MB Maps: Crawford Market
TO DOWNLOAD THE MAP CLICK HERE.
A few helpful tips:
• Carry cash. And carry more cash than you think you will need, because you inevitably end up finding more than you thought you needed.
• Get there by 9am or earlier—that’s when the trucks offload fresh stock.
• Do a random check of the products, especially when you buy them in bulk. If you are not careful, you might end up with a bad apple.
• Carry a big shopping bag. Nothing is more annoying than juggling multiple bags in the crowded market. If you’re going to be shopping a lot, you can hire a coolie for his services.
FRESH FRUIT
The fresh fruit section stretches from near the entrance to the right end of the building, and beyond. There are dozens of stalls selling every imaginable kind of fruit (including a few you may not have heard of) but there is little difference in selection from stall to stall, meaning that one stand is as good as the next. Lesser known fruits include the bel fruit (an oversized pear with a tough skin that resembles a musk melon), mangosteen, rambutan (the scary looking fruit from the lychee family), dragon fruit and rose apples.
FRESH VEGETABLES
Jyoti Agriculture, Shop No. 172
Known for its fresh produce, this shop stocks jalapeño peppers (you can make your own jar of pickled jalapeños instead of buying it off the shelf). On a subsequent visit, I found some vibrant baby English carrots.
Trikaya Agriculture, Shop No. 180
Trikaya Agriculture is known throughout the city for its fresh, exotic produce, which is more affordably priced here than if bought from the supermarket. You might not get everything on their list in one visit, but you will not be disappointed by what you find. On one of my visits, I found kohlrabi, seedless limes, radicchio lettuce, broccoli sprouts and fresh herbs. On another visit I found garlic scapes (green garlic stalks), endive lettuce and the fattest lemongrass stalks.
POULTRY AND MEAT
Halal chicken and frozen meats are sold at the rear end of the building. To buy mutton, you need to walk to the next building all the way to the back.
CHEESE
VK Stores, Shop No. 467
This store stocks a wide array of products, cheese being one of them. Buy camembert, brie, Philadelphia cream cheese (for cheesecake brownies), mascarpone and ricotta at discounted prices here.
BAKING EQUIPMENT
Arife, Shop No. 556
Arife La Moulde is the destination for bakers. They stock cake moulds, bread moulds, Wilton food colour, chocolate moulds, non-stick baking pans, tart pans, measuring cups and spoons, cake turn tables, silicone baking moulds, cookie cutters, chocolate cutters, palate knives, chocolate-making equipment, sugar craft tools, cream horn moulds, doughnut cutters, springform pans (usually used for cheesecakes), jelly and kulfi moulds. The silicone cupcake moulds are available in vibrant colours, much like the Wilton ones, but at a fraction of the cost (Rs150 for six moulds). They even have cake moulds in various shapes (birds, cars, houses, etc). In addition to equipment, they stock sprinkles, colourful sugar crystals and sugar flowers. They keep adding new items to their product offerings so you should ask them about their latest stock when you visit. Although baking equipment is their forté, they also have candle-making equipment. Arife has branches in Bandra (opposite Shoppers Stop, Linking Road) and Andheri West (shop no. 17, opposite the railway station).
PACKING, STORING AND SERVING
Patel Stores, Shop No. 539
Cling film, disposable boxes, foil containers, pretty tissue papers in bright colours, kitchen rolls and everything in between to keep your kitchen neat and organised. They also have paper doilies in different sizes, disposable plates, spoons and other party supplies.
PANTRY
Uncle’s Shop, No. 349
Uncle’s Shop sells an array of ingredients—dried cranberries and blueberries (although these show up sporadically at the store), Japanese ingredients like mirin, shiitake mushrooms, dashi powder, panko (Japanese bread crumbs), and sushi rice. Their Mexican ingredient offerings include tortilla chips, tacos, nachos, fajita and enchilada seasoning and refried beans.
Gloria Store Shop, No. 210
In addition to Goan dessert bebinca, they have an assorted range of chilli sauces, jellied cranberries, Kikkoman soy sauces and Tahini paste (good for hummus or marinated eggplant).
Neelam Stores, Shop No. 445
This store stocks all the regular Bluebird products—baking powder, icing sugar, corn starch, kulfi mixes and whipped cream powder. Look at Bluebird’s entire range of products here.
Victory Stores, Shop No. 448/449
Dried rosemary, thyme and spices are sold in small unbranded packages. They have canned goods aplenty, pastas, Nutella and a lot of everyday grocery items and regular imported foods.
Biscuitwala and Sons, Shop No. 482
You could easily cross this nondescript store without a second glance (okay, maybe one just for the name). But looking beyond the mundane pasta, rice noodles, artichoke hearts and tomato paste, you will find exotic Turkish oregano, wild rice, and a lot, lot more. I bumped into the purchasing guy from Asian restaurant Busaba who told me that they buy a whole lot of things for the restaurant from here. Other products on offer: wasabi paste, bamboo shoots, Jamaican Jerk seasoning, Spanish paprika, vine leaves, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. They even have Grandma’s molasses, Morton Kosher salt (at a whopping Rs4,000), Kirkland steak seasoning, black bean seeds, nori sheets, wasabi, sushi ginger and a lot more.
Royal Dry Fruit, Shop No. 538
Following Royal Dry Fruit’s success, many others have tried to incorporate the word “royal” in their name. So make sure that you’re indeed at Shop No. 538. You can trust Royal Dry Fruit for their freshness and quality. They even have shelled pine nuts (perfect for making pesto sauce), as well as Delhi sooth (dried ginger), candied mango, American pecans and macadamia nuts.
Continental Stores, Shop No. 537
This shop stocks excellent instant yeast. There are many advantages of instant yeast over fresh or even active dry yeast, most notably that a half kilogram vacuum-packed package of Prime instant yeast will last you a very long time (about a year compared to 15 days for fresh yeast). They also stock cake gels and essences.
NEAR CRAWFORD MARKET
Saria Steel Depot, 26, Lohar Chawl (2-minute walk from Crawford Market)
Don’t be fooled by what meets the eye at this poky store that sells kitchen supplies. Aliasgar Saria, the third generation owner of Saria Steel, brings in equipment from all over the world and stocks them across seven store houses in the city. From regular knives costing Rs50 each to top-of-the-line Rs20,000 F. Dick Knives, Saria claims that 80 per cent of the restaurants in Mumbai have purchased equipment from him. They also have bamboo steamers, fondue pots, sizzler platters, pizza screens, Pardini thick-bottomed pans, non-stick baking mats, piping tips, cake stands, barbeque sets and copper satay grill. A word of caution: everything may not be available at the store at all times, so call before you visit (2208 2314)
MIRCHI GALLI
Walking distance from Crawford Market toward Jama Masjid, Mirchi Galli, as the name implies, is something of a spice market. You can find dried ginger, turmeric and dried raw whole mango that you can freshly grind as you need. That said, the whole lane isn’t filled with spice shops; there are just a handful of them. The two shops worth a visit are:
Shah Gabharubhai Uttamchand & Co.
In addition to everyday spices, they also stock cinnamon quills, Kashmiri garlic (also known as snow mountain garlic) and whole dried mango (amchur). A lesser known spice I came across, pipramul or ganthola, is often used as part of Gujarati garam masala mix. They also sell an assortment of mukhwas (after dinner mint), cucumber seeds and pumpkin seeds at a much lower price (Rs400/kg) as compared to what you might pay at supermarkets.
Namdev Jagannath Supariwala
As the name suggests, this is a place for betel nuts. The folks at Namdev Jagannath hand slice betel nuts every other day, so you know you’re only getting your hands on the freshest stuff. They also stock a variety of spices, similar to the ones found at Shah Gabarubhai Uttamchand.
Shaheen Peerbhai is the author of the popular food blog The Purple Foodie, and loves writing, photography, baking and the colour purple.
Tags: Arife, Biscuitwala & Sons, Continental Stores, Crawford Market, Food, Gloria Store, Guides, Jyoti Agriculture, Maps, MB Maps, Neelam Store, Patel Stores, Purple Foodie, Royal Dry Fruits, Shaheen Peerbhai, Special Top Story, Trikaya Agriculture, Uncle's Shop, Victory Store, VK StoresComments (48)
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suuuuuuuuper!
Wonderfully detailed!
a wonderful resource. thanks, shaheen, and also, do you know where i can buy almond paste in a can or a tube? would arife stock it or should i go to reliance fresh/nature’s basket?
fantastic initiative…..keep up the great work!!
Hey Janki, I’m not too sure where you could find almond paste. Will let you know if I find it.
Hello Shaheen,
Can u pls gimme the contact no for Jyoti Agriculture.. also can u pls lemme know the price for the Jalapeno peppers so tat I can plan out and purchase the proper quantity for my frnds and relatives..Thx a lot for maintaining such an awe-inspiring blog..Cheers!!
hi
frm where can I source chocolates at Crawford mkt???
Hey Shaheen,
Much wishes, you r doing an awesome job,it is like “crux of the matter”.Brilliant,bravo, may god bless you.Such detailed observation.Very handy for people like us who are in to “world food”.
Fondly,
Shivani
Prashant: Here is the contact number for Jyoti agriculture – 23402464.
Yasmin: You can find chocolates at Arife (mentioned in the map)
Shivani: Thank you so much for your good wishes! Glad you liked it.
Ohh this post was awwwesommmmmmme!!
Thank you for this detailed resource.
I reside in a god forsaken city (Hyderabad). A fren is visitin b’bay and i have a long list of things to get from there.
This is very helpful.
A quick question –
Where will wheat gluten and cream of tartar be available ??
Thanks once again..
Hey Nepakshi! Glad you found this useful. You should get the wheat gluten at Continental Stores (listed above). For cream of tartar you could check Biscuitwala. Else, it’s also available at Sante’s in Bandra West.
Hey!! This list is very helpful.. Thanks so much.. Do you know any place in Mumbai where I can find lavender for baking?? Thanks again..
are there any other shops for baking equipements and baking ingrediants for cakes chocolates like arife?
grt!
Medha: I haven’t come across lavender for baking here yet.
Shuchi: At Hill Road there is Cheap Jack’s, but Arife is pretty much the go-to place.
Hi Shaheen,
Just saw your post. Great information. Do you know where I can get rennet (both veg and animal based) for making cheese? I live in pune, but occasionally visit Mumbai.
Thank you,
sanjay
excellent stuff! thnx so much for this!
Hi this is super useful , Keep up the great work . I generally shop at Crawford and found so many more shops i could go to thanks to you . God Bless all your efforts …
Great work…this is a wonderful guide for foodies in Mumbai…already looking forward to my next trip to Mumbai.
I live in pune…but after reading this AMAZING guide im going to have to take a trip to mumbai/crawford market. Thank uuuu for all the hardwork uve put into this map!! Way to go shaheen!
Thank you so, so much for this!!!
thnks it really helped.
thnks it was a real help in locating d right shop for my bakeware. saved me tym hunting things
I am looking out for RENNET which is used for making paneer at home. can someone please suggest where I can get this item?
Thanks
Very useful. Would welcome more info about Lebanese food, cooking tools …..
can anyone help me in getting RENNET ( veg or non-veg in liquid or in tablet form ) ?? Rennet is used for making soft PANEER at home
i am searching desperately to locate this.
Shaheen,
In which shop will I find chocolate chips? They are expensive in suburbs so I’m planning to buy in bulk frm Crowford market
Neeta
Hi,
Sorry for bothering again.Where do u get cans of whipped cream in Mumbai? How long do they last?
I mean the ones with a spray .
Neeta
Hi, you have done a great job. I would like to know where i can find soft centre fillngs like strawberry,orange etc for chocolates and also chocolate colours. if you could send me the details immediately i will glad as i live in ahmedabad and someone comming from mumbai on friday can get it for me. Is it possible to get it at andheri.
thknx
vijaya
You made my life easy, i am from solapur (M.S) , i was totally blank abt choclate making stores. arife lam.. was the stores i need got entire details, along with map, thank u god bless u. .
Hi,
Thanks for a really helpful guide on Crawford market. Would you know were one can fin rocket leaves in Mumbai… been hunting for this and cannot get it with the usual suspects.
Thanks,
Kavita
hi,
where can i find original barry callebaut chocolate at crawford market?
Hi can u pl help me as to where can i get vegetable shorterning, confectioners’ sugar, liquid glucose and light corn syrup in mumbai
Hello,
Can u tell where to buy best saffron powder in mumbai…
i live in ahmedabad. i want the chocolate n cookie n sweet moulds/cutters. where in ahmedabad is arife or where can i get these items. pl reply asap
can u tell me were can i buy amimal rennt /vegetable rennt for making cheese
Hey Shaheen
U seem to have dissappeared….no replies to so many queries. Me too for rennet…else at least where can I find good fresh Mozarella cheese Bandra to Andheri? thanx to u I managed to pick up a lot of stuff from Arife’s, bandra. Thinking of heading to crawford now. Was planning to pick up some things from Dubai but again thanx to u may not need to. Happy New Year!
hey whr can i find designer moulds for making candles? plz help as im new to d city…Thanks dear.
Great work! Very detailed.
May God bless you with all that you want
Thanks for so much of information
Thanks a ton for the useful info.
Though, born and brought up in Mumbai, I’ve never been to Crawford Market. Will go there 1 Day. Do they close on Sundays or are they open. I don’t find time to go during weekdays.
Hi Can you please tell me where can I buy sun dried tomatoes?
Regards,
Sam
God bless you missy…. i have been wondering where to find nearly 90% of the items you have mentioned. Thanks to you thats sorted!!!!
Hi,
I want to know the wholesaler for Imported biscuits in croford market.
HI, Thanx for the wonderful and much needed information.. real help!!!
i need the cosmetics wholesale market adress can anyone please send me the adress on my email adress, thanks
Thats was such an amazing read! HAd been looking for something like this for a long time…