Vada Pav/ Batata vada /Deep fried potato patties sandwiched in a bun

My family is HOOKED on to this Maharashtrian quintessential staple snack & also food for some- Vada Pav! ! We never seem to get enough of this  on our trips to India and honestly no matter how hard you try the flavor can never be replicated :(

Our summer breaks as kids were always my paternal place which is Pune and this used to be the most awaited time of the year for me and my siblings as we would get to spend 2 months with our cousins and uncles and aunts and I remember it as being the most pampered time of the year. Also the train journey from Ajmer to Pune    used to be a major attraction, every station the train made stops at would come alive with the local vendors and stalls which would sell the local delights and the never ending calls by the tea vendors ,"Chaiiiiiiii Chaiiiiiiiii Chaiiiiiii" at every stop are vivid and etched in my fondest memories and the images come up even as I write this. I was always the ,"curious kid" and enjoyed every nuance of this 36 hours  train journey and watched people very closely and waited anxiously for all the excitement to unfold as the train moved and we kept getting closer to our destination. One such stop which the entire family looked forward to was Karjat a city which is located half way between Mumbai and Pune and is the most popular place for Vada Pav aficionados. The vadas sold here at the Karjat station are usually small in size compared to the regular ones which are sold all over Maharashtra. They are always piping hot and I believe they start to fry them just before the arrival of the trains so the timing is perfect too. Apart from these I really don't think they are any different from the regular fair but again it is the ambiance and all the,"halla gulla" and the never ending queus at the vada  pav stall that make these ,"extra special":) !

I could have not completed this post without a mention of this train journey,as this was a huge part of my growing up years and  also the reason behind my fetish for vada pav which stays till date and even now the first thing when we are flying to India the first stop we make while driving from Mumbai to Pune is Lonavala the first place before the Mumbai pune expressway begins ,which sells excellent vada pavs and is open 24/7 and is packed with travelers no matter what time of the day it is.

Manasi was home for Thanksgiving break and we had gone to recieve her at the airport and I wanted to surprise her with something exciting , and I made these for the car ride back home. I had also packed them in a news paper( for once I did not want to think about the news paper ink) to give it that authentic feel. She got in the car and said she was hungry and I asked her to pull out the packet from the bag in the back seat , she was amused with the newspaper packaging but went ahead and squealed with hungry excitement on finding out what lay inside the drab newspaper packet.She did not waste any time in niceties and devoured her most favorite snack and gave a ," Thumbs-up" :)

I have browsed through innumerable recipes and also tried many at different occasions with my siblings but this recipe is as close as it can get  to the Vada pavs from Karjat,Mumbai and Pune :) The secret ingredient is Rice flour,it just binds well with the gram flour and lends that extra bit of crunch  to the vada.

So this one is for all the,"Mumbaikars & Puneites" let us all relive and revive the,"vada Pav" days and for those of you who have not yet tried this absolute addiction please do and I promise you will ask for more as the  saying goes," yeh dil maange more"!

Here's what you will need to make these:
Ingredients For the potato masala:


1. Potatos 2 big boiled,peeled and mashed
2.Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
3. Ginger paste: 1 tbsp
4. Garlic one flake chopped fine
5. cilantro chopped - 4 tbsp
6. salt acc: to taste
7. garam masala: tip of the tsp
8. turmeric: 1/4th tsp
9. deghi mirch: 1 tsp
10: Green chili 1 chopped fine
11: asfoetida: a pinch




Ingredients for the batter:


Gram Flour: 100 gms
rice flour: 15 gms roughly 3 tbsp
baking soda/soda bicarb: a pinch (too much of it will end up in vadas absorbing more oil)
Degi Mirch: 1/4 tsp
salt: acc: to taste
Asfoetida: a pinch
warm water: 1/2 cup or as needed to make the batter which is not thin or runny but more like the pancake batter.


Oil for deep frying the vadas and some separately for making the boiled potato masala


Method:


1.Take a kadai/pan and add 3 tbsp oil. 
2. when hot add asfoetida ,ginger paste,green chili and garlic along with all the dry spices.
3. Keep the mashed potato ready and add this quickly so the masala does not burn. At this stage you can turn off the flame,as the masalas get cooked in the hot oil.
4. Now mix the mashed potatoes well so that all the spices are evenly distributed.
5. when the aloo/potato masala has cooled down.take small portions of it and make lemon sized balls and keep them aside.
6. take the prepared batter and beat it well,meanwhile take the oil in the frying pan and keep it on high flame as you want the oil to be very hot.
7. once the oil has become very hot,reduce the fame to slow as you don't want the vadas to get browned quickly on the outside and runny or not cooked well on the inside.
8. take the lemon sized balls of potato masala and dip them in the gram flour batter and put them in the fryer one by one or two at a time depending on how many the pan and you can handle . Flip them over in between and fry them evenly
9. remove from the fryer and put them on a paper towel.
10. serve them with green chili and garlic and peanut powder( available in Indian grocery store)




Note:  Maintain the temperature of the oil, you can increase the flame every now and then.


Method for green chilly served the authentic way


Take long green chilis and make slits in the centre.
take a frying pan and add very little oil just about 1 tsp,and saute the green chilis in this oil for 2 minutes or till the blisters start to appear on the chilis( small white patches) sprinkle salt on these.
Turn off the gas and cover the pan quickly  so that the chilis get soft in the steam.


For the pav:
You can buy the potato buns or the authentic pavs from the Indian grocery store.

Tricolor Idli's to Celebrate India's Republic Day !

Ingredients:

For Idli:

• One cup Sooji (Rava/Semolina)

• 2 tablespoon plain Yogurt

• 2 tablespoon Spinach paste 0r Pureed Green peas

• 2 tablespoon Carrot Puree

• 1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• Salt (according to taste)

Method:

1. Divide one cup sooji/rava/semolina into three equal portions in three separate containers.

2. Mix yogurt with little water and beat for 2-3 minutes.

3. In the first container of sooji, add carrot puree, salt and 1/2 tsp baking powder. The batter should be to the consistency of neither too thin nor too thick.

4. In the second container, add yogurt, salt and 1/2 tsp baking powder. Mix well.

5. In the third container, add spinach paste, salt and 1/2 tsp baking powder. Mix well.

6. All the three batters should be of the same consistency.

7. Lightly oil Idli trays with spray cooking oill.

8. Prepare idli steamer by preheating water to a boil 

9. Pour half teaspoon from each batter side by side carefully into the idli mold.

10. As soon as you finish filling all the molds, put the idli stand into the steamer.

11. Place a tight lid on the steamer and steam idlis for 15 minutes on medium heat.

12. Remove idlis from the trays by scooping them out with a spoon. 

13. The beautiful stuffed idlis are ready.Enjoy them with green chutney or tomato ketchup or sambar:)

 I have to thank my sweet sister-in -law for thinking of me & my blog when she emailed me this recipe yesterday :) 

Note: I have used pureed green peas for this recipe.

Pav Bhaji/Bread With Mashed Masala Vegetables

Most popular and commonly found street food in India and now served in upscale restaurants as well . I was pregnant with Manasi and had huge cravings for Pav Bhaji in my 1st trimester :) It so happened that our flat in Pune was walking distance from this popular eating joint called,"Kinara" this place was very popular for its Pav Bhaji and I refused to cook anything at home then,every time I was hungry I would ask Mahir to take me to Kinara :) No wonder Manasi loves pav Bhaji,that reminds me-maybe I should take her to Kinara this time when I visit Pune,let me see what she thinks of the Pav Bhaji which she practically grew up on those first three months inside the tummy:)

I love the fact that this fun food is so simple to put together and tastes absolutely fantastic,I have yet to figure out how to prepare the pav bhaji masala at home right from scratch but meanwhile the store bought shall serve the purpose.

Here goes:
Boiled Potato: 2 medium boiled and mashed
Carrots: 2 medium sized boiled and mashed
Green peas: 1 cup boiled and mashed
tomato's: 4 medium boiled skinned and pureed
Ginger paste: 1 tsp
garlic: 1 tsp
pav bhaji Masala: 3 tbsp or to your taste
salt: 1 tsp
green chilli: 2 chopped very fine
Cilantro: 2 tbsp chopped for garnishing
onion: 2 medium sized chopped (some chopped very fine for garnishing)
Oil: 4 tbsp
Lime juice: 3 tbsp

Method:

Take a big kadai and heat oil,drop the  chopped onions in  the oil along with ginger & garlic when it turns hot ( save little for garnishing) saute the onions till they turn a nice golden color

To this add the boiled and mashed potato's and green peas and carrots.Mash these well and add the tomato puree and add the pav bhaji masala along with chopped green chillis and continue to mash this with the back of the spoon. There should be no big pieces of carrots or potatos. Cook for some more time and add salt,when ready to serve garnish with cilantro and very fine chopped onions and squeeze some lemon juice. You can also serve it with a pat of butter for lunch,dinner or even as an evening snack.

For the Pav:

Take the pav and brush some butter on the griddle , when hot heat the pav on both sides and let these turn a little brown on the edges. Serve with bhaji :)

Biscotti's with Goji Berries & Walnuts & Chocolate Chips

One of my friends got me a box of raisin & chocolate chips biscotti's and I noticed that my daughter was religiously eating 2 every morning with a glass of milk. I knew once these were over I had to bake her a new batch and incorporate some healthier  ingredients :)  So I started surfing the net and came across Kate's recipe for pistachio cranberry biscotti's made with olive oil, it had already been rated and had super reviews.  I knew this was the one for my daughter .I just finished baking a batch of 2 dozen biscotti's and have my daughter raving about how good these are :) Mission accomplished !!!

I baked these with Goji Berries,walnuts & pistachio's . On very popular demand I also added chocolate chips ;) These turned out crispy soft  on the inside with a perfect crunchy crust and the nuts and berries add that extra nutty goodness. I am happy that my daughter now gets her share of the magic Goji Berries -The latest wonder/magic food packed with the most essential anti oxidants. Here goes the recipe :

Preparation Time: 25 minutes
cooking time: 45 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 45 minutes
Makes: 2 dozen

Ingredients:
Olive oil: 1/4 th cup ,light
3/4 cup white sugar
vanilla extract: 2 tsp
almond extract: 1/2tsp
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
eggs: 2
1/4 tsp salt
baking powder: 1 tsp
walnuts,pistachio's & Goji berries: 1 1/2 cups
Chocolate chips: 2tbsp

Method:
1. preheat oven to 300 degree f
2. In a large brown mix sugar & olive oil and mix till well blended. Mix in the vanilla & almond extract and then beat in the eggs. Combine flour,baking powder & salt; gradually add this to the egg,sugar & oil mixture. Mix the nuts and berries by hand.
3. Divide dough in half. make two logs 12 by 2 inches on a cookie sheet that has been lined by a parchment paper.Dough will be sticky so use cold water on your hands to handle it better, and then spread this on the parchment paper.
4.bake for 35 minutes in the pre-heated oven or until the logs turn a little brown. remove from oven and set them aside for 10 minutes to cool down.Then cut them diagonally into 3/4 inch slices with a sharp knife. Meanwhile turn the oven temperature to 275 degrees f.
5. Now put these slices back on the parchment paper on the cookie sheet and bake them for 10 minutes or until dry. Cool and store them in an air tight container. They store well :) enjoy them with a glass of cold milk,a cuppa hot tea or coffee.

Note: If the pistachio's are salted,then eliminate the salt from the recipe.

Jhal Muri/Spicy Puffed Rice salad

Today I am posting  a recipe of one of my favorite street food from Calcutta /West Bengal . I spent about 3 1/2 years in Haldia and visited Calcutta once every month and spent 2 days out of a month in Calcutta. I can't think of a single trip  to Calcutta when I did not eat Jhal Muri. I wonder if Jhal Muri can ever taste the way it did in Calcutta , I did get the recipe from one of the street vendor who used to make and sell jhal muri by the river side in Haldia . Every evening going for a drive by the river side and buying a,"thonga of Jhal Muri" had become a ritual I looked forward to all day :) After a while the vendor  started to call me,"bhoudi" meaning Bhabi in hindi and sister-in-law in English. For those of you who are not aware with the customs and customary things in India,this is how married women are referred to mostly in small towns  (it is considered warm & respectful )

We left Haldia for a new city in a different state, and right after we resumed normalcy in the new city,I went and bought puffed rice and made myself a big bowl of jhal muri . Till this date there are days when I get a huge craving  for jhal Muri and  for that I always try and  stock  a packet of Puffed rice at home.Most of the other ingredients this recipe calls for are used in everyday cooking :)

Ingredients:

Puffed Rice : 1 bowl the size shown in the picture
Mustard oil: 1 tsp
onion: 1/2 medium sized
Green Chilly chopped: 2
patla Sev: 2 tbsp
Boiled potato: 1/2 small pieces
Jhal Muri Masala: 1 tsp corriander seeds,1 tsp Jeera,4 dired red chilly (roasted & ground)
coconut : 4-5 tiny pieces bite size
salt: To taste
Lime or tamarind pulp : 1tbsp ( if you want a little soggy jhal Muri add more lime juice or tamarind Pulp)

Take all these ingredients  except patla sev and give them a good shake. Add chopped coriander & patla sev & enjoy jhal moori :)

Note: Mustard oil is what gives Jhal Muri its distinct flavor,so do not substitute mustard oil for any other .

Bread Rolls with potato stuffing

I am thinking aloud about old  school days when I could eat bread rolls,samosas,aloo bondas to my hearts content without  having to worry about love handles ( fat  deposit on ones waistline)When ,"calorie count"was an alien concept  and eating more was,"IN" speaking of skinny-The fad was to have some jiggle here and there;) It was considered the sign of prosperity. I remember as kids we would travel to Pune,India to meet up with our aunts & uncles once every year. After the customary greetings with my parents at the railway station,my uncle & aunts would turn to us (me & my siblings)and exclaim in bewilderment," look at you-you look so weak,someone has to just blow in your face & you would fall like a twig" Exasperated we would mutter under our breadth. We dreaded the outcome-Dad would now give us the deworming tablets- arghhh !!! Hopeful that we would get rid of the underlying problem and look more healthy(prosperous) .
That was bygone era, and  here I am-Constantly fighting with the weight :)

Here's to old times sake :)

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Makes: 8

Ingredients:
Potato: 2 large Idaho boiled and mashed
Tomato: 1 medium
peas: 2 tbsp
Cilantro: chopped 2 tbsp
green Chilly: 2 chopped
Panch phorun /fennel,fenugreek,mustard,nigella seeds 1 tsp
Salt: 1 tsp
Turmeric: 1/8 tsp
Red Pepper: 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala: 1/4 tsp
Chat Masala: 1 tsp
Anardana powder: 1/4 tsp / dried pomegranate powder
Bread slices: 8
Oil: 2 tbsp
Oil: for deep frying

Method:

Take a kadai. Heat 2 tbsp oil,when hot add the panch phorun,when it starts to splutter add chopped tomato and cook till you see oil on the edges. Now add salt turmeric,garam masala,red pepper,chat masala and anardana powder. Cook for couple minutes and add the mashed potato and along with that green chilly and peas. Mix well and let it cool.

Meanwhile take the bread slice,you can remove the edges if you like.Now dip the bread in water and instantly remove it.Press it between the palm of your hands and remove the excess water. Now add a spoonful of potato mix and fold the bread from both ends and cover the mix with the bread.Like this:

Now deep fry these bread rolls in very hot oil till golden brown. Serve with green chutney or tamarind & date chutney :) Enjoy hot !!!

Note: I was running out of cilantro and peas so you will not see nay greens in these bread rolls.

Bread rolls make an excellent evening snack with tea or breakfast .