Pau Bhaji (Indian Style Vegetables With Bread)

Recipe Ingredients

5 tablespoons	75ml	Potatoes - boiled - skinned and mashed (medium)
3 tablespoons	45ml	Carrots - boiled - skinned and mashed (medium)
1 1/2 cups	355ml	Sweetcorn - boiled - partially mashed
1 1/2 cups	355ml	Peas - boiled - partially mashed
2 cups	474ml	Aubergines - boiled - skinned and mashed (medium)
1 1/2 cups	355ml	Cabbage - boiled - mashed
1 1/2		Chopped tomatoes
		(or use fresh to make this quantity)
4		Green chilles - (to 5) *
2		-- optional (to 3)
3		Garlic - (to 4), finely chopped
1 1/2 cups	93g / 3.3oz	Finely chopped onions - optional
4 teaspoons	20ml	Garam masala powder
		Salt - to taste
1/4 cup	59ml	Lemon juice
		Finely chopped coriander - to garnish
2 teaspoons	10ml	Turmeric powder
5 teaspoons	25ml	Dhana jeera - (cumin-coriander) powder
1 teaspoon	5ml	Sugar
1 teaspoon	5ml	Red chilli powder
1		Dried red chillies - (to 2), optional
1		Loaf soft bread or sliced buns - (white or brown)
		Butter to fry bread in
3 tablespoons	45ml	Oil
2 teaspoons	10ml	Jeera - (cumin) seeds

Recipe Instructions

Pau Bhaji is very commonly found being sold on the streets of Indian towns. It literally means bread vegetables. It tastes divine! If you want a healthy snack which is ever so tasty then this could be the one for you! You can use alomost any vegetables you prefer the most commonly used are potatoes, tomatoes, onions, bringles, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, runner beans, peas, sweetcorn, you dont have to have any particular vegetable whatever you have would do although I have never used pumpkins.

* (less if you dont like too hot)

Dont be daunted by the list of ingredients if dont have all of them no matter, either subsitute with what you have or just leave it out.

Method:

Boil all the vegetables and mash them, easy method is to wash all of them and put in pressure cooker or steamer and steam them. Take a large pan and heat oil, when hot add jeera seeds and dry red chillies, wait till they pop and then add garlic and onions let them simmer until softened. Then add tomatoes, salt , dhana jerru powder, green chillis, red chilli powder, half of the garam masala, let this mixture cook on very low heat until it turns into a gravy. Stir in the mashed vegetables and make sure that they are well mixed in. You may need to taste to see if there is adequate salt. If the mixture looks dry add some water. Cover and let cook on low heat.

The more you let it cook the better it will taste. I generally recomend that you let it cook on slow heat at least for a hour, stir occasionaly to prevent sticking. When you feel that the mixture has turned a different colour and all the vegetables have blended into each other add the rest of the garam masala and lemon juice stir in. Top with corinder to garnish.(and chopped onions if you like) and serve hot with bread or buns fried in butter. If you had rather not then plain bread will also be OK, but mind you it just doesnt taste half as good!

You can also keep the mixture refregerated and take out and heat when required. In India on the laaris (outdoor snack trolleys) they keep the mixture in a large pan, when someone asks for a portion they heat up a big frying pan, dollop a spoonful of the stuff onto the hot buttered pan and heat up, on the side they fry some bread and serve on a plate with the bhaji (vegetables) garnished with chopped onions, a dash of lemon juice and coriander they also stick in 2 or 3 green chillies for you to munch on! I hope you enjoy this. You can also serve the bhaji as a type of beanburger to your guests with salad on the side.

Source:
"Southern Delights" by Parwathy Akhileswaran

Rating

Average rating:

8.6 (7 votes)

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