Pau Bhaji (Veggies with bread roll)

I think it is very apt that the post for vada pau is being followed bu pau bhaji. Pau bhaji is also an inseparable part of the Mumbai food culture. It originated during the days when mills were flourishing in Mumbai. It offered the mill workers a light but filling lunch so that they can get back to work actively. Gone are the mill days but the pau bhaji remains and is loved by all, rich and poor, foodies and health-freaks, and young and old. 

When you have pau bhaji outside it is definitely laden with butter. At home you can go light with the butter and you have a healthy and nutritious quick meal.

I will give you the recipe for bhaji - the thick vegetable gravy, which is to be enjoyed with the Bombay pau but you can use any bread roll that is available to you. The hamburger roll, hot dog rolls or specialty rolls like the sub or grinder roll, etc from bakery. You can also use whole wheat buns to make the meal more healthy.

Ingredients:

• 4 potatoes peeled and chopped roughly
• 3 carrots chopped
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• 12-15 green beans, stringed and chopped
• 1/4 of a beetroot (this gives nice color to the gravy)
• 1 large onion chopped fine
• 1 bell pepper chopped fine
• 2 large tomatoes chopped fine
• 7-8 garlic minced
• 1 green chili finely chopped (optional)
• 3-4 tsp pau bhaji masala (it is hot so it is as per taste)
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 tsp oil
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• salt to taste

For garnishing and serving-

• Chopped onion
• Chopped cilantro
• Lemon wedge

Directions:

• In a pressure cooker, cook potatoes, carrots, green peas, cauliflower, green beans and beet root, with little water. When they are done, remove the beetroot aside, let it cool and mash the veggies with a masher. Keep the mashed veggies aside. Puree the beetroot separately and keep.
• In a deep non stick vessel take oil, heat it and add green chili if you are using it and garlic and onions. When the onions change color add bell pepper and cook well. Add tomatoes and let it cook well and become mushy.
• Add pau bhaji masala, red chili powder, salt and mix well. Add the mashed vegetables and mix all together. Adjust salt, add lemon juice and butter and mix. Add little water if the gravy is too thick. Add the beetroot puree. You will get a lovely red color gravy. Let the gravy simmer for sometime and your bhaji is ready.
• In a griddle take some butter and add split bread on it. When the bread is buttery and hot take it on a serving plate and serve it with bhaji and all the garnishing ingredients.
• Enjoy

** Do not put too much beet root because it will make your gravy sweet, just 1/4 to 1/2 would be good depending upon the portion of your gravy.

Healthy Batata Vada (Potato fritters)

Vada Pau (potato fritter with bread) is my husband's favorite food item. He just resists to have it because they are deep fried potato fritters served with chutney in a bread roll. It is Mumbai's very popular, tasty street food. If you have lived in Mumbai you obviously know about vada paus. However if you have not tasted it and are planning to visit Mumbai, you should put it in your to do list in the city. A true Mumbaiite cannot imagine the city without it. Even if you are not in the city or planning to visit Mumbai, you can easily make it in your own kitchen. This dish is on the spicy side but you can adjust it as per your preference.

Well as I am sharing a healthier version of batata vadas I have omitted deep frying it and have made use of the sandwich maker to get yummy batata vadas without the grease. So you can have these guiltfree.

Tools Needed: Sandwich Maker

Ingredients:

For the potato mixture-

• 4 large potatoes (cooked, peeled and mashed)
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1-1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 3 tsp urad dal
• 7-8 curry leaves
• 3-4 green chillies finely chopped(as per preference)
• 7-8 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp lemon juice

For the coating batter-

• 1 -1/2 cups chick pea flour/ besan
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp oil
• salt to taste
• water as per need

Directions:

For the potato mixture-

• Take oil in a deep vessel and heat it.
• Add mustard seeds, when they crackle add urad dal, asfoetida, curry leaves, green chillies and garlic. Fry them in oil really well taking care not to burn it.
• Add mashed potatoes, turmeric powder, salt and lemon juice. Mix really well. Remove from heat.
• Keep the mixture aside to cool. Then make small balls little bigger than golf balls from the potato mixture

For the coating batter-

• Take chick pea flour in a small deep bowl.
• Add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder and mix well.
• Add water slowly to make a thick pancake like batter that will coat the potato balls well
• Take a tsp of lemon juice in a spoon and add baking soda on it. Add this fizzy mixture to the batter and mix well.

For the healthy vadas-

• Traditionally the potato balls are coated with the chick pea four batter and deep fried in oil. However to make it healthy just flatten each ball of potato mixture in your palms and dip it in chickpea flour and put it in the groove of a sandwich maker. 
• You can lightly coat the the inside of the sandwich maker with oil to make the vada a bit crispy.
• Just use the sandwich maker as you normally make sandwiches in it. Let it heat and when the green light goes on put in the vadas and let the batter cook. You can make 4 vadas at a time. I sometimes let 2 heating cycles pass to make the vadas crispy. Depends on how much time you have in hand.
• When done remove the vadas with a help of a wooden or nonstick spatula to protect the coating of your sandwich maker.
• Serve it in pau/ bun with chutneys of your choice cilantro chutney, garlic chutney (which is an essential part of vada pau) or tamarind chutney or all three.
• Enjoy it guilt free.

** If you have a panini press maybe you can try that too, to make healthy vadas. Let me know how they come out in it, if you try.