The Outrageous Hubris of Cafe Drake Pays Off with Bhel Poori

Cafe Drake wants to go on record as most likely the first ever Westerner to plate Bhel Poori as an entree. Mumbai's favorite snack became our main course with a mixture of puffed rice, chickpea flour crunchies, diced apple, onion, tomato, cucumber, cilantro and minced hot chilies. We mixed it all dramatically table side with house made yogurt sauce, tamarind water (spiked with garam masala and brown sugar) and fresh cilantro chutney. Thank heavens for ages-old compatriots like Jen Lazzaro and Octavio F. willing to sample Mumbai beach snacks for dinner. Don't even ask us for the recipe but Google online the main ingredients of puffed rice!

As if we didn't already dish up at least 8 servings of vegetables, Cafe Drake preceded the eccentric meal with a creamy soup of broccoli and fenugreek.