In conversation with Bollywood Monster Mashup’s Executive Director Vikas Kohli, on the fantastic food options at this fun festival, now in its 13th year!

There's quite an array of food choices for attendees; how many different types of cuisines will be available?
We’ve got everything from classic South Asian street food favourites like samosas, dosas, kebabs, curries, mango lassis and kulfi, to fusion items like Mexican x Indian tacos, burritos and nachos, butter chicken momos and more. But it’s not just South Asian food either - we’ve got Japanese fried chicken, yakisoba noodles, shawarma and donair, mini donuts - with over 25 food vendors, there’s a ton of choices. -- Luckily there’s lots for people to do at the festival while they work up an appetite for their next snack. Kids can enjoy the Tim Hortons #BollywoodMonster KidZone that has glitter painting, a DIY sticker station, an inflatable slide and other fun activities, while older adults can play cards and sit in the shade at the LiUNA Local 183 #BollywoodMonster Seniors Lounge. The Vasanti Cosmetics #BollywoodMonster BeautyZone is the perfect spot to swatch and sample some new makeup shades, and you can snap photos of all your best angles after at the Tim Horton’s Selfie Spot.

What's your advice to someone who's new to these types of foods?
I recommend trying different small-bites items with a group - pakoras, fried takoyaki and idli vadas are just some of the options that family or friends can share. Plus, you get to explore more and decide what’s delicious enough that you’d want to buy it again and NOT share. -- You can also end with something familiar or nostalgic - maybe a real fruit popsicle or ice cream cone from our ice cream truck. We’ll be giving out free freezies for kids on Sat Jul 22 at 2pm, so there’s lots of ways to cool down.

Will there be any gluten-free foods available?
A number of our vendors are offering gluten-free, halal and vegetarian options. A lot of Indian food is naturally gluten-free, as major staples are rice, veggies, paneer (cheese) and meats, and feature beans and legumes like chickpeas and lentils. My personal favourite gluten-free option is a masala dosa - think a crispy crepe made of fermented rice and lentil batter, with a spiced potato/onion combo.

Of all the food options, which one are you going to eat first?
I’ll be making my rounds on my own vegetarian-friendly food tour - probably starting off with samosa chaat, leading into a vegetarian kathi roll, and it’s not really summer unless you split a blooming onion outside with friends. I’m still trying to decide whether a sugarcane juice or another of the real fruit juices will join me on the tour - I’ll need something to toast the winners of our $1,000 #BollywoodMonster grand prize and our 5 $100 cash prizes on the afternoon of Sat Jul 22!

How many food vendors will there be this year?
We’ve got 30 food vendors and more than 10 shopping vendors, so you can browse for a souvenir in between deciding what to eat next. The Bollywood-inspired jewelry is always a hit, but there’s also beautiful clothing, accessories and decor like magnets and stone samples. To see new vendors being added, keep checking www.BollywoodMonsterMashup.com/Food

Are there any food vendors participating this year that have participated in previous years?
We’re lucky to have great relationships with lots of food vendors who love our audience so much they return year after year. Returning from last year are Watan Kabob serving halal kabobs and meat & vegetarian wraps, White Gold Sweets serving katlis, pedhas and other snacks and treats, Twistie Taters serving spiral potatoes on a stick, Twistee Dairy serving ice cream and frozen yogurt, Taza Food Products serving vada pav, dahi vada and chicken patties, and Shana Foods serving samosas, to name a few.

To learn more about the largest South Asian festival in Canada, click here!