The <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-rains-early-monsoon-makes-vegetable-a-luxury-23554175" rel="nofollow">vegetable</a> and fruit markets have put on a summer filter with a wave of fresh produce coming in. Here&rsquo;s what chefs and local food champions are excited to cook with.
<h2>Gourd lord</h2>
Saurabh Udinia, culinary director, HOM in Bandra, looks forward to the raw mangoes every summer. &ldquo;My father makes an aam pickle for the family that we use as a butter in our seabass at the restaurant,&rdquo; he says, adding, &ldquo;We use a two-year-old batch as it ferments beautifully.&rdquo;
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Mango-sale_e.jpg" alt="Fresh harvest of mangoes at Crawford Market last year. FILE PIC" width="1280" height="720" /> Fresh harvest of mangoes at Crawford Market last year. FILE PIC
Their Veggie Chop, a patty made from seasonal veggies, is &ldquo;packed with amaranth, green peas and edamame. We make the sauce using burnt cauliflower,&rdquo; he explains. His top picks include Dadar Phool and Sabji Mandi, and Crawford market.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Veggie-Chop_e.jpg" alt="(From left) Veggie Chop; Seabass; Saurabh Udinia. pics courtesy/HOM" width="1280" height="720" /> (From left) Veggie Chop; Seabass; Saurabh Udinia. Pics courtesy/HOM
The sunny season also brings gourds, greens and kokum. The bottle and ridge <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/food/article/home-cooked-non-vegetarian-thali-turned-cheaper-by-3-per-cent-in-february-report-23619614" rel="nofollow">gourds</a> are at their best. &ldquo;They behave really well on the fire. Even the humble drumstick is thick with tender seeds. We steam it lightly, and then fire them for a charred aroma.&rdquo;
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Chef-Saurabh-Udinia_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
<h2>Chutney on the rocks</h2>
Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal, curator and editor of Chutney: A Compendium of Stories and Recipes, says, &ldquo;Every part of a plant can be converted into a chutney &mdash; leaves, flowers, roots, stem; even peels, especially those of the ridge gourd, are preferred options. Turai or ridge gourd peels, with their rough and fibrous texture, make for delightfully rustic chutneys.&rdquo;
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Coriander-Chutney_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
Flowers, like the gongura, Hibiscus, moringa, tamarind, coriander, and banana flowers, are also popular options. For Maharashtrians, red and green thechas, with chillies are added to the menu for their internal cooling features. &ldquo;In my mother&rsquo;s Gujarati household, we still have a Kanda Kheri made by blending mango chilli and gourd,&rdquo; she says.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Rushina-Book_e.jpg" alt="Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal" width="1280" height="720" /> Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal
<h2>Bhaji and bhakri</h2>
Shival Shah, co-founder of Tillage, local produce online store, points out that the onset of summer marks a shift in produce suited to the climate. &ldquo;At Tillage, we are going to be shifting away from berries, and towards more tropical produce like avocados, mangoes, and mangosteen.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Mangoes-a_e.jpg" alt="Mangoes and avocados. PICS COURTESY/TILLAGE" width="1280" height="720" /> Mangoes and avocados. PICS COURTESY/TILLAGE
Cooling flours like <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/food/" rel="nofollow">Jowar</a>, Khapli wheat etc are preferred in this season. &nbsp;The market is filled with spinach, amaranth and a few varieties of salad greens. I love an amaranth (Chauli) leaves bhaji paired with a jowar bhakri,&rdquo; Shah concludes.
<h2>Drinks galore</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Raw-rassam_e.jpg" alt="Summer specials" width="1280" height="720" /> Summer specials
Jasleen Marwah of Folk in Kala Ghoda says summer is a respite from the heavy eating of winter. &ldquo;It lightens you up, and you crave cooling drinks,&rdquo; says Marwah, hinting at aam panna, kokum sharbat, sol kadi, kanjis and chhaas.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Juice-glass_e.jpg" alt="Sindhi Kadhi" width="1280" height="720" /> Sindhi Kadhi
She uses all the fresh kokum, mango, and beetroot for the coolers. &ldquo;From chillies to tamarind, the season brings colour to the markets. My favourite is the Goregaon station market,&rdquo; she says.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Topli-nu-salad_e.jpg" alt="Topli Nu salad" width="1280" height="720" /> Topli Nu salad
Juicy lemons are used for Sindhi kadhi, while curd rice and khichdi get an addition of veggies &mdash; the green gourds, cucumber and palak. &ldquo;We serve jowar instead of bajra, to ease digestion too,&rdquo; she reveals.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Jasleen-Marwah_e.jpg" alt="Jasleen Marwah. PICS COURTESY/FOLK" width="1280" height="720" /> Jasleen Marwah. PICS COURTESY/FOLK
<h2>Market research</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Fish-ship_e.jpg" alt="A fisherman unloads the day&rsquo;s catch at Sassoon Dock. FILE PIC" width="1280" height="720" /> A fisherman unloads the day&rsquo;s catch at Sassoon Dock. FILE PIC
&ldquo;I am especially excited about working with ripe local tomatoes, tender gourds like lauki and turai, and plenty of cucumber; ingredients naturally suited to the heat. Apart from mangoes, pomelo or bael offers freshness and gentle acidity.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Gaurav-Yadav_e.jpg" alt="Chef Gaurav Yadav" width="1280" height="720" /> Chef Gaurav Yadav
In warm weather, the ingredients do most of the work. It is all about letting their natural flavours shine,&rdquo; shares Gaurav Yadav, chef de cuisine at The Bombay Canteen.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Summer-Menu_e.jpg" alt="Seasonal produce at The Bombay Canteen. pics courtesy/The Bombay Canteen" width="1280" height="720" /> Seasonal produce at The Bombay Canteen. Pics courtesy/The Bombay Canteen
Take a walk down your local market, and you will understand. &ldquo;The Grant Road Market has a very distinct character: One finds smaller vendors, interesting regional produce, and ingredients that are not always easy to come across in bigger markets. For seafood, it&rsquo;s Sassoon Dock, especially for squid and bombil during this time,&rdquo; he says.

Summer is upon Mumbai, and the veggie and fruit markets have chefs and the food community excited about the seasonal produce. We take a peep into their seasonal

Mumbai’s markets bloom with summer fruits and veggies celebrated by chef`s

Sonali's Society

Summer is upon Mumbai, and the veggie and fruit markets have chefs and the food community excited about the seasonal produce. We take a peep into their seasonal baskets

Summer harvest: Chefs celebrate Mumbai’s seasonal fruits and veggies

Gourd lord

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