Mumbai Seasonal Food: Alphonso to Modak

What is in season in Mumbai, and what to order when the market changes.

Next up in Mumbai

6-10 NovIndian sweets: shrikhand, ghari, mawa peda, chivda

Spring

Alphonso mango: The Ratnagiri and Devgad Alphonso lands in Mumbai markets from late March and runs through May. Crawford Market and APMC Vashi see the freshest crates first; ras-puri lunches anchor every Maharashtrian home in season.
Bombil at peak: Bombay duck runs through April and May on the koli boats out of Sassoon Dock and Versova. Mahesh Lunch Home, Gajalee and Trishna build menus around the rava-fried bombil during these months.
Aamras and puri: Sweet shops and Gujarati thali rooms swap winter sweets for chilled aamras served with hot puris. Swati Snacks, Soam and Shree Thaker Bhojanalay all run an Alphonso season.

Kulfi and falooda: Pre-monsoon heat brings out the kulfi carts. Parsi Dairy Farm on Princess Street and Badshah at Crawford Market run their full falooda menu through May and June.
Solkadhi at fish meals: The pink kokum and coconut drink follows every koliwada meal at Trishna, Mahesh and Gajalee. It cools the palate after a fish curry and aids digestion in the heat.
Lassi and chaas: Sweet lassi at Punjab Sweet House Bandra and salted chaas at every Gujarati thali room run through April to June.

Modak for Ganesh Chautrhi: Steamed coconut and jaggery dumplings appear in every sweet shop from late August through Ganesh Chaturthi in September. Chitale Bandhu and Prakash in Dadar are the canonical sources.
Bohri biryani at Eid: Mohammed Ali Road runs full Bohri biryani and raan menus around Eid al-Adha. Stalls outside Minara Masjid stay open until the early hours during the festival weeks.
Diwali sweets and farsan: October and November bring shrikhand, mohanthal, ghari, mawa peda and chivda across every sweet shop. Tewari Brothers, Bhagat Tarachand and Chheda Sweets all set up Diwali counters.

Undhiyu and matka kulfi: December and January are mild enough for the Gujarati winter casserole undhiyu, a slow-cooked mix of surti papdi, baby aubergine and yam. Swati Snacks and Soam run a winter undhiyu menu.
Sarson da saag at Punjabi rooms: Punjab Grill, Punjab Sweet House and Sardar in Tardeo bring out makki di roti and sarson da saag during the December to February window.
Strawberry from Mahabaleshwar: December to March is peak Mahabaleshwar strawberry. Crawford Market and APMC Vashi get the daily crates; gelato shops and patisseries build seasonal specials around the fruit.