Name: Falooda (Mumbai style)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 50g falooda sev (vermicelli) or rice noodles; 2 tablespoons sabja seeds (sweet basil seeds), soaked in 200ml water 30 minutes; 800ml chilled milk; 4 tablespoons rose syrup (Rooh Afza); 4 scoops vanilla ice cream; 4 small kulfis (sliced); Chopped pistachios for garnish

A sweet rose-syrup drink layered with vermicelli, basil seeds, milk, kulfi and ice cream. Persian heritage via the Irani cafes. Editor's TableJourney pick.

Falooda came to Bombay through Persian Zoroastrian migration in the late 19th century, arriving with the wider Irani cafe ecosystem. Irani cafes like Kyani and Co adopted the layered dessert-drink format with rose syrup, vermicelli, basil seeds and milk topped with kulfi or ice cream. Badshah at Crawford Market and Parsi Dairy Farm later made it city-wide signatures, and both still pour the classic recipe.

3 editor picks for Falooda in Mumbai, ranked by editorial score. All Mumbai signature dishes · Falooda across every city.

Kyani and Co ★ 4.8

Irani cafe

marine-lines · 657 Jer Mahal Estate, Dr Dadabhai Naoroji Road, Marine Lines, Mumbai 400002

Kyani and Co opened in 1904, making it Mumbai's oldest Irani cafe. Bun maska, brun maska, mawa cake and the sweet milky chai have not changed in a century.

Cafe Madras ★ 4.5

South Indian vegetarian

matunga · Kamakshi Building, 391/B Bhaudaji Road, Matunga East, Mumbai 400019

Cafe Madras at Kings Circle has poured Chennai-style filter coffee since 1940. The idli is steamed in cotton batter; the masala dosa is the benchmark.

Cream Centre ★ 4.2

Indian

chowpatty · 25/B Chowpatty Seaface, Chowpatty, Girgaon, Mumbai 400007

Cream Centre opened at Chowpatty Seaface in 1958 as a vegetarian sweets and snacks counter. The channa bhatura is the canonical dish; the hot fudge sundae.

Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide

Falooda makes more sense with someone from Mumbai explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.

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