Stuff the Stuffing

Stuffed Chilies Or Capsicum is an All Over World recipe :D
Indians make it, Americans follow and Mexicans repeat it! Trust me – search on Google with word STUFFED you will get range of options for various cuisines.
In India itself it has varied names from Bharleli mirchi (marathi) to Bharwan Mirchi (marwadi) :P
Being frank I gotta learn this recipe from The Foodie, as this dish made a very rare appearance @ my place. It’s The Foodie’s favorite and he prepares it to perfection. What I like about this dish is it’s very easy to prepare yet gives a special feel to it - So it has turned out as the most common dish that we prepare when we have guests around :D
You Need:

• Chili Pepper – Banana Pepper/Chili: 5
• Potatoes: 3 , boiled, peeled and mashed
• Fennel Seeds: 1-2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp
• Asafetida: pinch
• Cumin Seeds: for tempering
• Oil: 1-2 tsp
• Salt to taste

You Do:

1. Slit the chilies as shown, Remove the stem and Deseed it – these are very spicy (once I forgot to do so and I’ve no idea how many litres of water was consumed that day :( )
2. Mix the Blue stuffs together to form a dough. Now make 5 equal balls out of these potato dough and stuff it in the cut chilies. as shown
3. Heat about 1 tsp Oil in Kadai, splutter the tempering stuffs.
4. Later arrange the chilies in the Kadai in such a manner that each gets cooked in the oil, don’t mix it. Each chili base should get shallow fried. Later spread some oil from all corners
5. 
   
   Cover and cook. After every couple of minutes turn the sides of chilies as it gets brown.It takes about 10 minutes on medium flame.
   
   The aroma of chili and potato with the fennel seeds is awesome.
   

Serve with hot Phulkas.We can also prepare this with Besan – Fennel Seeds – Salt and turmeric, It will be more on dry side.

Posting about The Foodie’s favorite dish, how can I not mention about Mera Favorite dish :P -Bharli Vangi (marathi) – Stuffed Brinjal/Eggplant is my all time favorite, it was one of the few dishes I never you used to complain :DEggplants used are the long slender ones

At my place, Mom prepares this typical Maharashtrian Bharli Vangi with grated coconut and coarse ground masalas, will post about it sometime later. But I normally prepare the easier way – stuffing consisting majorly of ginger-garlic, onion, tomato and crushed peanuts (Bharli vangi doesn’t exists without them :P ). This recipe was Anonymous for long, but then when I started reading food blogs I found it very similar to “Achari Baigan” :D … and it’s a Rajasthani dish !! Wow can you believe me I prepared a state specialty without even knowing about it.. Read about it @ Nupurs - One Hot stove. The blog I love follow :* Not giving the recipe here, followed her recipe overall but added crushed Peanuts – Y? I mentioned the reasons earlier :D

Recently these two are making too many appearances in our lunch box :) So sending this to Divya for her “Show your LunchBox” event.
Turmeric being an integral part of both of these recipes sending these to “Think Spice event” hosted by Sudeshna, the brain child of Sunita of Sunita’s World fame.
Happy Cooking and Posting about it !!

Pav Bhaji

As Long As I can remember Pav Bhaji has been and will always be my all time favorite. Every birthdays I recollect Pav Bhaji has to rule the menu. And I can proudly and quite comfortably say that This is the the ONLY dish which I can prepare at any time of day – year and it will always be a reliable perfect dish :P
Not only homemade Pav Bhaji but the typical Shiv Sagar one or even the street food ones are all time favorites … Its one of the consistent dish I always order @ any fast food counter. For non mumbaiyya people “This dish started out as simple poor people fast food it consists of mix veggies which are smashed in a typical masala and this veggie is served with paav (Bombay Bread).” But today its one of the most common Indian Fast food served all over India.
Till now its evident that I am very passionate about this dish, so while posting about it I had this mammoth emotional memories going into my mind and was confused as to which one to jot down but then I better jump to recipe else it would not have been a food blog post :P .Anyways following recipe is thanks to this on right and it gives you 4 to 5 servings…
I use Everest of this Badshah Bombay Pav Bhaji Masala, overall the recipe is same as mentioned below but they also ask you to add cloves and other ground masalas which I avoid as, if required add couple of more tsp of Pav Bhaji masala, its taste is suffice.
You Need:

• Paav: quantity depends on the servings for one plate the normally 2 paavs are served
• Cauliflower: 1 cup, finely chopped 
• Carrots: 2 small or one medium, finely chopped
• French Beans: 1/2 cup, finely chopped
• Cabbage: 1 cup, finely chopped
• Green Peas: 1/2 cup, boiled
• Potatoes: 1 (or 2 medium) Boiled, Peeled
• Butter: Loads :P
• Asafetida: pinch
• Ginger Garlic and Green chilies paste: 3 tbsp
• Onion: 3 medium finely chopped
• Capsicum: 1 or 2 finely chopped
• Tomatoes: 3 grinded to paste
• Pav Bhaji Masala: 3 tbsp or more
• Red Chili powder: 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder: 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
• Garam Masala: 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds/powder: 1/2 tsp
• Dry Mango powder (Amchur):1 tsp
• Lemon Juice: of 2 or one and half lemons
• Cheese (optional): for garnishing
• Coriander Leaves: for garnishing
• Salt to taste

You Do:

1. Pressure Cook the items in Red from the You Need List with two whistles. Boil the frozen green peas till a bit soft. Keep aside.
2. In a big kadai add 4 tbsp of butter, once it melts add the items in Blue to it. Once onion turns translucent pink add items in Purple. Simmer for 10 mins.
3. Till this time mash the cooked veggies, I used food processor. P.S : In restaurants the chef uses the traditional masher its perfect to use if you know the technique as pav bhaji doesn’t taste the way required if mashing is not done appropriately so always mash it to perfection :D
4. Now add the mixture of veggies, let it simmer of 8 mins then add mashed potatoes and boiled peas. Allow to cook for 10 mins. (If you find it on thicker side add a bit of water but to not liquefy it more).
5. When done use lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves.
6. When the cooking is on with the help of big dollop of butter slice the paav rolls at the centre and place them facing inwards.Turn them around and make them golden brown from both sides.

Phew !! Done…. Mind you the hardwork is worthwhile, but to be frank don't get scared with the huge TO DO list above cos if you are ready with chopping the cooking time doesn't last for 20-30 mins max. find something comedy in the above snap :P

Traditionally and authentically Pav Bhaji is served with the Pav and garnished with dollop of butter and sliced onion. Nowadays you also find the guilty cheese making its special appearance.
Now my Pav Bhaji makes its special appearances to the following Events :

• This is THE Dish that I love to “Cook for me” and hence it goes of for “Cook for yourself” event hosted by RV
• Its THE SPECIALITY of my lovely  Mumbai hence it also runs to Suchi for her “WYF Speciality Food”
• Yeah its still running to the lovely RCI this month hosted by kitchen chronicles it’s originally started by Lakshmi, yeah its “RCI – Mumbai”

K-Cut Masala Cheese Dosa

Nooo … This Title is not inspired by any eKta Kapoor soap or Karan johar movie, it’s a street side dosa which we get here. Nothing unique about these dosas, just the presentation and the way it is served is total bombaiyya  roadside istyle.

What to write about the recipe which must be one of the most written around in the food blog world? So nothing new to write here just need a mention about our most regular Brunch for Meeta’s Monthly Mingle Brunch.

You Need:

• Dosa Batter: qty depends on how many dosas you wanna prepare

For Masala:

• Potatoes: 2-3 Medium sized Boiled, Peeled and Smashed
• Onion: 1 finely sliced
• Fenugreek Seeds: tempering
• Chana Dal: tempering
• Curry Leaves: 3-4 in no.
• Mustard Seeds: tempering
• Green chilies: 2-3 finely chopped
• Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp
• Coriander Leaves: for garnishing
• Loads of Cheese
• Loads of Butter :P
• Salt to taste
• Oil for tempering stuffs

You Do:

Prepare Masala:

1. One of the most commonly made potato sabzi, hence won’t get into many details still steps follow are, put all the tempering stuffs in the oil once its heated in kadai.
2. Follow with curry leaves and green chilies, after spluttering is completed then mix the onions, turn them pink.
3. Then mix the smashed potatoes and cover and let it cook till done.
4. Now the process is quite similar to normal dosas, heat the dosa tawa and spread the ladleful of dosa batter evenly to make even medium size dosa (you can get loads of videos online for making dosas).Drizzle half tsp of oil around the dosa and cook on medium heat for half a minute.
5. Spread some potato bhaji along with 1tbsp of butter. Press everything gently till everything is lightly mashed. Spread it all over the dosa. Then grate a small cube of cheese over it.
6. Gently fold over and put some butter all around so that the side turns golden and crisp. Flip over and fry till the other side too turns golden and crisp. Cut into triangular pieces and serve hot with chutneys or ketchup