Nodhithal: Matunga Fermented Food Walk, Mumbai

About this place

Matunga’s trajectory changes from a stretch of Koli fishing settlements to a place for the medieval royal elephant stables, then to a cluster of rural villages during the colonial era, and finally to one of the biggest South Indian neighbourhoods in the 20th century. With the arrival of South Indians came a thriving culture of messes, cafes and restaurants. Matunga is a hub of Udipi cafes, chaat stores, and old stores consisting of fermented foods. From idlis and dosais to appams, buns, pickle and curd, fermentation is an integral part of its everyday foodscape. South Indian cuisine and the process of fermentation have long been intertwined. Special focus will also be on the aspects of labour, caste and class hierarchies. Hopping through these South Indian cafes, restaurants, and one of the oldest chat stores, this specially curated food walk will explore fermented foods tied to the histories of South Indian migration, identity, and cultural retention in Matunga.