Khana, ghar jaisa: Mumbai’s tiffin services

Only a lucky few get to enjoy meals prepared at home with others having to make do with unhealthy options. Coming to their rescue with dabbas of hot and fresh khana are the tiffinwalas of Mumbai. Scores of them have been diligently dishing out exotic Konkani, Parsi, Mughlai, Punjabi and Continental grub to the city’s hungry hordes, at true paisa-vasool rates.

Shudh shakahari
Catering to the vegetarian palate with an assortment of shudhdh shakahari bhojan is Shree Krishna Bhojanalaya (Dadar W). The regular veg thali consists of vegetables, dal, rice and roti while the Veg Delux includes a serving of delicious soup, pao bhaji and sweet dish, once a week with the regular fare.

At Devika N Kapadia’s (Juhu) the lunch dabba will have scrumptious salad with veg fritters, mouth-watering curries and steaming hot rice and rotis. Kanaklata (Parel), Memon (Andheri W) and Sangeeta Tiffins’ (Andheri W) finger-licking fare will make you truly nostalgic about Mom’s cooking, such is their homely touch.

Take your pick
Farook Danawala (Andheri W) usually sells groovy veg tiffins but you can count on him for his signature chicken and mutton curries if you have a bulk order of more than five dabbas. Veena Mehra 's tiffins' (Goregaon E) uniqueness is the concept of half-tiffin, literally half the quantity of a regular dabba, which it makes up with delectable veggies, tenderly-cooked meats and flavourful gravies.

Arsh Meal Service (Peddar Rd) offers lightly-spiced North Indian dishes and serves chicken dishes to its non-veg patrons. Ratan Tata Institute (Hughes Rd) rustles up sumptuous Parsi and continental dishes for its huge clientele. Siddhivinayak Tiffin Service (Chembur) cooks an astounding array of veg, fish and chicken delicacies, keeping its customers duly hooked.

Only non-veg
Sating the non-vegetarians with lip-smacking dishes is All Rounders (Dhobitalau) with its interesting mix of Indian, Parsi and Continental cuisine. The to-die-for Machi patia, mutton cutlets, crispy fried fish and mutton Masala are diner’s delights. Dolly’s (Colaba) juicy kebabs and nicely-done cutlets are hugely popular and Ms Braganza’s (Santacruz W) kheema, pao rolls, potato chops, steaks and mutton cutlets have a considerable “foodie” following.

Eating light and healthy
If you thought tiffin meant all things heavy and greasy, think again. Meeting the demands of the health buffs with nutritious salads and soups are Green Way (Grant Rd) and Nandini Karkhani (Andheri E). Positive Health Tiffin (opp. Ravindra Natya Auditorium , Prabhadevi) and Sushma Health Foods (Andheri E) toss up platters full of protein and fibre-rich treats as well.

Healthy, yummy and filling! Tiffin’s the way to go!