Maa Jasolrai Mithaiwala

Maa Jasolrai Mithaiwala is our little shop over in Khatodara on Mumbai Samachar Marg, number 163. We’ve been here for a good while, making traditional sweets for whoever walks in. The kitchen is always busy with the sound of scraping pans and boiling milk. I learned most of these recipes from my father, and he learned them from his. We don't change much because people like the taste they are used to. Our counters are filled with different kinds of mithai, from the yellow laddoos to the white milk cakes. Khatodara is a lively place to have a business. You see all sorts of people passing by on the Marg. Sometimes the traffic is so loud we have to shout over the counter to hear what the customer wants. We use a lot of ghee and sugar, so the air always feels a bit heavy and sweet. The glass on the display cases gets fingerprints on it constantly, no matter how much I wipe it. We have a small staff who have been with us for years. They know exactly how much cardamom to put in each batch. It’s not a big corporate chain, just a local spot where you can get a handful of sweets wrapped in paper. We open early and close when the trays are mostly empty. It’s a lot of standing on your feet, but seeing someone enjoy a fresh piece of kalakand makes the long hours feel worth it.