Exotic vegetables, on your pavement

I discovered this amazing vendor, off Khar Station, sitting along Hotel Jewel Restaurant and Bar (yes, I think it does say it is both hotel and restaurant:) on Khar's 2nd Road, where SV road (off Shamrao Vittal Bank) leads you to the station. He has EVERYTHING u want, I mean in terms of exotic vegetables... Avacado -- see that ripe and ready one. First time I am seeing this ready avocado in suburban Mumbai. Otherwise these fancy malls keep stuff half-ripe and u pick it and pray that damn thing ripens in your home. Btw. unripened stuff (that you ripen) are not as healthy as those which ripen naturally on the plant.

All those exotic things u want for your Thai curry recipe -- galangal, kaffir lime -- he stocks them. Just five bucks for a pinch you need... Thyme (in Rs 5 sachet), rosemary, fresh basil, lemon grass, cocktail tomatoes (for just Rs 10!!), dried mushroom (that last for years, he assured me), leek, asparagus.. everything. Zucchini too...
Great place if you are adventurous about food or health conscious. I used to be both, once upon a time. Nowadays, I am just a splurge who does not eat what she buys! But check out this corner for all your exotic veggie needs... What I liked was that he was not highly priced as are the supermarts or food marts that stock these things. Earlier I used to think them as rich rather than exotic, just going by the marked up prices of these things:) I have decided to, after chancing upon him, live on soups, mushrooms, grass and the rest of the stuff I have so wanted for long... I will visit him once a week and stock up. Yippee! You can be poor yet exotic now... when vegetables wander over to your pavement. I guess vendor encroachments do have their uses.. I am not going to join any crusade against them in the near future...

All things exotic

(Above: Snow peas)
(Zuchini, avocado -- raw and ripe)