Book Excerpt: Maximum City by Suketu Mehta

The vadapav poses for one last click

Finally delved into an increasing pile of books - to be read and reread. Books bought at various clearance sales and second-hand selling footpaths.The first on the list is one by the name of Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found by Suketu Mehta. Here is an extract from the non-fiction book about the most economical and popular snack of the city - the vadapav.

Nobody seems to be ordering just one. Not everybody will get their vadapav from this batch; the timid will have to keep waiting. The assistant serves the women first. The stacks of pav have been sprinkled with chutney – the top half of the inside of the bun is bathed in green chutney, the bottom with red garlic chutney – and the assistant reaches out with one hand, in one continuous arc of his arm opening the pav, scooping up two of the vadas, one in each nest of pav, and delivering it to the hungry customer.


(Article by Snehith Kumbla)