel Highway

Sion-Panvel Highway

AK Nayak Marg

Eating out in Mumbai: The Kheema at Cafe Excelsior.

And where Uber Eats eats.

Sion-Panvel Highway

#WorkSpaceMumbai

Spread a sheet sell your wares. The MaharashtraNagar bus stop is next to where transgenders work and solicit customer and take them to the mangroves after 8pm. Since Ganesh immersions are on, the street lights are shining bright and they have taken a holiday. Families are carrying Ganesha for immersion to the creek near Vashi Bridge and this enterprising man has set up his shop to sell a few toys to the people going or returning from the immersion. Full marks to him.