Repost -Pav Bhaji

I'm making a repost today. This is being sent for the 15 minute cooking event conducted by Mahima
Mumbai is known for its street food as it is for Bollywood. I have visited Mumbai once, on a school excursion, and have a vivid memory of all the yummy street food availabe there. Gol gappas( pani puri), vada pav, pav bhaji etc.

Once, I heard Anthony Bourdain, famous chef and Tv personality, remark on a Tv show, that he expected all the politicians, street vendors and other citizens to break into song and dance, out of the blue, on the streets (like in Indian movies) when he visited Mumbai. But, it didn't happen. He was disappointed at that, but, the street food did not disappoint, he said. That's fair enough.

Pav bhaji is the number one street food in Mumbai and soon catching up in other states as well. Pav means bread and bhaji means vegetable gravy. It is Indian fast food and mind you- a very healthy version compared to it's american counterparts. Now, how many fast foods can boast of that? I have heard that it is also called the - Indian sloppy joe.

Always makes as a meal in itself. It is a great way to get your kids to eat their veggies. The homemade version of this dish may never taste as authentic as the style in which the street vendors make it. But, it, defintely, is a more hygienic preparation and the flavors come close.
This food is worth every minute you spend making it.
Prep time - 20-25 mins
Ingredients:(serves 2-3)

• Potatoes- 2 large( peeled and cut)
• Carrots - 2 ( chopped)
• Beans - 10 ( cut)
• Cauliflower florets - 1/2 cup
• Peas - 1 cup
• Capsicum( green pepper) - 1 small( diced)
• Onions - 1 medium (diced)
• Tomato - 1 (diced)
• Pav bhaji masala - 2 tspns (click here to see recipe)
• Cumin powder - 1 tspn
• Garam masala - 3/4 tspn
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn
• Paprika powder - 1 tspn ( substitute with kashmiri chilli powder)
• Chilli powder- to taste
• Ginger - garlic paste- 1 tspn
• Oil - 2 tbspns
• Salt - to taste
• Chopped coriander leaves - 3 tbsps
• Butter - 1 tspn (optional)
• Wedges of lemon and chopped onion -to garnish

Directions:

• Boil the carrots, beans, peas, cauliflower and potatoes with little salt. Drain the vegetable and save the stock(stock is the water in which the vegetables were boiled)
• Heat oil in a sauce pan.
• Add onions and saute till translucent.
• Reduce heat to medium and add ginger-garlic paste. Saute for about 3 mins.
• Add the pav bhaji masala, turmeric powder, paprika powder, chilli powder and garam masala. Saute for 5-6 mins. Add tomato, capsicum and 3-4 tbspns of the vegetable stock( which was saved earlier) and cover and cook for 3-4 mins.
• Add the necessary salt.( remember that the vegetables were cooked with salt earlier so add salt accordingly)
• Add cumin powder and stir.
• Add the boiled vegetables and mash with a potato masher.Mix well. Add 4-5 tbspns or more vegetable stock to this mixture till you get bhaji which is semi-solid.( it should not be too thick nor too dilute). Stir well till the masala is mixed well with the bhaji.
• Cook on low flame for 2 mins.
• Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with some chopped onions, coriander leaves and a blob of butter and a wedge of lemon.
• Serve hot with pav( bread).

I forgot to add onions to my bhaji garnish while taking snap shots. I realised it only after I wiped my plate clean :)
Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha