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Vada pav

Vada pav is a famous Maharashtrian street food. It’s an Indian version of burger. Call it batata vada or bonda, it is finger licking good. Earlier vada pav was a favorite street food of a Mumbaikar, now it is eaten all over India.

Recipe of vada pav

Vada

4 big potatoes- boiled, peeled and mashed

3-4 green chillies- chopped

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Juice of a lemon

Fresh coriander leaves- chopped

Batter

1/2 cup besan (gram flour/ chickpea flour)

1 tbsp rice flour (chawal ka atta)

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp soda bicarbonate

1 tbsp oil

Oil to deep fry

5 pav or any soft, unsweetened bun

Sweet tamarind chutney (Imli chutney)

Mint coriander chutney (dhania pudina chutney)

1. In a bowl, mix potatoes with rest of the ingredients of vada. Mix well using your hands.

2. Make ping pong sized balls from this mixture.

3. In another bowl, mix all the ingredients of batter. Add water little by little, mixing with other hand, to make a thick, smooth, lump free batter.

4. In a kadhai/ wok, heat oil for deep frying. Dip potato balls in the batter so that they are well coated with the batter. Shake off excess batter.

5. Turn the heat to medium. Put these balls in the oil. Do not overcrowd the kadhai. Fry vadas from both sides by turning. Fry vada till golden brown.

6. Drain on an absorbent paper.

7. Warm the pav or bun. Slit the pav such that it is connected at the base and not separated into 2 parts.

8. Spread sweet tamarind chutney on one side and green coriander chutney on the other side of inside portion of pav.

9. Place vada inside the pav and flatten the vada a little. Similarly make other vada pav with rest of the vada and pav. Serve hot.

sabudana thalipeeth

Sabudana thalipeeth or sago chappati is a delicious fasting food which you should not miss out on. You can also have it for a breakfast or snack item whether you are fasting or not. If you like sabudana just the way I do, you can check out other sago dishes in Fasting foods category especially sabudana khichdi which also comes from Maharashtrian cuisine.

Recipe of sabudana thalipeeth

1 cup Sabudana (sago) - soaked

2-3 green chillies- chopped

2 medium potatoes- boiled, peeled and mashed

Salt to taste

1/2 cup dry roasted and grinded peanuts

Coriander leaves (cilantro) - chopped

Ghee (clarified butter) or oil to shallow fry

Sago dough

1. Mix together all the ingredients except oil or ghee.

2. Divide the dough into tennis size balls.

3. Grease a thick plastic sheet or polythene and place the ball at its center. Pat with moistened fingers to form a thick round. Make small holes in it.

3. Heat a tava (griddle) and grease it with ghee. Gently and carefully turn the thalipeeth onto the tava and peel the plastic off.

4. Put ghee in the holes. Cover the thalipeeth with a plate or a lid and turn the heat to medium. Cook it for 1-2 minutes.

5. Remove the plate and gently turn over. Cook it for another minute or two. Cook till sabudana thalipeeth is golden brown from both sides. Serve sago rotti hot.

sabudana thalipeeth

Pav- bhaji

Pav- bhaji or pao- bhajee is a popular Indian street food which originated from Mumbai but is now eaten all over India and also outside India. Pav means bread and bhaji is a term used for vegetable and curry dish. You can add other veggies like turnip, carrots to bhaji to make it healthier. Although lots of butter is added to bhajee, I have reduced it in my recipe keeping in mind, the calories. You can add more butter if you like it richer. The pau bhaji masala used in this recipe is a special blend of spices. You can get it from any Indian grocery store.

Recipe of pav bhaji

3 medium potatoes
½ small cauliflower
1 medium capsicum
¼ cup shelled green peas
2 medium onions- minced
4 medium tomatoes- pureed
3 green chillies- crushed
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp oil + 1 tbsp butter
Salt to taste
2 tsp Pav bhaji masala
1 tbsp tomato sauce
Butter to toast the pav
8 pav buns
Chopped onion and coriander leaves to garnish
2 lemons- cut into wedges

1. Put roughly chopped potato pieces in a food processor to get very small pieces. Do the same with cauliflower. Deseed and chop capsicum finely.

2. Place potato, cauliflower, capsicum and green peas in a pressure cooker with ½ cup water and salt. Let 1 whistle come, then simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Open the cooker when pressure drops and mash the boiled veggies with the potato masher.

3. Heat oil and butter in a non- stick pan and add minced onion and green chillies. Sauté till light golden.

4. Add ginger- garlic paste and sauté for 1 minute. Add Pao- bhajee masala and cook on medium heat for 1 minute.

5. Add tomato puree and tomato sauce. Cook on medium heat for few minutes stirring constantly.

6. Now add mashed vegetables and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes stirring in between. Turn off heat and garnish with chopped onion and coriander leaves.

7. Slice each pav bun horizontally into 2 and toast in butter and a little pav bhaji masala. Toast on both sides on a griddle (tava) till crisp and golden.

8. Serve pav with bhaji and lemon wedges. Serve hot.

This is a popular Maharashtrian dish which you can make as Sunday breakfast or brunch. I am sure your kids will love it.

Poha

Poha is mine and my mom’s all time favorite. My mom tries to make it as nutritious as possible by adding various vegetables and sometimes soy granules. Poha is not just good for breakfast but also makes an ideal tea time snack.
Poha is so popular in Maharashtra that when two families meet in case of marriage, ‘kanda Pohe’ is served. Maharashtrians make pohe in various forms like Kanda Pohe (pohe with onion), Batata Pohe (pohe with diced potatoes) and Soybean pohe.

Recipe of pohe

2 cups poha (pohe/ pressed rice flakes/ chirwa)
1 onion- chopped
1 potato- peeled and cut into cubes
1/4 cup shelled green peas
2 tablespoons peanuts
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp + 1 tablespoon oil
5-6 curry leaves
Juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Put poha in a strainer and wash under running water for a few seconds. Keep aside in the strainer to drain.

2. Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a pan and roast peanuts. Peanuts have oil of their own so you don’t need much oil to roast them. Take them out of the pan.

3. In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil and add mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, add onion and curry leaves. Stir- fry till onion is slightly brown.

4. Add potato and peas. Stir- fry for 1 minute. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt. Add 1 cup water and cook covered till all water evaporates and vegetables are slightly moistened.

5. Add poha and mix. Lower heat and cook covered for 2-3 minutes stirring once in between. Turn off heat and let it stand for 2 minutes.

6. Add roasted peanuts and lemon juice. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Sabudana khichadi

 
Sabudana khichdi is a popular Maharashtrian breakfast. Sago is mainly a fasting food in  India  and eaten in fasts like Ekadashi. If you are buying sago, buy medium sized pearls for this recipe. After soaking sabudana, it really takes no time to cook sabudana khichdi.
    
     Recipe of Sabudana khichdi

     2 cups sabudana (sago)
     1/4 cup peanuts
     1/2 tsp mustard seeds (kali sarson)
     7-8 curry leaves
     3 chopped green chillies
     1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) or oil
     1 tsp lime juice
     salt to taste

1. Wash sabudana in a colander or a strainer (chhalni) and soak for 3-4 hours in 1/4 cup of water.

2. Roast the peanuts and grind them coarsely.

3. Mix ground peanuts with sabudana.

4. Heat ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add curry leaves and green chillies. After a few seconds add sabudana mixture. Add salt.

5. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes stirring all the time. Do not cover the pan otherwise you will get thick lumps. Each pearl of sago should be separate.

6. Add lime juice and chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.
I sometimes add potatoes to this dish as a variation. I cut them into small cubes, put them in after the seasoning and cook them till tender and when all water dries up, i add sabudana mixture.

Sabudana khichdi