Masala Pav - Street Food

The other day; i said to Ketan that the worst part of staying abroad   ( especially in a country like Germany, where you hardly get any Indian food ; forget street food), he got angry with me. But this is the fact; that everytime you say ; you want to eat this and that......there is no option but to prepare it at home or just ignore that craving. Another hitch here is that; even if you prepare it at home; it may not get that street food wala taste.
Anyway I had this craving for Masala Pav from a long time ( the Masala pav that you get in the restaurant called Relax in Sahakarnagar,Pune is really amazingggggggggg.....mmmm...muh me pani aa gaya ); so i decided to prepare it at home and guess what; they turned out really tasty except the taste of pav, beacuse you don't get Pav here; so instead I used burger buns to prepare them....


you will need:-

4 ladi pavs / Buns ( i used burger Buns)
2 tbsp butter


for the masala:-
1 cup onions, finely chopped
1 cup tomatoes, finely chopped
¼ cup capsicum, finely chopped
2 tsp finely chopped ginger-garlic ( you can use the paste as well) 
1 tsp finely chopped green chilli  (optional)
a pinch turmeric powder 
2 tsp. Pav bhaji masala
1 1/2 tsp chilli powder
Sugar a pinch2 tbsp oil
salt to taste

To garnish:-
2 tbsp chopped coriander
lemon wedges


1. Heat oil in a pan, add onions and saute them.
2. Then add ginger garlic paste and fry well.
3. When the onions are cooked, add capsicum and cook till capsicum becomes little soft, then add tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and pavbhaji masala and cook till the tomatoes become soft.
4. When the oil starts coming up, sprinkle coriander, mix it properly and switch off the gas.
5. At the time of serving, cut the bread into halves and lightly roast them with lots of butter. Heat the gravy once again and put it in the bread pieces. Garnish with some coriander, lemon wedge and little butter and serve immediately.

TAWA PULAO - Sanjeev Kapoor Style ( Street Food)

Now, What's soo special about Tava Pulao Right?? Hang on . . This is made with Pav Bhaji Masala. . Yes, can you believe it?? And, the taste I tell you, is just out of this world.
Here's my attempt to recreate the magic at home.

1 cup long grained Basmati Rice
1 onion - finely chopped
1 tomato - finely chopped
1/4 Capsicum  - finely chopped
1/2 carrot - finely chopped
A handful of green peas - coarsely crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 /2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 tsp Pav Bhaji Masala - Any Brand
A handful of finely chopped  Coriander  - For garnish
Oil - 2 tbsp.
Salt as per taste


This is how you go about it :-
1. Cook rice in a cooker. Add 2 cups water for a cup of rice.( also add 2 tsp of lemon juice and 2 tsp of oil; so that the rice grain will separate from each other). Keep aside to cool.
2. Heat oil in a griddle or a heavy bottomed pan, add cumin seeds, Once they pop & splutter, add Finely chopped onions, fry till they become translucent.
3. Then add ginger garlic paste & saute for a minute. Add chopped tomatoes. fry for a minute or two till the masala starts leaving oil. ( but do not make it brown).
4. Add chopped carrots, crushed peas & cook with very little water.
5. Now add the cooked rice.
5. Add Pav Bhaji Masala and red chili powder ( if you want to make it spicy). Add salt and little sugar (1/2 tsp.) as per the requirement and stir the rice nicely. Finely add chopped capsicum.
6. Mix it Properly.
7. Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.


P.S. you may use differnt vegetables as per the availablity; but Tawa Pulao tastes best with the above mentioned.