Gokuldas Gathiawala

Gokuldas Gathiawala is right in the middle of Dadar West at Mangalbhai Patel Market. We are at shop number 15. If you’ve ever walked through this part of Mumbai, you know how loud and fast everything moves. We spend our mornings getting everything ready for the day. Making gathia and other snacks is what we do. It gets hot back there with the large pans and the stoves going, especially in the summer months. We start early so that by the time the market shoppers arrive, we have fresh batches sitting out. Our spot isn't very large, but we make it work. Most of our customers are locals who are just passing by on their way to the station or doing their daily vegetable shopping. We don't spend much time on fancy decorations or anything like that. The focus is always on the food and making sure it tastes like it's supposed to. Sometimes we run out of things faster than expected on weekends. It’s a busy life here in Dadar. We’ve seen many shops change hands in Mangalbhai Patel Market over the years, but we’re still here in the same corner. We know most of the people by their first names or just by what they usually order every Tuesday or Friday. It’s a good, honest way to make a living for all of us involved in the shop.