Category: Fast Food

Ragda Pattis is a popular street food of Maharashtra and Gujarat. It is a very simple dish and does not consume a lot of time. It is big hit at parties or anytime of the day. Ragda is a simple curry made of white peas with extremely few spices but tastes so good. You will find a similar version in the north called aalu tiki chaat or aloo tikki with chole . Ragda pattis comprises of 5 main components of tikki or patty , ragda, green and sweet chutney , sev and raw onions.

Need –

• For Patties
  • Potato – 5 – boiled and peeled
  • Chilli powder – 1 tsp
  • Corn flour – 1 tbsp
  • Salt
  • Jeera – 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• For Ragda –
  • 2 cups of soaked white peas
  • 5 cups of water
  • Turmeric – 1 tsp
  • Hing – 2 pinch
  • Chilli powder – 1 tsp
  • Sweet chutney – 2 tsp
  • Coriander leaves – 3 tbsp
  • Salt
• Green chutney
• Tamarind chutney
• Chopped onions
• Sev -(nylon sev preferred)
• Chat masala
• Coriander leaves
• Fried peanuts – optional
• Curd – optional

Process –

• For the Ragda , pressure cook the overnight soaked white peas with water , salt and hing till it is mushy. When done check consistency to be closer to batter consistency. Add rest of the things , mix and keep aside
• For the patty – Mash the potatoes well without lumps. Add salt, cornflour , salt , jeera and turmeric powder and mix well. Make palm size patty and shallow fry in a pan. Traditionally it is cooked/ fried in a huge shallow iron pan .
• Now in a plate or bowl , place the patty , add the ragda on top of it.
• Top it with 2 tsp of each chutney. Add onions , sev , coriander leaves, chat masala. Top with peanuts and curd if preferred.

If we talk about Italian food Pasta ranks 1st for me. If it’s pesto or gnocchi you won me there. You do not find gnocchi on the menu in most of the Italian Restaurants and if you do find they do a poor job. Gnocchi is the easiest pasta and these dumpling were made of flour and breadcrumbs before adding flour and eggs it is said. After 4 long years I remade gnocchi and absolutely loved it since all this while I was lost in the readymade pasta packets.

Need –

• Starchy Potatoes – 2
• Flour – 1 cup
• Salt
• Bruschetta spice mix – 1 tbsp
• Butter – 2 tbsp
• Olive oil- 1 tsp
• Garlic – 1 pod crushed (optional)
• Sage leaves – few
• Pepper – 1 tsp
• Salt

Process –

• Boil the potatoes or bake till soft.
• Grate the potatoes or use a potato ricer if you have one. Do not mash because you may end up with big lumps.
• Mix flour , salt , and the spice mix. Do not knead it just gently fold everything together.
• Now cut the dough into 3/4 parts and roll it long little thin snake and cut into small pieces. Dust with flour.
• You could shape them if you own a gnocchi board to use the backside of the fork and roll it to form ridges. If you find it difficult just use the fork to press gently to get the impression.
• Bring a big pot of water to boil with salt. slowly drop these dumplings and wait for a minute or two till they float. Spoon them out and remove the excess water.
• In a pan heat the butter and olive oil. When the butter gets a brown shade add the garlic and sage. Let the sage get crispy . Now add the gnocchi and let it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes till caramelised and toss to brown the other side too. Add salt , pepper and toss to serve.

It is said Bombay is not a a city but an emotion. Bombay is know for it amazing street food and bhel is one such. You will always find a vendor in every area of residence or of work. The speed at which they mix it in a paper cone is amaze that even Masterchef cannot match such skills. Though you will find various on this bhel like Jhalmuri in Calcutta but this Bombay bhel is legit. You get either sukha bhel (Dry bhel) or Gila Bhel (Wet). The latter is dunked in the chutney.

Need –

• Rice puffs – 2 cups
• Roasted Makhna(lotus seeds) – 1 cup
• Boiled potato – 2 cubed
• Onion – 1 chopped
• Tomato – 1 chopped
• Green chilli – 1 chopped (optional)
• Sonth/Date chutney
• Green/Hari chutney
• Peanuts – 2 tbsp roasted
• Sev – 2 handful
• Roasted jeera powder- 1 tsp
• Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
• Chat Masala + Amchut – 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves – handful
• Raw mango – 2 tbsp – chopped (if available)

Process

• Mix everything and top with extra sev and coriander leaves.
• Serve with papdi if you have.
• For such bhel miss th chutney and add lemon juice instead and toss.

It was R’s birthday and I wanted to do something special for dinner. What better than his favourite pizza my way 😛 This was my first try at making the base at home and Oh Boy it did turn out so well. I still need to work on my flattening techniques but it turned out well for the first try.

Need –

• For Dough -( 2 cups flour, 3/4 – 1 cup room temperature water , 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast , 1 tsp sugar , 1 tsp salt , 1tbsp Oil)
• Semolina – 2 tbsp
• Marinara Sause ( 1 onion chopped + 4 tomatoes crushed + 2 garlic cloves + 1 tsp red chillies flakes + 1 tbsp mixed herbs + salt + Olive oil)
• Onion – 1 sliced
• Olives – 10
• Capsicum – 1 – sliced
• Baby corn or American corn
• Mix of Salt + pepper -1 tbsp
• Cheese- (Mozzarella or Block cheese)

Process –

• For the dough mix everything in a stand mix with dough hook or using a spatula by hand. Add water slowly. If it becomes sticky then add little flour. Avoid adding salt on top of yeast as it will kill the bacteria. Apply oil to the dough and rest it for 1-2 hours by covering using cling wrap or kitchen towel.
• If you are in a hurry you can skip resting.
• After resting divide the dough into 2 without kneading again.
• If you are talented use your hands to flatten it like a pizza base. If you are like me, use a rolling pin to flatten a bit and then use hands to spread it. poke few holes using a fork.
• Spread the semolina and place the base. Apply the marinara sauce.
• Add the vegetables and sprinkle salt+ pepper. Add the cheese.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 200 C for 10-12 minutes or in the pizza mode if you have .
• You may skip the yeast , the pizza will still turn out well.

Vada Pav is life for me. I grew up in Mumbai, pretty much munching on them my entire life. We mumbaikars can eat or breakfast /lunch / dinner / snack, pretty much anytime. We have seen the price for a vada pav being sold for 5 Rs to 20 Rs today. Most mumbikars will grab one at as early at 7 AM on their way to work and smell the fresh pav every morning on the way to the railway station.

History says it was introduced by a common man who wanted to sell a food item that was quick that could keep up with the fast pace of life and hence was born the vada pav. Vada is fried potatoes and Pav is the dinner roll of Maharashtra. It is served with a fried chilli by the side.

Need –

• Potatoes – 5 – boiled , peeled and mashed
• Oil – for frying
• Mustard seeds/ Rai – 1 tsp
• Jeera – 1 tsp
• Turmeric – 1 tsp
• Ginger – 1 inch – chopped
• Chilli -1 – chopped
• Hing – 1 pinch
• Curry leaves – 6/7
• Salt
• Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
• Coriander leaves
• For batter – besan 1 cup, salt, hing, red chilli powder , water.
• Pav
• Green chuntey – Mint , coriander – a bunch , 2 garlic pod, 1 inch ginger, 2 green chilli, lemon juice, salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp peanuts.
• Sweet/Tamarind chutney -2 tbsp Tamarind pulp , 1 tbsp Jaggery , 3 dates, 1 tsp dry ginger powder,1 tsp jeera powder , 1 tsp chilli powder, salt
• Garlic chutney – Garlic 5 pods , peanuts 1 tbsp , 2 tbsp coconut , salt, 2 dry red chilli
• Chopped onions
• Fried green chillies

Process –

• In a pan take a table spoon of oil and heat it. Temper mustard seeds , jeera , curry leaves, ginger ,hing. Add chilli, turmeric powder , salt and mashed potatoes. Mix well . Switch off and add lemon juice and coriander leaves. Cool and make palm sized balls.
• Heat oil for frying while mix everything under batter to a thick consistency.
• Take the balls and dip in batter to coat well and fry on low-medium flame till nicely brown and crispy.
• Grind together everything under green chutney. For Sweet chutney cook all ingredients well till raw smell goes and it thickens. Mash well or grind it when cool. For garlic powder dry roast all the ingredients till coconut becomes dry. Cool and grind to a powder.
• To assemble take the pav and score 3/4th in between to open it and spread sweet chutney at the bottom , mint chutney on top , place the vada and top it with garlic chutney and chopped onions. Press the pav together and serve with fried green chilli.

This recipe was taught to my by a cousin many years ago. It has somehow stuck on my mind even when I do it years later. Usually instead of eggs , Besan is used but this recipe calls for Malai – cream from milk or curd.

Need –

• Bread Slices – As needed
• Chopped – Onion , Capsicum, Cabbage , Baby corn , Green chilli
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Asafoetida – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Amchur – 1 tsp
• Garam masala – 1 tsp
• Rava/Semolina – 2 tbsp
• Salt
• Cream – 1 tbsp or Curd – 1 tbsp
• Ketchup or green chutney
• Butter

Process –

• Mix vegetables , spices, salt , rava and cream.
• Spread ketchup or green chutney on the bread. This is optional
• Spread the mix on bread. Add a tsp of oil or a little butter and cook on a pan the spread facing the pan. Butter helps it avoiding sticking to the pan. Once cooked flip and cook the base.

South Indians are famous to make puma out of anything they can lay their hands on be it from rava to new age oats to quinoa. Bread upma is a quick snack/lunch/dinner basically anything and everything . I personally have 3 versions of upma. There is always a bread packet lying in my fridge and it comes to rescue those days when I fall short of rotis or those afternoons I hate to cook elaborate lunch for one. I even made R to start loving it from totally hate it.

Need –

• Bread – brown /white – torn into pieces
• Chopped Onion – 1 small
• Chopped Tomato -1 small
• Chopped Capsicum – half
• Oil
• Jeera – 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
• Peanuts – 1 tbsp
• Asafoetida
• Green chilli – 1 chopped
• Salt
• Lemon Juice
• Chopped coriander – handful

Process –

• Unless you are an OCD person you don’t have to necessarily cut cubes. Be happy with torn pieces .
• If you like crispy bites , roast the bread pieces in a bit oil or bake it or toast a bread and cut it.
• In a pan, take oil. Temper mustard seeds, jeera, peanuts and chilli . Add the onions.
• Once they turn translucent add the tomato and capsicum. You can choose to add green peas as well. Add asafoetida.
• Once the mix turns mushy , add salt and the bread. Give it a toss.
• Once the bread has taken the flavour , remove from fire
• Add lemon juice and coriander.