Well only Bhaji.. thats what I made to satiate moms taste buds.. She is staying with me since a week and already fed up of sattvik restrictions. So I decided to surprised her. Surprise I say because I haven't stepped into kitchen for long time. Because I didn't have one ;) for months.
Any way quick Pav Bhaji. U will need all mixed non sweet veggies ..one large potato, 3 large tomatoes, 100gm cauliflower, two fistful mutter, small capsicum, a few button mushrooms (totally optional), 1 medium sized onion and 1 garlic clove (yeah the last two ingredients surprised her!), butter as Bawa says generous amount of it, whole wheat pav, bhaji masala (I prefer Bombay Bhaji Masala brand), salt to taste.
Chop tomato finely, dice the potato, cut cauliflower into small sized florets, finely chop a medium sized onion.
1.Boil potato and cauliflower. Dont use much of water. (I also used french beans) and whrrrr them bawa style (see below)
2.Add a generous dollops of butter on a not so hot pan (use a broad thick bottomed vessel for cooking thick gravies and narrow tall for broths n soups). Add finely chopped onion and garlic, saute on low flame till transluscent, fish out the garlic and add tomatoes and saute on high flame.
3.When the butter leaves from the sides lower the flame to medium and add 4 table spoon of bhaji masala and roast my(careful not to char it completely) by continuously stirring for half-ish minute. Lower the flame further and allow it to cook till butter seperates from the content.
At this step you may not be tempted to add butter but add another generous dollop of it! Now add some 5 pinches of salt.
4.Now add capsicum and mutter and half cook it. Then add whrred stuff slowly while the flame is high. Keep stirring vigourously. Keep flame high. Add salt as per taste. Adjust the thickness by adding water slowly if required. when almost done, add some coriander and a dollop of butter. Remove and serve hot. (Must serve atleast two).
PS - Red chilly is only meant for decorative purpose. You may add shredded cheese on top and it becomes cheese pav bhaji. If you dont whrrr the potato etc then it becomes khada bhaji (take care not to over boil).
Important Tips:
-Tomatoes should be ripe red.
-Smell the salt before you add. I dont know the logic. My culinary skills improved after i took this tip from Bawa . Dont ask the logic behind it. Even he doesnt know. He does it because his mom told him so. I do it because he told me so. There isn't much logic with this tip. But if one goes by my experience, this is most important culinary tip.
-There is another one and it has logic! Keep tasting while cooking, so that you know what you have cooked. You don't want someone to eat that you wont eat yourself!!
-smile and chant or sing while cooking. cook with a feeling as though Gods are going to eat..
-Bhaji will not be as bright red as one on the road side bhaji. Reason no added carmine red in recipe above. You don't want your liver to die before you want to die right?
Go ahead. Smile, Cook and Celebrate.
Anand Jage
