Pav Bhajji

Goodmorning friends! Today, I plan to use her morning nap time to post this incredibly simple yet loaded with taste chat:-) One of Mumbai's favourite road side eat, now equally popular among Chennai-ites too. Once I finish posting this long pending recipe, I can start ground work on the next road side chat;-) Keep watching the space for what is to come!

Who will not love a spicy treat on monsoon evenings. So, here I have been ticking off all my wish list items and I hope to try more before my maternity leave comes to an end...off to the recipe

Ingredients:

For masala:

- 2 chopped onions
- 2 chopped tomatoes
- 100 gms finely chopped beans
- 1 carrot finely chopped
- 1 capsicum finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 2 green chillies
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp pav bhajji masala
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- Coriander leaves for garnish
- Salt to taste

For chutney:

Refer Chilly Garlic Chutney

Prep time: 15 mins                                         Cook time: 30 mins

Preparation:

- Chop all veggies finely and keep aside for use
- Pressure cook beans, carrot and potaties adding little salt for taste
- Heat the butter in a pan, add cumin seeds and allow to splutter.
- Now add the onions and saute till they turn translucent. Now, add the finely chopped green chillies and ginger garlic paste or grated ginger and garlic.

- Once the ginger and garlic cook well, add the capsicum and saute for 2 minutes.
- Now add the tomatoes and let them all come together.
- Once the tomatoes are blended well, add the pav bhajji masala, turmeric powder and salt and allow to cook for 5 mins on low flame.

- Meanwhile, open the pressure pan and mash the potatoes and other veggies smoothly with a hand blender or a buttermilk churner.Do not throw the water in which the veggies were boiled.

- Add these to the masala in the pan and mix well. If you find the masala too thick, add the water from the boiled veggies.
- Let the masala cook for 5 minutes on low flame for all the flavours to infuse together.

- Sprinkle with lots of finely cut coriander leaves.
- Now, the masala is ready!

Serving:

- Pav buns are available in stores.
- Smear both the insides of the pav with the garlic chutney. The picture below does not have the chutney spread.
- Heat a flat pan and add 2 tsp of butter. Now place the pav with the chutney smeared side down.
- Turn the pav and toast on both sides.
- Serve hot pavs, with above masala and side of a lemon piece and some fresh and finely chopped onions:-)

Baked Veg Cutlets

Want to make cutlets for a party and also not stand for hours in the kitchen making a whole bunch of them?! Simple solution...Bake them all:-)! You can be out of the kitchen getting ready for the party while the cutlets are baking in the oven....

Ingredients:

- 2 to 3 cups boiled and mashed vegetables
- 1 tsp chilly powder
- 1/2 tsp chat masala
- 1/8 tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 cup bread crumbs for rolling
- 1 cup thick paste of all purpose flour
- Finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

Prep time: 45 mins                           Cook time: 20 mins

Preparation:

- Wash and cut the vegetables. Steam/ boil them well. Preferably use veggies like potatoes, green peas, beetroot  and carrots

- On cooling, mash the veggies and blend in the salt, chat masala, chilly powder, turmeric powder and the coriander leaves.

- Keep the all purpose flour mixed with little water into a thick paste.

- Make lemon sized balls, roll them in the flour batter and then flatten them on the bread crumbs.

- Grease the baking tray or sheet with cooking spray or with little oil
- Place the flattened patties rolled in the crumbs on the baking plate

- Pre-heat the oven to 400 deg F.
- Once all the patties are rolled and placed, spray the cooking oil spray on top of the patties. If you do not have the spray, you could brush little oil on top of each of the cutlets.
- Bake them in the oven for 20 mins and turn over the patties after 10 mins.
- Remove from oven, once the cutlets are golden brown on top.

Foot note:
- These are easier to make and does not involve a lot of oil as is done for normal cutlets.
- The taste may not be the same as the authentic cutlets made with a ton of oil, but ofcourse this is definitely a healthy way:-))!!

Peanut Masala - Beach Style

Its been rainy days since weekend and rains always call for spicy, crunchy evening snacks and a steaming hot cup of chai! I picked some fresh groundnuts(with the shell) from the Indian grocery store last evening to make அவிச்ச கடலை(boiled nuts). However, after boiling them, I wanted to dress them up in color and so it turned out into a spicy, tangy beach style peanut masala...

Ingredients:

- 1 cup boiled peanuts

- 1 tbsp finely chopped onions

- 1 tbsp finely chopped tomato

- 1 tbsp finely chopped cucumber

- 1 tbsp finely chopped raw mango

- 1/4 tsp chat masala

- 1 tsp lemon juice (optional if mango available)

- 1 tbsp churmur/பொரி or bhel mix

- Salt to taste (optional)

Prep time: 15 mins         Cook time: 10 mins

Preparation:

- Pressure cook the groundnuts, with salt added, to 2 whistles.

- On cooling, open the cooker and break open the groundnuts to remove the outer shell. This process takes about 10 mins.

- To the boiled nuts, add the chopped onions, tomato, cucumber, raw mango, chat masala and salt if needed. Mix all together.

- Finally add the churmur or bhel mix and coriander. Give them a toss and serve immediately.

- Tasty, tangy peanut masala is ready to eat!

Foot note:

- If you do not have fresh groundnuts, you could use the peeled peanuts too. Soak them in water for 5-6 hours and pressure cook them for about 8-10 whistles.

- If you add chopped raw mango, do not add lemon juice as it will make the snack too sour.

- You could add chilli powder too if you like more spice

Dahi Batata Puri

Last nite i made dahi batata puri and pani puri for dinner at home...as they say, necessity is the mother of invention....Manchester, CT has the most lousy Indian restaurant.....even a novice would make better food and chat but they scrape through by the generosity of all the bachelors and spinsters who don't mind any crap to cooking by themselves...:-)

Well, i posted the pic of dahi puri on my FB page and there has been so many comments and likes to it which i deftly did'nt expect...am sure, someone would next ask me for the recipe...so, here goes the same...

Preparation time: 25 mins Cooking time: Nil Makes 2 Plates

Ingredients:

12 puris (i used store bought but can be made at home too)

1 big potato boiled, peeled and mashed

1/4 cup teekha pudina chutney (spice)

1/2 cup meetha chutney (sweet)

1 1/2 cup chilled fresh curd- beaten

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp Jeera (cumin) seeds powder (roast before powdering)

1 tsp black salt or chat masala

4 tbsp Nylon sev or thin sev

Finely chopped coriander for garnishing

For Teekha Pudina Chutney (makes 1-1/2 cups)

2 cups chopped coriander

1 cup chopped mint leaves

3-4 green chillies , roughly chopped ( can add more depending on individual spice preference)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

1/2 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)

3-4 black pepper corns

1 clove (lavang)

1" piece ginger

1tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp black salt or chat masala

Salt to taste

Combine all the above ingredients , add 1/2 cup water and blend in a mixer to a smooth paste. Use as required and store the remaining in an air-tight container in deep freezer.

For the Meetha Chutney ( makes 1 cup)

5 de-seeded dates

1 tbsp de-seeded tamarind

1 tbsp grated jaggery

1/4 tsp Chilli powder

1/2 tsp cumin seeds powder (jeera roasted and powdered)

Salt to taste

- Combine the dates, tamarind and jaggery and 1 cup of water, mix well and pressure cook 3 whistles.

- Allow steam to escape before opening the lid. Keep aside to cool.

- Blend in a mixer to a smooth paste and strain using a strainer.

- If the paste is too thick to strain, add 1/2 cup water to make it lighter and easier to strain.

- Add 1 or 1/2 cup of water depending on the consistency preferred( do not add if added prior to straining) and then add the chilli powder, salt and jeera powder and mix well.

- Use as required and store the remaining in air-tight container in a deep freezer.

To make Dhai batata puri:

- Crack a small hole in the center of the puris and arrange 6 puris in a plate

- Stuff each puri with 1/2 tbsp of potato and top with 1 tsp teekha pudina chutney and 1/2 tbsp of meetha chutney and 2 tbsp of curd

- Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of chilli powder, 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds powder, 1/2 tsp of chat masala and 2 tbsp of sev evenly over the puris

- Serve immediately garnished with coriander.

- Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make one more plate

Note: You could add some salt, chilli powder and chat masala to the boiled potato while mashing it, to get some added flavor on it...

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