Tata Tiago EV on Ramadan Food Trail 2023

It was in 2019 when we took the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R to Mohammad Ali Road during Ramadan in search of scrumptious delicacies served especially in the holy month. After missing out for a couple of years, we decided to embark on our pilgrimage once again. But this time we had a twist in the tale. We visited not one but five eating joints in one Ramadan night, and we decided to do it in an EV. Our chariot this time was the all-new Tata Tiago EV.

Our plan was simple, to spend the eating hours allowed during the night in the month of Ramadan doing exactly that – eating. The Tiago EV’s digital display showed 100 per cent and 209km of range. Just as the sun disappeared behind the horizon, it was time to begin eating.

The lane starting from Kamani Junction towards LBS has many restaurants specialising in Mughlai and Arabian cuisine. Here we had Nargisi kabab, chicken pahadi, chicken stick with buttery gravy, garlic chicken with its spicy yet cheesy texture, and topped it off with a healthy bowl of khichda (polenta).

With our bellies far from bulging, we got in the Tiago EV and made our way to the original pilgrim site – Mohammad Ali Road. The battery charge was still at 85 per cent and the range was 171km. We took the Eastern Freeway which welcomed us with dark skies, empty tarmac, and an illuminated Mumbai city line behind it. Blasting ‘Kun Faya Kun’ on the speakers, and enjoying the comfort of the AC on the scorching summer evening, we reached Mohammad Ali Road in no time.

Now the traffic at Mohammad Ali Road is beyond comprehension. Crawling at a snail's pace, we passed through the Minara Masjid lane and had to search for a place to park our Tiago EV. But it was late in the night, and the locals were too kind to let us park our cars at their hangout places nearby.

Now, the street of Mohammad Ali Road was filled with greasy and spicy air. Aromas of various fried items lingered around our noses, pulling us to each stall in a renewed fervour. Here we filled our bellies once again with succulent Haleem. Right next to it was ‘Patthar gosht’ which literally translates to what it was – ‘stone meat’. Our vegetarian compadre had to make do with potato twisters here.

But the highlight has to be our visit to the old and famous Chinese&Grill, for its fabled Nalli Nihari. Not only was its gravy flavourful, but the meat was also equally tender and juicy - cooked to perfection. The nihari served here is a crowd puller and even celebrities from the B-Town visit this place whenever they can.

No trip here is complete without the Burhaanpur jalebi, their larger-than-life gulab jamuns or thick rabdi. Gobbling that, we rushed back to the air-conditioned and comfortable cabin of our Tiago EV as the temperature outside was soaring and our legs had started to hurt after walking through the crowd.

Taking four people on board with gorging bellies, the Tiago EV had 68 per cent of battery left and an indicated range of 112km. It was now time for some dessert. And we had Haji Ali Juice Centre on our minds.

With a cool breeze flowing in from the Arabian Sea, the Tiago EV looked astonishing under the junction floodlights. It was way past midnight, and our energy levels started to drop. But the mango cream lifted our spirits high with its right amount of sweetness and the best flavours you could ask for.

After relishing it, we were quite close to the most modern monuments of Mumbai – the Bandra Worli Sea Link. While the trip meter showed us close to 60 kilometres, the Tiago EV’s battery was way above the halfway mark. We took the scenic Sea Link overlooking the Arabian Sea on one side, and the darkened yet glistening Mumbai skyline on the other.

The Tiago EV finally got to stretch its legs on the rare sight of an empty Western Express Highway. We reached our next destination in the quaint little street of Behram Baug, just off the Jogeshwari exit of WEH. Here the local hoteliers had set up an all-night khau gali for the month of Ramadan.

This is where we were able to grab the last bite of Sehri, before the sun came up. We gorged on some of the best homemade-style seekhs and kababs here along with some tawa items like kheema pav, baida roti, chicken rolls, and masala bhuna.

As the sky was turning shade from black to blue, we looked back at the Tiago EV with more appreciation than ever before. Doing the entire round of the city, driving four people across stop-and-go traffic on Mohammad Ali Road, and hastening on the empty Express Highway, the battery charge of the Tiago EV was still at 50 per cent. With 88km on the trip meter, it was time to head back.

Taking the JVLR, which is under construction for the most part, the Tiago took four tired and overeaten souls home in utmost comfort. As the heavy food made its way to our stomachs, the Tiago EV also made its way to our hearts. It felt comfortable over Mumbai roads and offered smooth drivability, so much so that one of our companions happily dozed off in the back seat without care.

This adventure had us cover a full circuit around Mumbai city. We travelled west from Navi Mumbai to Kurla, then south towards Mohammad Ali Road. Thereafter, we headed westwards to Haji Ali Juice Centre in Worli and then up north, parallel to the Arabian Sea, towards Jogeshwari via the Sea Link. The JVLR helped us cut back through the middle of the city back to Navi Mumbai.

And throughout the journey, the Tiago EV felt as conventional as any other car. Never once did we have range anxiety during the entire escapade. Even at the home run, when we found heavy truck traffic in the early hours of the day, the Tiago EV remained calm. We reached back to Vashi with little over 130 kilometres on the trip, while there were still more than 50 kilometres the Tiago EV could have gone with the 26 per cent charge it had left.

Such trips make us realise how close these EVs have come to become our conventional set of wheels. And the Tiago EV is an ideal companion to begin with, if you are looking to go the EV way.

Pictures by Kaustubh Gandhi