Paav Bhaji

 Paav Bhaji is the most famous street food that you can see in almost every street in Mumbai. Go to any street fast food, paav bhaji is sure to stand out as a main item in the chaat menu. Spiced up potatoes and vegetables, simmered in butter and some spices, served with pav buns has been a favorite road side food for many many decades.

In Mumbai households I have seen that houses receive one pack of Paav everyday along with a bottle of milk and the morning newspaper. So paav is part of everyday meal over there just like idli/dosa for the Tamil people I guess. Paav means "a small bun", while Bhaaji means "vegetable". Paav Bhaji is so wholesome you can have it as a meal.




Ingredients:

• Potatoes,boiled and mashed 4 medium
• Tomatoes,chopped 4 medium
• Onions,chopped         2 medium
• Carrots,chopped,boiled       1 medium
• Green capsicum,chopped deseeded 1 medium
• Green peas,shelled, boiled 1/4 cup
• Ginger-garlic paste       1 tablespoon
• Cumin seeds         1 teaspoon
• Oil 3 tablespoons
• Green chillies,chopped 3-4
• Pav bhaji masala 1 1/2 tablespoons
• Salt to taste
• Butter 3 tablespoons
• Pav 8
• Fresh coriander leaves,chopped 1/4 cup
• Lemons,cut into wedges 2

Method:

For the bhaji:

Heat the butter and oil in a kadhai and add the cumin seeds.
When the seeds crackle, add the chilli-garlic paste and green chilliesand sauté on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add 3/4th chopped onions and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
Add the capsicum and sauté for 1 more minute.
Add the tomatoes and carrots and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, mash well using a potato masher.
Add the salt, pav bhaji masala, chilli powder and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the green peas, potatoes, mix well and cook along with 1/3 cup of water for 1 to 2 minutes, while mashing it with the help of a masher.
Add the coriander, mix well and cook for 1 minute.

For the pav:

Slit 2 pavs vertically and keep aside.

Heat a large tava, add 2 tsp of butter and slit open the pavs and place on it.

Cook on a medium flame till they turn light brown and crisp on both the sides. (add more butter if required).

How to serve:

Place ¼th of hot bhaji, 2 pavs, ¼ cup of onions, a lemon wedge and a papad on a plate.

Top the bhaji with 1 tsp of butter and serve immediately garnished with 1 tsp of coriander.

Mangai Thokku

Mangai Thokku is a very easy to make pickle. We got introduced to this recipe when we spent time in Tamil Nadu. I have not heard of this recipe atleast from the Keralites. But this is an awesome dish and goes with most of the rice varieties in particular the curd rice. 

I usually make this with what I call as "Salem Manga" or the famously called kilimookku manga. And I feel Salem Mango is the best suited for this pickle. This tangy and spicy pickle lasts for about a month if refrigerated. This statement I got from my mom because at my place it never lasts for more than a week.

Ingredients:
Salem Manga - 2 (appr 500 grams)
Turmeric Powder - 10 grams
Chilly powder - 50 grams
Salt - 2 tsp

For Tempering:
Oil – 2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Asafoetida – a big pinch

Dry roast and grind:
Fenugreek Seeds – ½ tsp

Method

• Wash and peel the mangoes. Cut into small pieces. You can even grate the mangoes. I prefer grating...
• Heat a Kadai with oil. Temper with mustard seeds. Add asafoetida.
• Next add the mango pieces and turmeric powder and salt.
• Saute on medium flame, till the mango pieces are almost cooked.
• Now add the chilli powder and sauté for some more time or till you see oil on the sides. The pickle will leave the sides of the kadai and become a whole mass.
• Remove from heat.
• Dry roast fenugreek seeds and powder with the help of a mortar and pestle.
• Finally add this fenugreek powder and mix well.
• Cool completely and store in airtight containers.
• Tastes best when served with curd rice

Note: Some people also add little bit of jaggery to this. Since the type of mango used here is not so sour, I generally avoid this.

Home made Mixture

Phew!!! What a hectic time I have these days.... And no time to visit blog... Of course in times like this writing a blog takes the least priority... So least a priority that I didn't even notice that my blog has crossed 10,000 views... Well thanks a million to my readers who keep visiting my blog even though I don't update regularly. I will try my best to regularly update.

Now over to the recipe. It was a tough thing to choose what to post today since I have some 20 recipes in my backlog to be posted. Well I rounded on a crunchy snack - mixture which my mom usually makes around Diwali time. This is a wonderful snack and we never tire of eating this. Mixture is also a very good accompaniment to sambar, rasam or curd rice.



Now Mixture as the name goes is mixture of various items. Some of which I have posted earlier. Many people think making mixture at home is a tedious task. But I will not say it is tedious. Little time consuming - yes!! But then in my case after spending around 1.5 hours I made about 1.25 kgs of mixture which stayed for about 2 weeks. Worth the effort right?



Ingredients:

Besan - 600 grams
Beaten rice (Aval/poha) - 50 grams
Fried gram (pottu kadalai) - 100 grams
Peanuts - 50 grams
Curry leaves handful
Oil for frying
Salt and chilli powder for taste



Method:

Make Khara omapodi as given here with about 200 grams of besan.

Make Khara bhoondi as given here with about 200 grams of besan.

Make Khara Sev as given here with about 200 grams of besan.

• With above 3 we have actually completed the time consuming task.
• Crush the omapodi, and khara sev and keep it aside.
• Heat one spoon of oil in a kadai. Add fried gram (pottu kadalai) and fry for about 5 minutes and keep it aside.
• In the same kadai, add one more spoon of oil and fry the poha (aval) for about 5 minutes. 
• In the same kadai, add 2 spoons of oil and fry groundnuts until they turn brown in colour.
• Dry roast the curry leaves and powder them.
• Now mix everything together and sprinkle a little salt and chilli powder on it. Mix well again. There are no hard and fast rules regarding measurements though I have given it approximately. If you like boondi more, you can add more of that. Likewise if you like omapodi (sev) more,then you can add that more.

Enjoy mixture with a hot cup of tea!!!