Being a big foodie, shifting to the US (or as I call it...the Land of Cream and Cheese) had some wonderfully yummy things to offer on which I have been gorging upon in the last 7 months. I should pause here briefly to thank my dearest hubby who is a HUGE help in controlling my cravings and food desires. Without him, I am not sure how much harm I would have done to myself by indulging into all the treats that are available here. All that aside, I think the multiculturalism here has exposed my taste buds to some delicious cuisines which were either unavailable or scarce back in India (not saying that there's a dearth of cuisine variety there....but it's always great to explore the tastes of the world :o) ), some of which have become hot favorites of mine (that includes Ethiopian and Lebanese). But time and again my heart (or should I say taste buds!!... ) craves for our very own desi chatpata yummy street food. Chaat, golgappe, aloo tikki, bhelpuri, pakoras, samosa.....what is life without them?! Sigh!!!
I know I know many of you will say "but there are so many indian restaurants here too that serve them" or "you can always make them at home" ...blah blah blah..... Yes, I know. But, unfortunately my city does not have a single indian restaurant which I can call "authentic" that serves mouth watering desi food...what a pity :o(
As for making them at home, yes I can and I do too............, but everyone agrees on the fact that "sadak ke kinare stalls pe khade hokar khaane mein mazaa hi kuch aur hai". I went to a hot-air balloon race the other day here which had the full atmosphere of a "mela" complete with stalls (selling pizza and popcorn and hot dogs)....all that was missing was the kala-khatta stand, the nimbu-lemon banta stand, the chana-jor garam stand, the jhaal-muri stand and...and....and....and I can go on.,..but you get my point :o)
So whenever I get some time on my hands and my heart craves for desi street food my kitchen becomes the most heavenly place on earth.
This weekend, I attended my first pot-luck dinner party in the US which was great fun. Loads of yummy food and good company...altogether an evening of fun. My contribution to the party.....the utterly butterly delicious Pav Bhaji (how could I let go of an opportunity to feed people some awesome indian street food) ........ and it turned out lip-smacking good. It is one of the easiest things to make and almost impossible to screw up.
Here's my take on the recipe for anyone who's interested.
(This recipe is for approximately 15 servings)
Ingredients:
Potatoes - 4 large size (or 6 normal size)
Onions - 1 cup diced
Tomatoes - 2 medium sized
Tomato puree - 1 cup
Mixed vegetables (cauliflower, peas, capsicum, carrots) - 3 cups
Green chillies - 2-3
Ginger Garlic paste - 3tsp
Pav bhaaji masala, salt and red chilli powder to taste
Oil
Butter
Fresh coriander leaves
Lemons - 2
Preparation:
Boil, skin and mash the potatoes and keep aside.
For the mixed vegetables, you can either boil them all in hot water till they soften or microwave them for 5-7 mins, or pressure cook them for 1 quick whistle or dice them all finely and cook in the pan used for making pav bhaji. All methods work fine, whichever is most convenient at that point of time. This time I sliced the capsicum thinly, grated the cauliflower and softened frozen peas in the microwave. I did away with the carrots as they were out of stock ;)
Method:
Heat a little oil in a big pan and add the diced onions.
Saute till golden brown in color and then add sliced green chillies and ginger-garlic paste to it. Stir fry for another minute or so.
Add the chopped capsicum and green peas. At this point, add the salt which will help the veggies to cook.
When the veggies are a little soft, add in the grated cauliflower and diced tomatoes. Cover the pan and cook till they are tender.
When the veggies are tender, mash them with either a wooden ladle or a masher. They need not be a total paste and some chunks feel good in the bhaji.
At this point, add in the boiled mashed potatoes and mix thoroughly. Add some water if necessary to maintain a thick gravy-like consistency. Also pour in the tomato puree for the rich color and taste.
Add red chilli powder and pav bhaji masala now. Do not be stingy with the pav bhaji masala. It does give the most wonderful aroma and taste. Many people make their own masala, but in these busy times, the MDH masala works well for me. You may try your own favorite brand, whatever works.
Mix thoroughly and cook on low heat for a while till all ingredients have formed a nice uniform thick consistency, keep adding water in between if necessary, it boils off very soon to return your consistency.
Finish with adding a dollop of butter (it gives it its nice smooth taste). For the health conscious, use light margarine (P.S I recommend butter but smaller helpings to keep calories low and taste high ! ).
Pav bhaji is ready.........well almost. Before serving, garnish with chopped coriander leaves, more finely diced onions and squeeze some lemon juice.
We do not get authentic "pav" here in my city, so we had to make do with burger buns (white or whole wheat, its your choice), a reasonable substitute. Heat them on a griddle with a little butter rubbed on both sides to give it a golden crispiness.
Enjoy the scrumptious dish as a snack, lunch, dinner, whatever!!! ....anytime..anywhere :o)
Happy cooking!
Looks awesome!
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