Tucked away in the quiet suburb of Chembur in Mumbai is this new delectable Sindhi cuisine eatery, finding its way into people’s hearts and stomachs. It’s called Duma Dum Mast Kalandar – quaintly named after the famous Sufi spiritual song, whose beats travel with the wafts of soft breeze reminding you of the bygone era and antediluvian Sindhi culture.
The ambience is as non-intrusive and homely as the food. Bored of cooking at home? Get a taste of authentic homecooked Sindhi comfort food in this bustling neighbourhood of Chembur – which offers a taste as delectable as its name.
Glad to be invited to this restaurant for lunch and grateful for the same, I was pleasantly surprised to find there are still restaurants offering the fine taste of authentic Indian cuisine minus all the grease and oil. When you think of comfort food, it’s usually European comfort food that comes to mind. But here I found myself trying a taste of Sindhi comfort food in a very appetizing and alluring way. Not just the menu, but even their menu card is meticulously planned, with its first page giving a glimpse into the influences and history of the Sindhi cuisine. Some food for thought as well, eh?
I started with a traditional Sindhi cool drink made of watermelon cubes, rose syrup and ice. The menu runs into several pages, so I decided to taste some of the more popular items on it. I started with the extremely appetizing Arbi Tuk, Aloo Tuk and Kurkura Chana Chaat. After this came the Dal Pakwaan from their snacks section on the menu, which is an absolute must-try! The Pakwaan has a crispy and melt-in-the-mouth texture and is served with a fresh preparation of home-styled Sindhi chana daal and aloo tikkis.
Feeling halfway through with these delicious starters, I tried their hugely-popular Bhugga chawal – a dish prepared with rice and what I call the Sindhi version of a biryani – for the main course. I could not resist trying three other popular dishes – Sai Bhaji (curried greens with lentils), Katar ki Bhaji (spiced green jackfruit) and Sev Tamate ki Bhaji (sev in spicy tomato gravy) – with garam garam (piping hot) and soft koki (spiced bread or roti).
Deeply satiated but not enough to give the dessert a pass, I tried the Rabri Malpua, which is totally unmissable and, for me, became the best part of the meal. Duma Dum Mast Kalandar has come into the reckoning with a resounding bang and their food gives the word scrumptious a whole new meaning. We wish this new eatery in town all the best!
