Pav Bhaji (Mumbai Street Food)

Pav Bhaji.. Yet another Mumbai's famous street food. As I have mentioned in my last post that what ever the street food we want to eat here. I have to cook at home only.. So I have been trying out many recipes on every weekends so that we don't forget the Indian famous street food. When I had been to Mumbai for the first time may be in 1998, there one of my friend had taken me to have Pav Bhaji. Belive me I din't like it at all and she felt bad. To keep her heart I had just eaten few bites.. The main reason was I use to think alot that whether he has washed his hands or not and he is looking clean or not.. That's where I use to stop myself to eat anything on streets. Then again I had gone to Mumbai form my office work and everybody forced me to have Pav Bhaji and I really don't belive myself I ate the full plate, it was so tasty. After that when ever I go to Mumbai I always eat Pav Bhaji everyday. Nowadays I don't think that much, but still I see people around and my H keeps telling me just eat don't look around..

Nowadays everything has become so easy to cook at home, so only we don't prefer to go out and eat specially street food. I keep trying many street food recipes which my H will miss because of me.. Never mind it is always good at home rather then eating out... Though this dish takes a little time and effort but it is worth waiting and I don't have pav buns in my picture but we had it with pav only. Because the pav was vanished while I was taking pictures.. Do try this dish and enjoy :)

Ingredient's

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1 cups chopped cauliflower, 1/2 cup chopped green beans

1/2 cup peas, 1/2 cup chopped carrots, 1/2cup chopped cabbage

2 green chilies chopped

2tbsp ginger garlic paste

3 medium tomatoes, 1 large onion (finely chopped)

1/2tsp red chili, 1/2tsp turmeric, 1/2tsp coriander powder

1tbsp pav bhaji masala

1 tablespoon fennel seed powder (saunf)

1tsp dry mango powder

1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves

2tbsp butter, 2tbsp oil

Salt to taste

6 pav buns.

For Garnish:

1 medium chopped onion

few chopped coriander leaves

Few pieces of thinly sliced lemon

2tsp butter.

Cooking Method:

Boil all the vegetables with 1½ cup of water in a pressure cooker for 2 to 3 whistle. Don’t add too much water, just enough to cook.

After the vegetables are soft and tender, drain the excess water and mash them coarsely with a fork or potato masher.

Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. then add tomatoes, green chilies, coriander, and ginger garlic paste and sauté for 2-3 minutes until they are soft.

Next add the red chili powder, fennel powder, turmeric, coriander powder and pav bhaji masala, mix them well and cook till the raw smell goes. Now add mashed vegetables. By using you wooden spoon, simultaneously mash and stir all the vegetables for 5 minutes. Add salt and stir-fry for another minute. Add about ¼ cup of water or as needed, and let it cook for a minute.

Turn off the heat. and add dry mango powder, mix it well

Toast the pav bun on tava using butter over medium heat until buns are golden brown from both sides.

Serve hot toasted buns with bhaji, garnish with chopped onion, coriander leaves, butter and sliced lemon.

Vada Pav.. (Mumbai Street Food)

Vada Pav.. I have eaten this many times in Goli Vada Pav in bangalore, in starting I use to feel good and use to have 2 to 3 times in a week, then the masala what they use started giving me problem and I totally stopped eating Vada Pav. I always wanted to try at home, but use to feel why to do some much of work when you can get it from opposite of the road and stop myself from cooking.. But here there is no option what ever we want to eat I have to cook at home only and I really feel this is a very good opportunity for me to try out many recipes which I have been waiting to try from ages..

This was my second attempt to cook Vada Pav at home and it turn out to be the tastiest Vada Pav we have ever had and my H loved it and he ate 2 Vada Pav along with 2 green chilli. where he use to always by 1 and eat only half.. When ever he eats happily and more I feel my this much of effort is worth.. Enjoy the simple and tasty recipe of Vada Pav and make your family members happy..

Ingredient's For Vada.

3 medium boiled potatoes (peeled and mashed)

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 green chillies, 1 medium onion (finelychopped)

1/4 tsp tumeric powder

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

6-7 curry leaves

2tbsp oil

Salt to taste.

Ingredient's For Batter of Vada

1 1/2cups gram flour (besan)

Oil for deep frying

1 pinch of red chilli powder, 1 pinch of turmeric

1/4tsp ginger garlic paste

1 pinch of cooking soda (optional)

Salt to taste

6 Pav buns (square buns).

Ingredient's For Spicy Red Dry Chutney.

1tbsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp cumin

8 curry leaves

1tbsp grated coconut

1/4 cup peanuts, 3tbsp sesame seeds

5 garlic cloves, 1 green chilli (finely chopped)

1 pinch of asafoetida

Salt to taste.

Cooking Method.

Step-1. First dry roast all the ingredients of spicy red dry chutney. and grind them into powder (do not add any water) and set it aside.

Step-2. Then in a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients of batter for vada and mix them nicely and make a thick batter like we make for bajji.. set it aside.

Step-3. Now in a deep frying pan, add 2tbsp oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, when they start spluttering, add onion and green chilli and fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add ginger garlic paste, turmeric, potato and salt, fry for another 3 to 4 minutes. Take out the mixture in a separate plate and allow the mixture to cool. when the potato mixtures is cooled, make 6 to 7 large lemon size balls and keep it aside.

In the same frying pan add oil for deep frying the vada's. When the oil is hot, dip one potato ball at a time into the gram flour batter to coat well and then deep fry till golden. Drain on paper towels.

Take one Pav bun, slit in half (not completely - leave one edge joined) and put a spoonful spicy red chutney on it. Place a potato ball on the bun and fold over, pressing down gently.

Serve while the Vada is still hot with fried green chilli..

Mutton And Potato Curry (Oil-Less)

Mutton and Potato Curry (Oil-Less). To cook this mutton curry I have not used a single drop of oil. It is cooked in it's own fat. When ever we think of non-veg dishes we always think spicy and rich. But I'm assuring you after cooking this curry you'll forget the other curries.. The most important ingredients in this is the meat, if you have not got right meat then the curry will not be tasty. You just need to asked the butcher to give the meat which has fat and bones...

This is a very good curry to cook for the people who don't like to eat oily and spicy.. I cook this mutton curry when I'm on diet and still want to eat mutton and this curry gets cooked in no time. But this time I have added more green chillies because I wanted to eat something spicy but not oily.. You can adjust the ingredients according to your taste..

Ingredient's

1/2kg mutton

2 large potato, cut into big chunks (optional)

1cup chopped coriander

8 green chillies

1tbsp ginger garlic paste

1tsp black peppercorn

15 curry leafs

1 medium tomato

Salt to taste.

Cooking Method

Soak and wash the mutton for 15 minutes.

Grind all the above ingredients (except potato) to a smooth paste and set it aside.

In a pressure cooker add the mutton and cook till the water is evaporated and keep stirring in between to avoid sticking at the bottom of the cooker.

Now add the grounded masala, potato and salt, give a nice mix and add 1cup water and cook till the meat is tender. That will take about 3 to 4 whistle. Depending upon the meat.. Then allow the pressure to go before opening the pressure cooker.

Serve hot with Rice or Roti.

Banana & Dry Fruits Bread...

Banana & Dry Fruits Bread... Banana is a fruit which I can never say no and can eat as many as I can in a day. Most of the time I add banana in my baking and it always gives me best results. First I was thinking will just bake banana bread, then I ended up adding dry fruits because it is very healthy. I think adding banana to cake, bread or muffins is one of the best choice and it gives a very soft and fluffy texture. This bread can be served in Breakfast and in Tea time also. One of the best bread I have bake till now...

Prep time: 10 minutes

Baking time: 50 to 55 minutes

Yield: One loaf.

Ingredient's.

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup mix dry fruits

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour.

Baking Method.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Whisk in the butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking powder and salt over the mixture and mix.

Now add the flour, dry fruits and mix it nicely. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle some chopped almond from top and Bake for 55 minutes (mine was done in 50 minutes). Cool on a rack.

Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Ragi Malt.. (Finger Millet Porridge With Yoghurt)

Ragi Malt.. Drinking or eating Ragi is very good for the health and Ragi also know as finger millet is a rich source of calcium, protein, fiber, iron and other minerals. I really want to bring back these old and forgotten recipe to our modern life style.. This recipe looks very simple but very very healthy, this porridge is still daily drink in many houses of Karnataka.. Ragi can be used in many ways, you can even make Ragi balls, Roti's, Dosas, Idlis etc...

During Ramzan my mom use to cook this in a bulk and make all of us to drink everyday, sometime I use to just drink this porridge and keep the fast, though I don't like it.. But slowly I started liking this porridge and I cook this atleast once in a month.. I know I know it is not sufficient but still in my opinion having something is better than having nothing... Here come's the healthiest porridge recipe which you can add in you everyday diet...

Ingredient's

1cup Ragi flour (finger millet)

2 1/2cup water

1cup yoghurt

1 medium onion, 1 green chilli (finely chopped)

Handful of chopped coriander

Salt to taste.

Cooking Method.

In mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup water and ragi flour, mix it nicely and set it aside.

In a deep pan, add rest of the water and salt, bring it to a bowl.

Then slowly add the ragi flour mixture and keep stirring to avoid any lumps and sticking to the bottom of the pan. cook till the raw smell goes for about 4 to 5 minutes..(keep stirring).

Allow the ragi mixture to cool down a bit, then add yoghurt, onion, green chili and coriander, mix them nicely and Serve warm or cold..