Pav Bhaji--the Indian sloppy joe!

Pav bhaji is a famous Mumbai street food that has become popular all over India and the world.  Mumbaikars have many opinions on the best places to eat pav bhaji in the city, and the best way to make it at home.  Pav means bread, and bhaji means curry, and I tell my non-Indian friends that pav bhaji is the Indian sloppy joe!

There are many amazing Indian home cooks with blogs, and this recipe is my mash up of several recipes.  Check out One Hot Stove, Annaprashana, and of course, Manjula!

We eat this fairly regularly because it is simple and one of Paddy's favorite meals, and we've made it for friends and family all over the continent because the only ingredient you need to get from an Indian grocery store is the masala.  We have been known to travel with our own supply of Pav Bhaji Masala (just in case).

Pav Bhaji

Takes 1 hour

Makes enough for 6 people

3 medium potatoes, chopped into 2 inch pieces

1/2 a large head of cauliflower, chopped into florets

3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch piece of ginger, minced

2 small carrots, diced

1 green pepper (or other varieties of sweet pepper), chopped

1 Tbsp. pav bhaji masala (I have heard Everest is the best brand, I also have used Shan brand and MDH)
1 green chile

4 tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp. salt 
1/2 cup peas, frozen works great

6+ buns, I like to get the small ones that are stuck together

1 onion, diced

2 limes, quartered
1 green chile, minced (if you like it hot!)

bunch of cilantro, chopped

Add the potatoes and cauliflower to a large pot of salted, cold water, bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, saute the garlic and ginger on medium high heat.  When they began to brown, add the carrots and peppers.  When they began to brown, add the pav bhaji masala and saute for a minute or so, until it gets really fragrant.  Add the tomatoes and green chile, and cook until it gets very thick.  

Eventually the oil will come to the surface, this will take about 10 minutes.

While this is happening, keep checking on the potatoes and cauliflower.  They are done when you stick a knife in a potato and a cauliflower and they slide right off.  Drain, reserving about 2 cups of the water.

Add the drained potatoes and cauliflower to the tomato pot.  Stir and mash adding water as necessary.  Check for spice and add salt and more masala as necessary.  Turn the heat down very low, put the lid on, and let the flavors blend together for 15 to 20 minutes.  If you are not going to eat the Pav Bhajis until later in the day, turn the heat off and let the covered Bhaji sit until you are ready to eat--then just reheat.  Add the peas for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

To serve, heat a griddle or saute pan and toast the buns, with butter if you like.  Top the buns with the bhaji.  Sprinkle with onions, cilantro, chopped green chiles if you are brave!  Top with a squeeze of lime juice.

Eat!

scrounging for food in London town

Traveling is disconcerting.  I loved it when I was younger.  We regularly flew through Heathrow on our summer trips to India, and I looked forward to seeing all the people, getting a Cadbury's chocolate bar, and the yellow signs!  But now, I like comfort and home and routine!  And traveling for 24 hours is not comfortable, homey or familiar.  You wake up in one bed and go to sleep in another, the money looks funny, and you don't know where to eat!

This flight to London was particularly rough, despite the couple of bottles of Underberg Jessica sent me off from Chicago with!  I couldn't sleep at all, and of course, they now charge $6 for beer or wine on the flight, so there was no extra help.  This meal from my United flight was not horrible.  I always order the Asian Vegetarian meal on flights.  It's usually Indian and vegan, and...not horrible.  Definitely comparable to a bad Indian restaurant.  Of course, now I can't even think about meals on flights without remembering that crazy complaint letter about the bhaaji-custard on a Virgin flight.

Arriving in London, I set off for a conference at the British Museum.  That was good, and it was a treat to be at the Museum in the evening.  For dinner, I had hummous and ful at a little take-out place.  Not bad for 3 pounds.

The next day I went to a great conference at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.  Greenwich is so serene and lovely.  And they were nice enough to give us little sandwiches.  I ate about 3/4 of a hummous sandwich.  That evening for dinner, I grabbed a beigel at the Brick Lane Beigel Bake on my way out to a bar.

Not very substantial meals, and if you have been reading this blog, then you know I like to eat.

So I was so thrilled the next day, when after schlepping my things all the way across town to my more permanent place, to get a delicious tofu banh mi for lunch.  yum!   I was hoping to get my produce for the week at the Borough Market, but I am having some cash flow issues at the moment, and I had to stop at Sainsbury's for some quick things.  Unfortunately, everything here comes in plastic, but you do get info about where it's from and how fresh it is.

Dinner that night was with Michael and Tom at Masala Zone, but not before we had a couple of really delicious manhattans at B@1.

On Sunday, after discovering all the wonderful little grocery stores here in Elephant & Castle, I had a real dilemma about what to make for dinner.  But not really, I wanted dal the whole time.  It's the best comfort food.

Dal

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1 small onion, sliced

1/4 inch piece of ginger, sliced

1 cup massoor dal
1 tsp turmeric powder

1 green chili, sliced lenghtwise

In a pot, heat oil on medium high heat.  When hot add cumin seeds.  After they have toasted for a minute or so, add the onion and ginger, and saute until translucent.

Add the massoor dal and turmeric and cook until the lentils are shiny and smell toasty.

Add three cups of water, salt and the green chili.

Bring to a boil, and then turn down to simmer.  Cover and cook for about 15 minutes.

I also made

Cauliflower curry

1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 onion, sliced
1/2 inch piece of ginger, sliced
1 green chili, sliced lenghtwise
1/2 cauliflower chopped into even pieces (maybe 1.5 inches) and the greens too
1 tsp. turmeric

heat oil on medium high heat until hot.  add cumin, saute until toasty.  add onion and ginger and saute until translucent.  Add cauliflower, turmeric and green chili, and saute for a bit.  add salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp), and the greens from the cauliflower if you have them.  add about a 1/2 cup of water, put lid on it, and let cook for about 10-15 minutes.  Check for salt and spice.

I ate this with some rice and some fresh tomatoes.  It was so good!

 Things are starting to feel homier already.