Pav Bhaji

When I left India with me came one big carton of different masalas. Among them was one pack of Pav Bhaji Masala. I never tried making pav Bhaji back in India because in every nook and corner of any street you will find these Gaadiwala's or Fast food corner who are expert in making Pav Bhajis. But here...No such luck!!! So with the help of my mom on phone and direction from my hubby here some how I managed to pull it out. And this happened some 10 months back and that 1 pack of Pav Bhaji Masala got over loooooooong time ago. Till now I have lost the count of times we have cooked Pav Bhaji as our special treat for weekends. Now I can say that I too can compete with other Gaadiwala's when it comes to Pav Bhaji;)
Here is the recipe for making Pav Bhaji. You may have to go to a nearby Asian Indian store to get the 'Pav Bhaji Masala' that is the special spice to bring the flavor (Masala means spice). Pav is actually the buns. Bhaji is the vegetables cooked with spice.

Yummyyy...Pav Bhaji

Ingredients:
10 Pav (breads)
2 Large Potatoes
1/2 cup Green Peas
2 Carrots
1/4 Cauliflower
1/2 cup Beans
3 big tomatoes
2 Onions
1 big Capsicum
1/2 tbsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tbsp Red chilli Powder
50 gms Butter
2 tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala
1/2 tbsp Dhania/coriander Pwder
Salt and sugar to taste

Grind together:
2 Green Chillies
1/2 inch Ginger
6 flakes of Garlic

Pav Bhaji

Method:
Cut carrots, cauliflower and beans into small pieces and pressure cook with green peas.
Peel the cooked potatoes and mash.
Melt butter into a shallow pan, season with Jerra/cumin seeds.
Add onions and fry till it turns golden brown.
To this add ground masala and fry.
Mix finely chopped tomatoes and fry till it is mashed properly.
Add mashed potatoes, chopped capsicum, other cooked vegetables, salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, dhania powder, pav bhaji masala and little sugar.
Pour just enough water to make it into thick garvy.
take two laddles or masher and mash the vegetables with then thouroughly when it is boiling.
when the garvy becomes thick remove from flame and serve hot with garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

To serve:
Cut pav/bun horizontally into half.
Apply butter and heat on tawa.
Put little masala inside and serve with little more masala on its side.
Serve finely chopped onions and lime pieces as accompaniments.

All time fav-Pav Bhaji

Masala Dosa

One thing which I missed the most during my hostel days was Big M...Yup, its my Mom's speciality dish...the crispy, tasty, wonderful Masala Dosa. My mom is the best cook(better than MTR:) when it comes to masala dosa. Everytime I went home on short leave from hostel, I was always embraced with big hug from mom and big plate of Masala dosas. For me its a King of all Dosas. I can never match the special taste of mom's cooking but I'm getting used to cooking well for my standards:) Here is my humble recipe for preparing quick and easy and also tasty masala dosa. Oh...I got the big thumbs-up from my Hubby too;)

Masala Dosa with Red Chutney

Ingredients:
For Dosa:
2 cups Rice
3/4 cup Urad Dal
1/4 cup Moong Dal(Green Gram)
2 tbsp Methi Seeds
1/2 cup Poha
Salt to taste

For Poato Curry/Bhaji:
1 big Onion, sliced thinly
3 medium Potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed
1 inch chopped Ginger
1 tsp Termaric Powder
2 Green Chillies, slit
Fresh chopped Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
For Seasoning:
1 tbsp Mustard
1 tbsp Urad Dal
2-3 Dry Red Chillies
Few Curry leaves
Pinch of Hing

For Red Chutney:
1/2 cup Coconut
1/2 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
2-3 Dry Red Chillies
1/2 inch Ginger
1/2 tsp Tarmarind Paste
Salt to taste

Masala Dosa

Method:
For Red Chutney:
Grind all the ingredients in a mixi/food processor to smooth paste adding enough water and keep it aside.

Dosa with Red Chutney

For Potato Bhaji/Curry:
Take little oil in a pan and add all seasoning ingredients and fry till it starts spluttering.
To this add sliced onions and chopped ginger and cook till onions turn translucent.
Add slit chillies, mashed potatoes, salt and little water and mix them well.
To this add termaric powder and chopped coriander leaves and cook for 2-3 minutes mixing well.
Remove the pan from gas and keep it aside.

Dosa with Potato Bhaji

For Dosa:
Soak rice, urad dal, moong dal and methi in water for 4-5 hours or over night.
Grind all the ingredients with Poha, salt and enough water to smooth paste.
Its recommended to keep this batter to stand overnight.
Next day heat the tava/pan and put little ghee/cooking oil.
Spread the batter on tava and spread the red chutney evenly.
Cook it till the dosa turns brown and crispy.
Add a tsp of Ghee on top of it and a 2 tbsp of Potato bhaji/curry.
Fold the dosa in middle and serve hot.

Crispy Masala Dosa ready to serve

Gobi/Cauliflower Uttappa

Dosa and idli are the main breakfast dishes in South India. Uttappa is another version of dosa with your choice of vegetable topping. When I was a kid Amma used to make it for me and my sis with all 2 big eyes, button nose and 100 watt smile with different vegetables and they used to be our favourite tiffin item to school. It not only used to be a big hit among our friends but also a very nutritive food highly rich in proteins. Its good for growing children and people of all age low fat nutritive food for calorie conscious and diet freeks.

Gobi Uttappa served with Tomato Cutney

Ingredients:
1 cup Raw Rice
1 cup Par Boiled Rice
1/4 cup Dehusked Black gram
1 tbsp Red gram Dal
1/2 tbsp Fenugreek/Methi seeds
Salt to Taste.
Few Cauliflower florets, chopped finely

Gobi Uttappa

Method:
Soak all ingredients in water for 3-4 hours.
Grind then to smooth paste adding salt and enough water.
Allow to ferment till next day.
Heat a tawa/pan and spread a laddle full of batter into thick circle.
Sprinkle finely chopped cauliflower on top evenly.
Cook both sides in medim flame till they turn golden brown.
Serve hot with sambhar/chutney/pickle.

Onion Uttappa

Here is another way of making uttappam with urad and moong dal. I have used onion for Topping. You can also try using grated carrots, cauliflower, tomatoes etc.

Onion Uttappa served with Green Tarmarind Pickle

Ingredients:
2 cups Rice
1 cup Urad dal
3 tbsp Moong dal (yellow dal)
2 tbsp grated Coconut
1" ginger
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 green chilli, chopped finely
salt to taste

Onion Uttappa

Method:
Soak urad dal and half ground moong dal in water overnight or in warm water for 2 hours.
Grind the soaked daal with grated coconut, ginger, salt and water to smooth batter.
Heat the tava/pan and put little ghee/cooking oil.
Spread the batter on tava and add chopped onion and chillies on top of uttappa immediately.
Cook it till brown on bothsides applying oil.
Serve hot with any chutneys or pickles of your choice.

Rava Uppittu/Upma

Uppittu is a very common breakfast item in south India. They are usually prepared with semolina. Mom always used to make Upma with Avalakki.They are like ever bonded twins.
There are various ways of making upma and ofcourse im posting the recipe which I learnt from my mom. You can use couscous or vermicelli instead of semolina.

Rava Uppittu

Ingredients:
2 cups Rava
4-5 cups water
2 large onion chopped
2-4 green chilies sliced
1 inch piece of grated ginger
1 cup vegetables (carrots, green peas, green beans)
Asafoetida
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp urad dal
3 tsp oil
1 lemon
Salt to taste

Ingredients

Method:
Dry roast the rava with little ghee or oil until you can smell the aroma but don't let it burn.
Heat the oil in a thick saucepan.
Add the mustard seeds and after they pop add the urad dal.
When it turns slightly brown add green chilies and onion and saute till it softens.
Add the vegetables and saute some more.
Add 4 cups of water, salt and hing.
When the water boils add the rava while stirring constantly.
After 2 or 3 min, cover the pan and cook over a low flame for 7 minutes.
Serve hot or warm.

Upma

Tip:
Use couscous/vermicelli instead of Rava as shown above