Pav Bhaji - literally means Bread and Vegetable. Does not sound very exciting when you portray it this way, does it? But this is a very popular dish in India and a favorite with everyone - a Classic Mumbai dish. It is a blend of a variety of vegetables seasoned with the popular Pav Bhaji Masala.
My family loves this dish. My mother made the best Pav-Bhaji I have eaten and I follow her recipe. The Pav Bhaji Masala is available at most Indian and Asian Grocery stores.
Hope you enjoy the Pav-Bhaji as much as we do.
PAV BHAJI
Ingredients
- 4 large Potatoes - boiled, peeled and mashed
- 2 large Onions - finely chopped
- 5-6 medium Tomatoes - pureed
- 1 cup Green Bell Pepper - finely chopped
- 2 cups Cauliflower - steamed and grated
- 1/2 cup Zucchini - finely chopped
- 1 cup Green Peas - optional
- 3-4 cloves Garlic - finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Butter + 1 tbsp for garnishing
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala (You can adjust the Masala according to your taste)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped Cilantro
- 1/4 cup finely chopped Parsley (I like the lemony flavor of parsley, you can skip this if you like)
- 6 Dinner Rolls Toasted and lightly spread with some butter
Directions
- Melt butter in a saucepan. Add the oil. When it heats add the chopped green bell pepper.
- Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.
- Then add onions and cook until they are transparent.
- Add the tomatoes and let cook until it blends well with the onions.
- Add the cauliflower, green peas, potatoes and zucchini. Mix well.
- Add the Pav Bhaji Masala and salt and mix well.
- Cook covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in some lemon juice and butter.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and parsley.
- Serve hot with toasted and buttered dinner rolls.
Enjoy..!
During Christmas vacation, we had our friends over for dinner. They love Indian food, so I thought it would be a good idea to let them taste a few unusual dishes. One of them being 'Guava Pickle' - a side dish my mother-in-law prepared with ripe guavas - and one that I loved very much. I hope you enjoy this recipe.
Guava is a great fruit, rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Folic Acid, Potassium, Calcium and Iron. Above all Guava's are low in fat and calories and high in fiber. The Guava fruit should not be refrigerated unless it is very ripe. The seeds of the guava fruit are edible. Guava can be eaten raw, added to smoothies or when they are too ripe you can get creative and make some pickle.
GUAVA PICKLE
Ingredients
- 12 small Guava fruits (size of ping-pong balls). If large use 3-4. Commonly known as Mexican Guava in the US
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Dry Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp Asafetida
- 1 tbsp Jaggery (unrefined whole cane sugar)
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Directions
- Wash and dry the guavas. Chop them into 4 pieces.
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan.
- Add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. When they begin to splutter add turmeric powder, asafetida and dry cayenne pepper cut into two.
- Add the chopped guava and mix well.
- Add the jaggery and salt and mix well. Add 3/4 cup water and let boil. Once the pickle starts boiling, lower the heat and let cook for another 7-8 minutes.
- The Guava Pickle is ready.
- Serve with Rice, Dal, Roti (Indian flat bread) and Vegetable.
- The pickle can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
I hope you enjoy this recipe. See you again soon.
