Reshma Aslam lists the best street food recipes from Mumbai. You can share yours too!
Misal Pav
IMAGE: Misal Pav Photograph: Abhijit Patil/Creative Commons
Ingredients
For masala
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/4 cup fine sliced onions
- 1/4 cup dry coconut grated
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 cloves
- 3 peppercorns
- 25 mm stick cinnamon
- 2 dry kashmiri red chillies
- 3 garlic cloves
For misal
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 cup onions finely chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 3 cups mixed bean sprouts
- 1 and 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tbsp coriander finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 cup mixed farsan
- 1/2 cup potatoes
- 4 pavs or bread slices
- 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup water
Method
For masala
- Take a pan and heat the oil in it.
- Add onions and coconut and dry roast it on slow flame for 3 minutes.
- Add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, red chillies, garlic cloves and saute it for 4 minutes.
- Remove it from the flame and let it cool by keeping it aside
- Once the mixture cools down, blend it using a mixie without any water and keep it aside.
For misal
- Heat some oil in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds.
- When the seeds start to crackle, add onions and saute on a slow flame for 2 minutes.
- Add the masala which was kept aside and sauté on a medium flame for a minute.
- Add tomatoes, turmeric powder and 1 tsp water.
- Mix the contents well and cook on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Keep on stirring it continuously.
- Add the sprouts now and mix it very well.
- Add two cups of hot water and salt, mix well and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
- Allow all the steam to escape from the cooker before opening the lid.
- Add chilli powder, water and coriander.
- Mix well and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
How to serve
- Pour some misal in a serving bowl.
- Sprinkle some farsan, some chopped onions and some coriander over it.
- Serve with pav or bread.
Poori Bhaji
IMAGE: Poori Bhaji Photograph: Yummy O Yummy/Creative Commons
Ingredients
For poori
- 2 cups wheat flour
- 1 tsp ghee or oil depending on the choice
- Salt to taste
- Little water
- Oil for deep frying
For bhaji
- 3 medium sized potatoes
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 green chilli, chopped
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp urad dal
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- A pinch of asafoetida
- 1/2 cup coriander, chopped
- 1 inch ginger, chopped
- 12-15 curry leaves
- Oil for frying
- Salt to taste
- 3/4 cup water
Method
For poori
- Seive the flour with salt. Add melted ghee or oil.
- Add little water and knead it to form dough.
- Divide the dough into small portions.
- Make it into small balls and roll out into small circles.
- Heat some oil for deep frying.
- Fry one poori at a time in the pan.
- Gently press it down using spoon in circular pattern
- When one side has cooked and turned light brown, turn over the other side and fry it till it turns golden brown.
For bhaji
- Boil and cook all the potatoes.
- Once they are warm, peel them and cut them in small pieces.
- In a pan, heat the oil. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and urad dal.
- Keep on frying till the mustard seeds start to crackle and the mixture turns brown.
- Add the chopped onion and keep on frying till it becomes transparent.
- Add ginger and green chillies and further fry for two minutes.
- Add curry leaves while stirring and fry for some more seconds
- Add turmeric powder and asafoetida.
- Let it fry for some more seconds.
- Add potatoes and half of the coriander leaves.
- Keep stirring.
- Add water and salt. Stir and cover the pan.
- Let it simmer for 5 to 6 minutes on a low flame.
- Add remaining coriander leaves.
- Serve with pooris.
Dabeli
IMAGE: Dabeli Photograph: Aparna Rao 72/ Wikimedia Commons
Ingredients
For homemade dabeli masala
- 3 tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 tbsp fennel seeds
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds
- 5 to 7 dry red chilli whole
- 6 to 7 cloves
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder
For dabeli
- 4 to 5 boiled potatoes, mashed
- 2 tbsp dabeli masala
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup masala peanuts (optional, for garnishing)
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds (optional, for garnishing)
- 1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves (for garnishing)
- 1/2 cup gram flour sev (optional, for garnishing)
- 2 onions chopped (for garnishing)
- 1/4 grated coconut (optional, for garnishing)
- 2 tsp butter
- Juice of a lime
- Salt as per taste
- 4 to 5 pavs or bread pieces
- 3 tsp oil
- Water
Method
For homemade dabeli masala
- Dry roast all the ingredients of the masala except kashmiri chilli powder in a microwave for one minute or on gas tawa for 5 minutes
- When cool, grind it in mixie until powder consistency is obtained
- Add the red chilli powder.
- Mix well and store in an airtight container.
For dabeli
- Heat oil in a pan and add the dabeli masala.
- Add some water, add boiled potatoes and mix well.
- Add sugar, lime juice, salt and little water. Mix thoroughly and take it off the gas.
- Take a plate and spread the potato mixture well over it
- Garnish with masala peanuts, grated coconut, sev, onions, pomegranate seeds and chopped coriander.
- Dabeli is ready.
How to serve
- Take a pav, split it in between, take some portion of the above filling and spread it properly.
- In a pan, heat some butter.
- Roast the pav on both the sides till it becomes crispy brown.
- Serve hot.
Vada Pav
IMAGE: Vada Pav Photograph: Ranjitha Deepesh/Creative Commons
Ingredients
For vada batter
- 1 cup gram flour
- 1 tsp corn flour
- 1 and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- Salt to taste
- Pinch of soda bi-carb
- 1 cup water for batter consistency
For vada
- 5 to 6 boiled and mashed potatoes
- Few curry leaves
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic chilli paste
- 1/2 cup coriander leaves chopped
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 pav
- Green chutney or some spicy masala
Method
For vada
- Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds.
- When they start to crackle, add curry leaves.
- Add ginger garlic chilli paste, sauté for a minute. Add salt, turmeric powder.
- Remove from gas and add it to mashed potatoes in a bowl.
- Add chopped coriander and mix it well.
- When it cools, form small round balls using the palm of the hands and keep aside.
For vada batter
- Take a bowl, add gram flour, corn flour, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt.
- Make a batter by using little by little water until it is smooth and of pouring consistency.
- Lastly add a pinch of soda bi-carb and keep it aside.
Method
- Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.
- Dip each ball of vada in the batter and deep fry it till it becomes golden brown.
- Remove it from the pan and keep it aside.
How to serve
- Take a pav, slit it from between and apply green chutney or any other spicy masala on either side.
- Place the vada in between and serve.
Ragda Pattice
IMAGE: Ragda Pattice Photograph: Ravi Talwar/ Wikimedia Commons
Ingredients
For ragda
- 1 cup white peas soaked overnight
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 4 to 5 green chillies, chopped cut fine
- Salt to taste
- Water for cooking
For pattice
- 4 to 5 boiled potatoes mashed
- 1 tbsp garlic and chilli paste
- 1 tbsp corn flour
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 cup coriander leaves chopped
- Salt to taste
- 3 tbsp oil for frying
Method
For ragda
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
- Add mustard seeds and as they start to crackle, add chopped onions and chillies.
- Fry till the onions turn pink.
- Add white peas.
- Add salt and water enough for peas to cook.
- Close the lid and pressure cook till 2 to 3 whistles.
- Remove from the gas and ragda is ready and keep it aside
For pattice
- Mix all the ingredients of pattice in a mixing bowl except oil.
- Make small balls and flatten it using the palm of the hands.
- In a pan, add some oil and fry each ball till it turns nice and golden.
How to serve
- In a plate, assemble two pattice.
- Pour little quantity of ragda over it.
- Garnish wish coriander leaves, tamarind chutney, some sev and 2 to 3 crushed puris.
- Serve.
ALSO SEE
Kacha Aam Paratha and more flatbread recipes
Have an interesting recipe to share?
Write in to us at getahead@rediff.co.in (subject: Recipe) with your name, hometown and any interesting details about the origin of the recipe, along with a photograph if possible.
We'll publish the best preparations right here on Rediff.com and in India Abroad.
Click here for more recipes and food features
