How to make vada pav /Vada pav recipe

 An Indian version of burger - very popular street food of Mumbai

Vada pav is the popular street food of Maharashtra. As it is very reasonable priced and a quite filling snack so is is also a brunch or lunch of many Mumbaikars. It is quite easy to make and you will also get all the ingredients easily at home.

A spiced potato dumpling is dipped in gram flour batter and deep fried to a nice golden colour and then served hot with spicy green chutney and a fried green chili.Its quite easy and quick recipe.You can easily adjust the spices according to your taste.

There are few variation of making the batata vada but the main ingredients and spices remains the same.You can adjust the spices according to your taste.

Prep time - 10 min
Cooking time -15 min
Difficulty level - medium
Spice level-medium hot
Cuisine - Indian,Maharashtra
Type - snack,street food

INGREDIENTS

• 6  - Pav buns (recipe here )
• 6 - Batata Vada (recipe here )
• 4 tbsp - Green chutney (recipe here )
• 4 tbsp - Tamarind chutney (recipe here )
• 4 tbsp - Dry coconut chutney (Recipe here )
• 6  - Green chilies
• 1 tsp - Chat masala

Cooking Directions

1. Take a pav bun and slit it from the center but keep attach from the end.
2. Poke the whole green chili and deep fry or shallow fry in hot oil
3. Remove chili from the Pan and sprinkle some salt or chat masala and keep aside.
4. Apply some green chutney on the inner side of the pav.
5. Apply tamarind chutney on the second half of the bun.
6. Slightly press the vada pav and stuff in between the pav.
7. Sprinkle dry coconut chutney over the vada pav.
8. Close the bun and serve with fried green chili.

Dahi Aloo Chat

Quick and tempting snack of boiled potato,yogurt and Indian spices

Potato is the worlds most popular vegetable.We don't have to think much about using potatoes as there are endless numbers of recipes to make with potatoes.In fact most of the Indian street food are made with potatoes. side dish ,snack,curries and even dessert can be made with potato,my favorite sweet is -Potato halwa.

Potato bread rolls,  minty potato, Potato cup chat are many snack I have already posted,but they need some pre planning, stir frying or deep frying.As we all know that if potato is fried then only it become loaded with calories,boiled potato is not that high in calorie so can be used easily and guilt free.

This dahi aloo chat is a popular street food/chat of North India specially from my home town.
boiled potatoes are soaked in yogurt and then roasted cumin powder, chili powder is sprinkled over it. A spoon full of green chutney and tamarind chutney is drizzled over to make it delicious and tempting.\
This is also a ideal recipe for fasting days as it didn't require frying or roasting and use the  delicious -Aam papad chutney and green chutney to drizzle over it if you are fasting

Prep time- 10 min

Difficulty level-easy

Spice level-mild

Cuisine-North Indian

Type-Snack,street food

Serve-3

Dahi Aloo Chat

Ingredients

• 3 (small size) - Potato, boiled
• 1 cup of - Yogurt /dahi
• To taste- Salt /namak
• 1/2 tsp - Chili powder /lal mirch
• 1/2 tsp - Roasted cumin powder/bhuna jeera
• 1/4 tsp- Black salt /kala namak
• 2 tbsp - Tamarind chutney /imli ki chutney (recipe here)
• 2 tbsp - Green mint chutney /hari chutney(recipe here )
• A pinch of - Sugar

Cooking Directions

1. Peel and chop potatoes into small cubes.
2. Take yogurt in a bowl and whisk it well
3. Add sugar,salt and black salt in the yogurt and mix well.
4. Add chopped potatoes in the yogurt.
5. Let it soak for 15 minutes.
6. Now serve in individual serving bowls.
7. Sprinkle chili powder and roasted cumin powder over it.
8. Drizzle some tamarind chutney, mint chutney and pomegranate seeds.
9. Best served chilled.

NOTE-

1. If you are fasting then use pepper powder instead of chili powder.
2. Use mango leather chutney /aam paapd chutney if you are fasting.
3. Instead of boiled potatoes you can also use deep fried potato cubes.

How to Make Batata Vada , Mumbai Batata Vada Recipe

Spiced potato dumpling coated with gram flour batter and fried-very popular street food of Mumbai

Batata vada is the most popular street food of Maharashtra,It is a very popular snack of Mumbai. As it is very reasonable priced and a quite filling snack so is is also a brunch or lunch of many Mumbaikars.
Boiled potatoes are roughly mashed and then few fresh herbs and spices are added in the potato mash ,then a flavorful tempering is added in it and then shaped in round balls .Then these spicy potato dumplings are dipped in gram flour batter and deep fried to a nice golden colour and then served hot with spicy green chutney and a fried green chili.Its quite easy and quick recipe.You can easily adjust the spices according to your taste.
There are few variation of making this vada but the main ingredients and spices remains the same.

Prep time-10 min
Cooking time - 15 min
Difficulty level - medium
Spice level - medium hot
Cuisine - Indian,Maharashtra
Type - snack,street food

Batata Vada

INGREDIENTS-

• 250 gm - Potato,boiled
• 1 tbsp - Green chili,minced
• 1 tsp - Ginger,chopped
• 1/2 cup - Fresh coriander,chopped
• To taste - Salt/namak
• 1/3 tsp - Turmeric
• 1/4 tsp - Citric acid/tatri *
• 1 tsp - Mustard seeds /rai
• 1/4 tsp -white lentil /urad daal
• 1/4 tsp - Asafoetida /hing
• 8 -  Curry leaves
• 1 tbsp - Cooking oil

Batter-

• 1 cup - Gram flour /besan
• 2 tbsp - Rice flour/chawal ka atta
• 1/4 tsp - Turmeric/haldi
• 1 tsp - Chili powder
• 1 tbsp - Hot oil
• To taste  - Salt
• Pinch of  - Soda-bi-carb (optional)

Cooking Directions-

1. Peel and coarsely mash the boiled potatoes(don't make a paste of potatoes )
2. Heat oil in a pan and add urad daal and mustard seeds.
3. When seed start crackling add asafoetida,curry leaves and green chilies.
4. Stir and then add turmeric powder and boiled potatoes.
5. Add salt and citric acid and stir to mix every thing.
6. Remove from the flame and add chopped fresh coriander.
7. Mix it and let it cool down a bit.
8. Now make small balls from this potato mixture and keep aside.
9. In a bowl add gram flour, rice flour, salt,chili powder and turmeric.
10. Add water to make a batter of pouring consistency.
11. Add hot oil and mix well.
12. Heat oil in a deep and wide pan.
13. Dip the prepared potato balls in the gram flour batter.
14. Gently add in the hot oil and deep fry on medium heat.
15. Change the sides 2-3 times in between so get a nice colour from all the sides.
16. Remove from the pan when become golden and crisp.
17. Drain on a paper napkin to absorb the extra oil.
18. Slit or poke hole in few green chilies and deep fry them.
19. Drain on a paper napkin and sprinkle some chat masala or salt over them.
20. Serve hot vadas with green chutney,ketchup and fried green chilies.

NOTE-

1-To add sourness in the vada you can add either citric acid or lemon juice.

2-Don't mash the potato completely,just mash roughly,don't make a paste of potatoes.
3-You can reduce the quantity of minced green chilies and add some red chili powder in the potato mixture.
4-for variation -you can also add some boiled peas at step -3

Diwali Special: How to make Raj Kachori / Indian style crispy tacos

Crispy shells dressed with various toppings and chutneys

Raj kachori, as the name suggests, is a royal treat! It is stuffed with a variety of traditional Indian toppings, savory munchies, and a combination of hot and sweet chutneys.

Besides the great taste and variety of textures in the dish, a great part of this dish is that it is assembled live, right in front of the guests. If you have done your preparations right, then it is a very quick and easy dish to assemble and serve. The outer shells of raj kachori, and most of the other ingredients can be prepared ahead of time. The shells in particular, remain fresh for a fortnight so it is good to make them a few days before the festivities.

A mixture of boondis, papadis, boiled potatoes, boiled chickpeas, dahi vadas, sprouts can be stuffed inside the kachori. There is no fix list of components in the stuffings, and you can create your own version from whatever is easily available at hand, or can be prepared easily. You can just add potatoes, sprouts or boondis and some chopped tomatoes to make it a quick, light, and healthy appetizer.

Prep time - 10 min
Cooking time - 20 min
Difficulty level - Medium
Spice level - Medium hot
Cuisine - North Indian
Type - Snack, Street food

INGREDIENTS-

To make Raj Kachori-

• Semolina / Sooji -1 cup
• Refined flour / Maida - 1 tbsp
• Gram flour / Besan - 1/4 cup
• Cooking oil - 2tsp
• Chili powder - 1 tsp
• Fruit salt / Eno - a pinch of (optional)
• Salt - to taste

To assemble-

• Chickpeas / Kabuli chana, boiled- 1 cup
• Potatoes, boiled- 2 small
• Dahi vada (only the vadas) - 6 piece
• Boondi - 3 tbsp
• Papdi, crushed  -8
• Namkeen (Bhujiya / Nylon sev) - 3 tbsp
• Pomegranate seeds - 2 tbsp
• Yogurt / Dahi - 1cup
• Mint or Coriander Chutney - 1/2 cup
• Tamarind Chutney (Saunth) - 1/3 cup
• Roasted Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Chili powder - 1.5 tsp
• Black salt - 1 tsp

PROCEDURE-

1. In a bowl add all the ingredients listed to make Raj Kachori.
2. Mix everything well.
3. Add just enough water to make medium soft dough.
4. Cover and rest the dough for 15 minutes.
5. Knead it again and make small balls from the dough.
6. Roll to make medium thick pooris/discs
7. Slide the prepared poori in hot oil.
8. Press with a spatula to help it puff completely.
9. Reduce the heat to medium low and deep fry in from both sides till golden in colour
10. When done drain on a paper napkin.
11. Let them cool down completely.
12. Beat yogurt and add some salt and 1/2 tsp sugar.
13. When you want to serve then poke it on top and make a hole  in it.
14. Add chopped potato,chick peas,dahi vada.
15. Add some curd and green chutney.
16. Add some crushed papadi and boondi and fill it till the top.
17. Again drizzle yogurt,green chutney and tamarind chutney.
18. Add some bhujiya sev and sprinkle chili powder,cumin powder and black salt.
19. Garnish with anar dana/pomegranate seeds.
20. Serve immediately

Sama Ke Chawal Ka Uttapam

Sago barnyarn millet and potato pancakes -food for fasting

Sama /samu /varai  or Barnyan millet is a seed ,which is very easily available in Indian stores.It is quite small in size and round in shape,almost similar to thick semolina.It is a complex  carbs and rich in fibre so can be easily used on daily basis.It absorb a good quantity of water so is quite filling.
In North India it is mainly used during fasting as grains ,lentils and rice are not consumed during fasting,fox tail millet,sago,water chestnut flour  are few commonly used seeds or millets which are used during fasting.there are many recipes to make with samu.
I have already posted-

• Sama ki khichdi
• Sama aloo ki tikki
• Sama ki idli

Prep time-10 min
Cooking time- 15 min
Difficulty level-easy
Spice level- medium
Cuisine-North Indian
Type-snack,vrat ka khana
Serve-3

Sama uttapam

Ingredients

• 1 cup - Samu /samak /tandul /varai
• 1/2 cup - Sago pearls /Sabudana
• 1 medium - Potato,boiled
• 1.5 tbsp - Yogurt/dahi
• To taste - Salt/namak
• 3/4 tsp - Pepper powder /kali mirch
• 2 tsp - Green chili,chopped
• 3 tbsp - Fresh coriander,chopped
• 1 tsp - Cumin seeds

Cooking Directions

1. Wash and soak samo and sabudana in enough water in separate container for about 6 hours.
2. Grind them into fine paste with little water(don't add too much water )
3. In a bowl add yogurt,salt and the ground paste and make a batter of pouring consistency.
4. Add finely grated or mashed boiled potato and mix.
5. Grease a non stick griddle and pour a ladle full of batter.
6. Spread to make a medium thick pancake.
7. Sprinkle pepper powder,cumin seeds,green chilies and fresh coriander.
8. Drizzle some ghee or oil on the pancake.
9. When get cooked then flip the side and let it cook from other side.
10. When become golden then remove from the pan.
11. Serve hot with green chutney and aam papad chutney

NOTE-

You can also add some grated or chopped vegetables on the uttappam at step 8

Aloo Ka Halwa / Potato Pudding

Simple and delicious potato pudding

Aloo ka halwa is a popular and delicious dessert from North India specially in Uttar Pradesh. It is the easiest and quickest halwa I have ever made. It can be eaten during fasting or as vrat ka khana/falahaar. My mom used to make this halwa especially during ekadashi and other fasting day as it is quick and filling and I learnt to make this from her. I have seen that many prefer to make this halwa from raw grated potatoes but personally I like to use boiled and mashed (not grated) potatoes to make this. Do not use oil to make this halwa, use desi ghee to get that wonderful taste and aroma.

Preparation time-5 min
Cooking time-20 min
Cuisine-North Indian
Type-Dessert
Serve-4

INGREDIENTS-

• Potatoes, boiled-400 gms(3 medium)*
• Sugar-3/4 cup to 1 cup**
• Pure ghee-4-5 tbsp
• Cardamom powder-1/2 tsp
• Water-1 tbsp
• Almonds-10
• Pistachios-10

PROCEDURE-

1. Peel and mash the boiled potatoes.
2. Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan or use a non stick pan.
3. Now add the mashed potato and saute on medium heat.
4. Keep stirring the halwa else it will start charring and sticking at the bottom.
5. After approximately 10 minutes it will change colour and turn light golden and start giving out a nice aroma.
6. Add sugar and water and keep stirring till it starts leaving the sides of the pan .
7. Now add cardamom powder and chopped almonds and pitachios.
8. Mix well and serve hot.

Note-
1-*you can also make this halwa with boiled sweet potato/shakarkand,then you have to use little less quantity of sugar.
2-* *You can adjust the quantity of sugar according to your taste.

Sama and Potato Tikki - Navratri Special Recipe

Crisp and delicious patties made with barnyarn millet,potato and spices (food for fasting)


Most of the people in North India fast during Navratri and eat only satvik food as grains and pulses are prohibited during fasting .
Sabudana(sago),Singhora ka atta(Water chestnut flour),kuttu(buck wheat flour), Sama(Barnyarn millet ),Rajgiri atta,Ramdana are commonly used  for making pattices, pooris and pilafs.
All fruits can be used but in vegetables only Potato,sweet potato,colacosia ,yellow pumpkin,yam,bottle gourd,cucumber,raw banana are prefered,and only some selected spices can be used during fasting i.e sendha namak(rock salt),pepper powder,mango powder,asafoetida and cumin seeds.But it may vary from region to region and family traditions and rituals.

I often make sabudana vadas but today I wanted to try something different, so just tried this sama and potato pattice and it turn out crisp and delicious,we all loved this new and delicious recipe:)

Prep time-20 minutes
Cooking time-10 minutes
Difficulty level-easy
Spice level-mild
Cuisine-Indian
Type-snack,vrat
yields-approx 25 pieces

INGREDIENTS-

• Sama/Maraiyo/Mordhan/Varai -1/2 cup
  
• Potatoes/aloo ,boiled-4 (medium size)
• Green chilies,chopped-1.5 tsp
• Ginger/adrak, chopped- 1tsp
• Fresh coriander/dhaniya,chopped- 3 tbsp
• Pepper powder/kali mirch- 1tsp
• Cumin seeds/jeera- 1 tsp
• Mango powder/amchoor - 1.5 tsp
• Salt/namak -to taste
• Cooking oil/Ghee- 3 tbsp 

PROCEDURE-

1. Add sama and 1 and 1/4 cup water in the pressure cooker and pressure cook for 3 whistles on medium heat.
2. When cooker cooled down completely then take out the cooked sama in a bowl and mash with a spoon and then let it come to room temperature.
3. Mix together grated potato,sama and all the ingredients and mash well.(the proportion of cooked sama and boiled potato mixture should be almost same)
4. Grease your palms and make patties of same size from the mixture.
5. Heat oil/ghee in a flat nonstick pan and shallow fry the patties on medium flame till  they become golden and crisp from both the sides.(avoid deep frying)
6. Drain on a paper napkin and serve hot.

Note-
you can also add 2 tbsp of crushed peanuts at step-3

For more fasting recipes please check -vrat ke recipes

Aloo Parwal Subzi

Aloo Potol Dalna-Potato and pointed gourd curry cooked with Indian spices.

Parwal is a seasonal vegetable and is available during summers till monsoon season. Parwal/Pointed Gourd/patal/potol is mainly used in North and East India specially in the states of Orissa and Bengal.

This vegetable is easy to digest so recommended for the patients with weak digestion,constipation,jaundice and  is specialy good for stomach ailments.

In North India Parwal is made in slightly different style,specially made in the form of dry curry/bhujia but some even prefer to make it in a thin gravy.

Parwal is a also a favorite vegetable at my in laws place,though my childeren don't like this but my husband loved this vegetable in all forms.I have also posted the recipe of making  Stuffed parwal  .

This is my version of making Bengali Aloo Parwal Rasa with a slight North Indian twist.Hope you all will enjoy this .

Prep time-15 min
Cooking time-35 min
Difficulty level-medium
spice level-medium hot
Cuisine-Indian
Type- side dish
serve-4

INGREDIENTS-

• Potato /aloo -3 (medium)
• Pointed gourd /parwal/potol  -8 (medium)
• Yogurt/dahi - 2.5 tbsp
• Turmeric /haldi -1/2 tsp
• Chili powder /lal mirch -1 tsp
• Garam masala-1/4 tsp
• Coriander powder/dhaniya -1 tsp 
• Fresh coriander /hara dhaniya- 1tbsp
• Sugar/chini -1/3 tsp
• Salt /namak- to taste
• Water-1.5- 2 cup

Grind together-

• Tomato,chopped- 3
• Green chilies,chopped- 2
• Ginger-1/2 inch

Tempering-

• Mustard oil /sarso ka tel 2.5 tbsp*
• Whole red chilies /lal mirch -3
• Green cardamom /hari elaichi -4
• Cinnamon /daalchini -1/3 inch
• Cumin /jeera-1 tsp
• Cloves /laung -2

PREPARATION-

1. Wash and peel potatoes and chop into medium size pieces.
2. Wash and trim both the ends of parwal,slit from the center and chop into thick pieces.
3. Grind together tomato,green chilies and ginger and make a smooth paste.
4. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry parwal  till they shrink in size but remain green in colour.
5. Deep fry potatoes till they get half cooked and get a nice golden colour.
6. Take 2.5 tbsp oil in a pan and add the tempering ingredients-cumin,green cardamom,cloves and cinnamon.
7. When cumin become golden then add the tomato paste and saute for a minute.
8. Now add all the dry spices and yogurt and stir fry till oil start separating.
9. Add fried aloo and parwal and mix well.
10. Now add around 1 cup of water(can add more if you want a thin gravy)
11. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer till potato and parwal become soft and gravy thickens.
12. Add a pinch of garam masala,sugar and fresh coriander and cook for a minute.
13. Serve hot with luchi, paratha or daal- rice.

NOTE-
1- You can substitute mustard oil with any cooking oil of your choice,but for the authentic flavour I prefer mustard oil.
2- You may shallow fry the parwals and use boiled potatoes(80%)for a low fat version.
3- No need to peel or scrape parwals otherwise they become soft and mushy and loose the crispiness.
4- water can be added according to the consistency of the curry you want to have .