Pav Bhaji

Chats are my all time favourites. I can never say no to chats be it any time of the day. Hyderabad is a place wherein you find a chat bhandar in every nook and corner. pani puri, dahi puri, samosa ragda wow so many. I do not want to think of them now as i am obsessed to the taste of chats. I feel that the best chat is available only in the road side bandis.

This weekend I made pav-bhaji. Pav bhaji tastes great, healthy and satiates your appetite well. When i used to enjoy this in India i never knew how they made this. Rather I should say I never thought of how it was made. Later when I learned the recipe, I felt it was very simple and easy to make even for a starter in cooking.
Lets see how to prepare simple tasty pav bhaji.

Ingredients:


Potatoes, 2 medium sized, peeled and cut into small pieces
Shredded Cabbage, 1 cup
Carrot, 6 inches long, cut into small pieces
Shredded Green pepper, 1/2 cup
Onion, 1 medium sized, cut into small pieces
Tomato, 1 medium sized, cut into small pieces
Ginger garlic paste, 1 tbsp
Pav-bjahi masala, 3 tbsp (You can use any brand, I used Badshah)
Red chilli powder, 2 tsp
Dhania powder, 1tsp
Jeera powder, 1/2 tsp
Oil, 4 tbsp
Butter, 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:

Pressure cook Potatoes, cabbage and carrot in about 5 cups of water. You need not take pain to count the whistles, softer the better. Allow it to cool and mash them into smooth paste and keep them aside. Do not drain the water.

Now take a big kadai and add oil and heat it for a minute. Add the ginger garlic paste and onion pieces. Fry for a minute and then add the shredded green peppers and tomatoes pieces. Mix them well and cover with a lid. After 5 minutes add the pav-bhaji masala, red chilli powder, dhania powder, jeera powder and salt. Place the lid and fry for 5 minutes on low flame. This will allow the vegetables absorb the flavor well. Now mix the mashed vegetables, mix well and cover the lid and cook for at lest 20 minutes on a medium flame. Make sure you place the lid on the kadai otherwise it will scatter all over the stove and you need to clean the big mess later. Mix it once in a while so that it is cooked evenly. Once you see the thick and even consistency turn off the stove. Finally add the butter on top of the curry and place the lid. Your bhaji is ready.

The other part is toasting the pav. The pav is good when it is hot. So you can make them once the curry is done. You can buy the pav from any indian store or hot breads chain. If it is not available you can use butter or potato rolls from any american food store. Cut the pavs into halves. Heat a pan and fry the pav on both sides until they turn brown. Use a small amount of butter or margarine for frying. Now your pav bhaji is ready. Serve it hot with small onion pieces and few coriander leaves. Add few drops of lemon to the onions for great taste.