A Few Helpful Tips

8/3/2019 A Few Helpful Tips

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A few helpful tips:

Carry cash. And carry more cash than you think you will need, because you inevitably end up finding more than you

thought you needed.

Get there by 9am or earlierthats when the trucks offload fresh stock.

Do a random check ofthe products, especially when you buy them in bulk. If you are not careful, you might end up

with a bad apple.

Carry a big shopping bag.Nothing is more annoying than juggling multiple bags in the crowded market. If youre

going to be shopping a lot, you can hire a coolie for his services.

FRESH FRUIT

The fresh fruit section stretches from near the entrance to the right end of the building, and beyond. There are dozens

of stalls selling every imaginable kind of fruit (including a few you may not have heard of) but there is little difference

in selection from stall to stall, meaning that one stand is as good as the next. Lesser known fruits include the bel fruit

(an oversized pear with a tough skin that resembles a musk melon), mangosteen, rambutan (the scary looking fruit

from the lychee family), dragon fruit and rose apples.

FRESH VEGETABLES

Jyoti Agriculture, Shop No. 172

Known for its fresh produce, this shop stocks jalapeo peppers (you can make your own jar ofpickled

jalapeosinstead of buying it off the shelf). On a subsequent visit, I found some vibrant baby English carrots.

Trikaya Agriculture, Shop No. 180

Trikaya Agriculture is known throughout the city for its fresh, exotic produce, which is more affordably priced here

than if bought from the supermarket. You might not get everything ontheirlist in one visit, but you will not be

disappointed by what you find. On one of my visits, I found kohlrabi, seedless limes, radicchio lettuce, broccoli

sprouts andfresh herbs. On another visit I found garlic scapes (green garlic stalks), endive lettuce and the fattest

lemongrass stalks.

POULTRY AND MEAT

Halal chicken and frozen meats are sold at the rear end of the building. To buy mutton, you need to walk to the next

building all the way to the back.

CHEESE

VK Stores, Shop No. 467

This store stocks a wide array of products, cheese being one of them. Buy camembert, brie, Philadelphia cream cheese

(forcheesecake brownies), mascarpone and ricotta at discounted prices here.

BAKING EQUIPMENT

Arife, Shop No. 556

Arife La Moulde is the destination for bakers. They stock cake moulds, bread moulds, Wilton food colour, chocolate

moulds, non-stick baking pans, tart pans, measuring cups and spoons, cake turn tables, silicone baking moulds,

cookie cutters, chocolate cutters, palate knives, chocolate-making equipment, sugar craft tools, cream horn moulds,

doughnut cutters, springform pans (usually used for cheesecakes), jelly and kulfi moulds. The silicone cupcake
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moulds are available in vibrant colours, much like the Wilton ones, but at a fraction of the cost (Rs150 for six moulds).

They even have cake moulds in various shapes (birds, cars, houses, etc). In addition to equipment, they stock

sprinkles, colourful sugar crystals and sugar flowers. They keep adding new items to their product offerings so you

should ask them about their latest stock when you visit. Although baking equipment is their fort, they also have

candle-making equipment. Arife has branches in Bandra (opposite Shoppers Stop, Linking Road) and Andheri West

(shop no. 17, opposite the railway station).

PACKING, STORING AND SERVING

Patel Stores, Shop No. 539

Cling film, disposable boxes, foil containers, pretty tissue papers in bright colours, kitchen rolls and everything in

between to keep your kitchen neat and organised. They also have paper doilies in different sizes, disposable plates,

spoons and other party supplies.

PANTRY

Uncles Shop, No. 349

Uncles Shop sells an array of ingredientsdried cranberries and blueberries (although these show up sporadically atthe store), Japanese ingredients like mirin, shiitake mushrooms, dashi powder, panko (Japanese bread crumbs), and

sushi rice. Their Mexican ingredient offerings include tortilla chips, tacos, nachos, fajita and enchilada seasoning and

refried beans.

Gloria Store Shop, No. 210

In addition to Goan dessert bebinca, they have an assorted range of chilli sauces, jellied cranberries, Kikkoman soy

sauces and Tahini paste (good forhummusormarinated eggplant).

Neelam Stores, Shop No. 445

This store stocks all the regular Bluebird productsbaking powder, icing sugar, corn starch, kulfi mixes and whipped

cream powder. Look at Bluebirds entire range of productshere.

Victory Stores, Shop No. 448/449

Dried rosemary, thyme and spices are sold in small unbranded packages. They have canned goods aplenty, pastas,

Nutella and a lot of everyday grocery items and regular imported foods.

Biscuitwala and Sons, Shop No. 482

You could easily cross this nondescript store without a second glance (okay, maybe one just for the name). But

looking beyond the mundane pasta, rice noodles, artichoke hearts and tomato paste, you will find exotic Turkish

oregano, wild rice, and a lot, lot more. I bumped into the purchasing guy from Asian restaurant Busaba who told me

that they buy a whole lot of things for the restaurant from here. Other products on offer: wasabi paste, bamboo

shoots, Jamaican Jerk seasoning, Spanish paprika, vine leaves, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. They even have

Grandmas molasses, Morton Kosher salt (at a whopping Rs4,000), Kirkland steak seasoning, black bean seeds, nori

sheets, wasabi, sushi ginger and a lot more.

Royal Dry Fruit, Shop No. 538

Following Royal Dry Fruits success, many others have tried to incorporate the word royal in their name. So make
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sure that youre indeed at Shop No. 538. You can trust Royal Dry Fruit for their freshness and quality. They even have

shelled pine nuts (perfect for makingpesto sauce), as well as Delhi sooth (dried ginger), candied mango, American

pecans and macadamia nuts.

Continental Stores, Shop No. 537

This shop stocks excellentinstant yeast. There are manyadvantagesof instant yeast over fresh or even active dry

yeast, most notably that a half kilogram vacuum-packed package of Prime instant yeast will last you a very long time

(about a year compared to 15 days for fresh yeast). They also stock cake gels and essences.

NEAR CRAWFORD MARKET

Saria Steel Depot, 26, Lohar Chawl (2-minute walk from Crawford Market)

Dont be fooled by what meets the eye at this poky store that sells kitchen supplies. Aliasgar Saria, the third

generation owner of Saria Steel, brings in equipment from all over the world and stocks them across seven store

houses in the city. From regular knives costing Rs50 each to top-of-the-line Rs20,000 F. Dick Knives, Saria claims

that 80 per cent of the restaurants in Mumbai have purchased equipment from him. They also have bamboo

steamers, fondue pots, sizzler platters, pizza screens, Pardini thick-bottomed pans, non-stick baking mats, piping tips,cake stands, barbeque sets and copper satay grill. A word of caution: everything may not be available at the store at all

times, so call before you visit (2208 2314)

MIRCHI GALLI

Walking distance from Crawford Market toward Jama Masjid, Mirchi Galli, as the name implies, is something of a

spice market. You can find dried ginger, turmeric and dried raw whole mango that you can freshly grind as you need.

That said, the whole lane isnt filled with spice shops; there are just a handful of them. The two shops worth a visit

are:

Shah Gabharubhai Uttamchand & Co.

In addition to everyday spices, they also stock cinnamon quills, Kashmiri garlic (also known as snow mountain garlic)

and whole dried mango (amchur). A lesser known spice I came across, pipramul or ganthola, is often used as part of

Gujarati garam masala mix. They also sell an assortment of mukhwas (after dinner mint), cucumber seeds and

pumpkin seeds at a much lower price (Rs400/kg) as compared to what you might pay at supermarkets.

Namdev Jagannath Supariwala

As the name suggests, this is a place for betel nuts. The folks at Namdev Jagannath hand slice betel nuts every other

day, so you know youre only getting your hands on the freshest stuff. They also stock a variety of spices, similar to the

ones found at Shah Gabarubhai Uttamchand.

Shaheen Peerbhai is the author of the popular food blogThe Purple Foodie, and loves writing, photography, baking

and the colour purple.
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A Few Helpful Tips