One for the road

11 May,2020 10:06 AM IST |  Mumbai  |  Shunashir Sen

Missing your fix of street food? Three chefs suggest recipes to satisfy your craving for favourite roadside dishes


Tava pulao

Serves: 4
Ingredients
For red chilli paste
Whole red Kashmiri chillies, soaked - 6 to 7
Garlic cloves - 4 to 5
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

For tava pulav
Butter - 2 tbsp Oil - 1 tbsp Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Medium onion, sliced - 1
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Red chilli paste (see the recipe above) - ¼ cup
Shredded cabbage - 1 cup
Green capsicum, sliced - ¼ cup
Medium tomato, sliced - 1
Potatoes, cut in cubes, boiled - ½ cup
French beans, cut in cubes, blanched - ¼ cup
Salt to taste
Green peas, boiled - ¼ cup
Cooked rice - 2 cups
Lime juice - ½ tbsp
Butter - 2 tbsp
Pav bhaji masala - 1 tbsp

For garnish
Tomato, sliced - 1 Fresh Coriander leaves
Lemon wedges

Method
Put soaked red chillies, garlic cloves and cumin seeds into a blender, blend to a smooth paste and set aside till in use. Heat butter and oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and allow it to splutter. Add the sliced onions and sauté till translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté till fragrant. Now, add the prepared red chilli paste, mix well and cook for a few minutes. Add cabbage, mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes; next, add the green capsicum, tomato, potatoes and French beans; mix well and cook for 5-6 minutes. Now, add salt and mix well followed by green peas; mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes. Mix the cooked rice and toss well. Now, pour lemon juice, add butter and pav bhaji masala; mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes. Garnish with sliced tomatoes, coriander leaves and lemon wedges. Serve hot with tomato raita and papad.

By chef Ranveer Brar

Chilla sandwich (Bombay sandwich with a twist)

Serves: 4
Ingredients
Dried green chana - 1 cup
Moong dal - 1/3 cup
Water - 2 cups
Chopped onion - 1 tbsp
Chopped green chilli - 1 tsp
Chopped coriander -
1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Olive oil - 1 tsp

Method (for the chilla)
Soak the dal and chana for five hours in two cups of water. Blend the dash with chopped onions, green chilli, fresh coriander and cumin powder. Adjust the consistency with water. Add the olive oil to the batter. Heat up a non-stick pan. Pour batter and cook for 2-3 minutes on a low flame until golden brown and fluffy.

For the filling
Boiled potato, mashed - 1 cup Oil - 1 tsp
Crushed dhania seeds
Crushed jeera seeds
A pinch of ajwain Black pepper
Chopped ginger
Chopped green chillies
A pinch of anardana Fresh dhania, chopped - 1 tbsp
Salt

Method
Heat the oil and add ginger. Cook for a minute and add the rest. Mix well, season and chill. Sandwich the filling with the chilla, add cheese and cook again on the tawa to crisp it up. Serve with chutney or ketchup.

By chef Vicky Ratnani

Pani puri

Serves-2
Ingredients
For the dough
Semolina - 1 cup
All-purpose flour - 4 tbsp
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Water for kneading

For the filling
Boiled potatoes - 2 large (peeled and mashed)
Chopped onion - 1 large
Boiled yellow peas - 1/2 cup
Chopped green chiliies - 2
Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Roasted cumin-chili powder - 1 tsp
A pinch of black salt
Salt to taste

For the pani
Water - 6 large cups
Tamarind pulp/paste - 4 tbsp
Green chillies - 4 pieces
Ginger - 1/2 inch Jal jeera powder - 2 tsp
Mint leaves - 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp chopped (for garnish)Roasted cumin-chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
A pinch of black salt Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method
In a large bowl, mix semolina, all-purpose flour/wheat flour, baking soda, oil and salt, adding water slowly, and make a dough. Cover it with a cloth and keep aside for 20 to 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, knead the dough again properly. Take some dough and make small balls. Roll out small round puris, using the rim of a container to cut out the round shape. In a pan, heat enough oil for deep-frying on medium heat. Once it's hot, slide a few puris into the oil and using the back of a ladle, press in the centre and along the edges and the puris will puff up. Flip over and fry the other side till each is light golden brown. Don't fry it too much as it will turn too dark. Remove on to absorbent paper. Cool and store in an air-tight container and use when required.

For the pani
Make a fine paste of mint leaves, green chili and ginger. In a large bowl, add water, mint paste, tamarind pulp/paste, jal jeera powder, roasted cumin-chili powder, black salt and salt, and mix properly. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves.

For the stuffing
Peel and mash the boiled potatoes. Add boiled yellow peas, chopped onion, chopped green chili, chopped coriander leaves, roasted cumin-chili powder, black salt and salt, and mix well.

By home chef Sneha Senapati

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