The allure of spices from the Orient has long held sway in the world of travel and romance. The notion is not just a Western one…Even we Indians, who relish the great variety of our food traditions, cannot but be fascinated by spices which can turn a simple dish into an amazing culinary odyssey. Mumbai’s spice markets can hold us in thrall for hours on end and who can blame us when we encounter the end result of our purchases.
And then there’s that other thing…the fascination of the Thieves Market, better known as Mumbai’s Chor Bazaar, where people have been known to have chanced upon a favourite obstacle pilfered from their own home!!!
Discover the infinite world of Indian spicesLet your imagination run riot about new dishes to tryFor an adventure of discoveries unlimited at Chor Bazaar – a collectors paradise
The bazaars of India are imbued with such exquisite atmospherics there’s no denying our unquenchable desire to linger and bargain and drool over something we just have to buy. But one of the most exciting places to be is at the spice market for its colours and scents and an amazing variety of flavour when combined with the right ingredients
We begin this tour of Mumbai from the Lalbagh spice market. Guntur? Bedki? Reshampatti or Kashmiri? No, we are not planning a travel itinerary. These are the names of the variety of chillies one would find in the Lalbag spice market. This market is also home to spice mixes so authentic, which the pickiest grandma would approve. Not only can you buy the spices, but can also get them dry roasted and ground into the masala mix of your choice, even if it’s from an old family recipe
This offbeat tour of Mumbai would be incomplete without a visit to the once a well-kept secret and reserved only for the adventurous, the notorious Chor Bazaar the repository of car parts and smuggled and stolen goods. From Raj-era furniture to vintage gramophones, from out-of-print LPs to hand-made film posters – it’s a collector’s paradise. The crowds, the action, the lip-smacking street food, all add to its unique culture.