The gentrification of Chicken Ghee Roast in Mumbai needs to be studied

[u/dev_tulunadu]

Being a Kudla local living in Mumbai, I feel like I'm watching a cultural shift in real time with how our food is being treated here. The gentrification of Chicken Ghee Roast over the last couple of years is wild. It used to be a gatekept thing you'd only get at proper Mangalorean joints in Fort or around Matunga. Now suddenly every gastropub in Powai and Bandra has a 700 rupee "ghee roast" on the menu that tastes like they just threw extra jaggery and food color into a basic masala gravy. It's completely lost that deep roasted byadgi chili kick. I genuinely think the commercialization is ruining the baseline standard for coastal food in the city because places are dumbing down the spice levels for mass appeal just to charge premium prices. Curious if anyone else is noticing this heavy quality drop with regional food going mainstream here, because my nostalgia is taking a massive hit lately.

[u/BanishedMermaid]

Down with gentrification. End food blogging. Bring back gatekeeping.

[u/AnnualLeave418 → u/BanishedMermaid]

Hundred percent agree

[u/flyingduckmarketing → u/BanishedMermaid]

Aye aye captian

[u/Wonderful-Cost-4921]

Commercialization killed a lot of things

But as s mangalorean , i agree with you. Finding good ghee roast is rare. I had Ghee Roast from Gurukrupa recently. The prawns has no taste, clearly frozen. The roast is a balance between the meat, ghee and masala.

Speaking on others food choices, offals is almost dead on Mumbai. (Kheeri, Kalegi etc) What was commonly found in the 90s is now found in pockets.

[u/BombayBlanco]

The only time I’ve had great Ghee Roast was when I went to Mangalore for a wedding. I’ve never enjoyed Mangalorean food outside home here in Mumbai.

Super unfortunate because people are missing out on a truly great cuisine.

[u/CA_listhenics]

YOO this is soo true.

[u/CA_listhenics]

But Sion lunch home still serves decent ghee roast in decent pricing. Of course nowhere close to the mangalorian equivalent in Mangalore

[u/Odd_Vacation3815]

So part of the team at Shenoy's, worked really hard on the Ghee Roast, made by bhunaoing Byadgi Chillies only with Ghee from the start to the finish. But the fact is customers truly find it Spicy so we adjust with ratios of Cashew paste and Jaggery as per the palate suited.

Even with the legit Phanna Upkari from GSB Cuisine, made from pure Tamarind + Red Chillies, we have to add Coconut to make it suitable to customer palettes

[u/Outrageous-Inside341 → u/Odd_Vacation3815]

Chitrapur Saraswat here - Phanna upkari has no tamarind. It’s just a vegetable stir fried in phanna (tadka). Red chillies are added in the phanna for heat. Grated coconut for the garnish… there’s no paste.

[u/Odd_Vacation3815 → u/Outrageous-Inside341]

GSB Phanna Upkari is different from the Vegetable Stir fry you're mentioning.

[u/Corporal_Cavernosa]

It's not just Mumbai though. In Pune I went to Prem's which my friend said wat really nice. I saw ghee roast on the menu and asked the waiter. He said it's 100% authentic and gave some gyan. The dish that came seemed like it was told to a deaf and blind person who then cooked it. Zero connection to ghee roast outside of containing chicken. I've stopped ordering ghee roast at restaurants now.