Pav Bhaji - The classic mumbai chat item

My husband loves to eat chat items whether it is on the streets or in a restaurant setting such as Kalyan Bhel in Pune. His love of chat is definitely rubbed off to my kids who love eating any type of chat item, you name it (Pani puri, Bhel Puri, Vada Pav, Pav bhaji, Misal Pav, Aloo tikki, Papdi chat),  that too from a road side vendor - with Pani Puri and Bhel Puri being their favorites.

Pav (type of bread similar to burgen bun) is available in every corner bakery store in Pune is essential to this recipe. The bhaji is a spicy mix of potatoes, onion and tomatoes - quite simple to make. I used to use Burger buns when I was in US instead of Pav, and it used to be a hit among my friends during social gatherings.. especially in Madison..So here you go.. the classic Chat of Mumbai..

Pav Bhaji
Ingredients
Onion - 2 (finelly chopped)
Tomatoes - 5-6
Boiled peas - 1 cups
Boiled potatoes - 4-5 medium size
1/2 cup Coriander leaves - finely chopped
Pav Bhaji Masala (Everest): 2-3 tbsp
OR
Garam Masala - 1-2 Tbsp
Oil - 3-4 Tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Directions

Heat oil and add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds, once they sputter, add the onions and let it saute for 2-3 min until brown.
Add tomatoes, and masala powder and let it mix well with the mix
Add the chilli powder and salt and let it cook until oil slicks out. Add the peas and the potatoes and mash them well in the mix with a flat spatula. Let the entire mix cook for 5-10 min in low heat. Add water if needed to bring a thick gravy consistency. Serve hot with Pav (slightly grilled in butter) after garnishing on top with chopped onion and cilantro leaves.

Creamy Tomato Pasta - Home style

Pasta is a favorite amongst my kids. They have grown up eating plain cooked and salted pasta (various shapes and colors) since childhood as it was a nutritious alternate to Rice and could be eaten on their own without me feeding it to them.

Back in India, I found couple of stores (some are chains) that provide Pasta at premium prices, directly imported from Italy or US. In comparison to Indian snack or meal options, Pasta is quite costly (4x).  For example: Poha or Suji (Rava) is  30 Rs. per Kg, Pasta is 110-125 Rs per 0.5 kg. However, I spoil my kids sometimes by giving them Pasta dish. When ever they hear that's for dinner,  they shout a Yay! and the good part is I send left overs as lunch option as their school allows it where as Pizza is completely prohibited.

Since I started writing the blog, I have been interested in turning my meals into masterpieces (well, atleast I try) - all homemade. So, this time instead of using a Pasta sauce from outside, I decided to make my own. Also, since kids love cheese, I added cheese into the sauce and made it creamy. It was a very quick fix meal and everyone including the adult in my family loved it..

Creamy tomato Pasta
 
Ingredients
500 g Pasta (any type)
1-2 of Onion
4-5 cloves garlic
1 Kg Tomatoes
1 Tbsp - Italian herb mix
1 tsp - Black Pepper
4-5 Slices of Processed cheese
1/4 cup milk 
4 Tbsp Extra Virgin oil
1 Tbsp Red chilli flakes (optional for heat)
salt to taste

Directions

Cook pasta in hot water with salt for 10-20 min (as directed in pack) and strain it in cold water - Keep it aside. In another pan, heat oil, and garlic, onion and green pepper. Once sauteed, add chopped tomatoes, spices and salt and cook until the tomatoes are very soft. Squash them into a fine paste. Add Cheese and let it melt in the sauce to a nice cream. If the sauce is too thick, you can add milk instead of water. Let the mix get cooked well in low heat for 10 min. Add the pasta and mix it well with Creamy tomato sauce. Serve hot with Garlic bread (Bread with sprinkled garlic and toasted on flat pan with butter or in oven).

Enjoy!

Spicy Eggplant Stew

Need something quick to make as a side dish? Well, here is a recipe that has the Italian flavor (of course we need to add garlic) and is good addition to a meal.

Spicy Eggplant Stew - The Little Big Vegetarian Book - Page 454
1 kg Eggplant cut into big chunks
500 g tomatoes - coarsely chopped
5 tbsp extra virgin oil
4 cloves garlic - finely chopped
1 tbsp sweet paprika (can substitute with red hot chilli powder)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ground black pepper,
1 lemon (juice) and salt to taste


Steam the eggplants over large pot of boiling water for 20 min, until tender. Alternatively, you could cook the eggplants with the tomatoes so you retain the nutrient that is lost in water.

Cook the tomatoes with the oil, garlic, paprika, cumin and pepper in saucepan over medium heat for 20 min. Season with salt (add the egg plants with tomatoes - alternative), Cook for 15-20 min until all vegetables are tender. Drizzle with lemon juice and oil and serve hot with Rice.