November 20, 2007

BHAJI FOR PAV AND SPINACH IN COCONUT GRAVY

A new event called "Grindless Gravies" been launched by sra of "When my soup came alive!" blog. This is all about making thick gravies without grinding any spices or masala but with a bit of elbow grease, you can chop and pound the spices to make gravies instead. Thanks for making me (temporarily) give up my beloved grinder sra!;D

I throughly enjoyed making gravies without using the blender and it was not that hard as I thought!! Takes a little time to mince the onions etc but very doable and I made two gravies for this event! They just need some chopping and grating or mashing with pestle and motor which takes a minute, that's all!

We used to love eating Pav Bhaji and Bhel Puri in Belgaum frequently and I used to watch the guy make it on a huge Tava very intently to learn the trick. Although I cannot recreate that same taste, here is my best recipe for Pav Bhaji. Enjoy!:))

"No grind" Bhaji for Pav!!
Pav Bhaji is the only vegetarian dish my kids (both are self proclaimed "Carnivores") ask...YES.. ask me to make it atleast once a week! They eat it stuffed in Burger buns and topped with cheese and say "thank you Mother!" after cleaning the plate!!;D
("Thank you Mother" comes out only after eating Butter chicken etc, so it is VERY special!!;p)

To make it: 1. Cook 3 Waxy red Potatoes in the Microwave with lots of water for 20 mins. Drain, add cold water to shrink the skin. Peel and cube. Keep aside.
2. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan, fry 1 small minced Onion for a minute. Then add 1" grated ginger, 2 grated or mashed Garlic, fry. Add 1 tsp each of Coriander powder, cumin powder, Garam masala,1/8tsp turmeric, chilli pd if needed, 1 tsp sweet Paprika for color, 1 tbsp of MDH Pav Bhaji(very imp. ingredient!)masala, stir.
3. Pour in 1 cup Tomato Sauce, mix well, add in 1 cup Green peas, 1/2 water, simmer until you see the oil shows on top.
4. Add in all potatoes, more water if needed, salt, 1 tsp Kasoori Methi, 4 tbsp minced cilantro.Simmer or microwave until it gets a good shine and thickish.
5. Finally, add 1 tbsp of butter, mix well. Serve with minced onion, cilantro and lemon slices on the side and with toasted Pav or square dinner rolls. I brush some butter and toast the sliced Pav both sides on a electric griddle for crisp golden crust.

Looks like this!



Watch this video for authentic Mumbai Juhu beach Pav Bhaji and for Vada Pav here! YUM YUM!!:)

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Spinach in Coconut milk gravy:
Here is another "no grinding" sauce with Spinach. My kids say it tastes like chicken because it's so flavorful and tasty, easy recipe too. I served with soft Parathas, tastes delicious with creamy golden sauce!

To make this gravy: 1. Heat 1 tbsp oil, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 minced onion, fry for a minute. Then add 1" finely grated or mashed fresh Ginger, 1 or 2 red chillies sliced, fry until they are slightly golden.Sprinkle 2 tsp Besan/Chickpea flour, 1/8 tsp turmeric, stir for minute.
2. Add 2 small Tomatoes sliced, 1 tsp Coriander pd, 1/2 tsp cumin pd, (or any curry pd you have, I added 1 tsp 777 brand curry pd), stir well for 2 minutes.
3. Add 5 cups chopped Spinach, 1/2 cup of water, salt and chilli pd if needed, 1/2 tsp Tamarind juice, cover and cook for 2 mins or until Palak is cooked.
4. Turn down the heat and add 1 cup of canned thick coconut milk, simmer until you have thickish sauce. You can Microwave the whole thing too until Spinach gets cooked.
5. Add a dab of butter on top, mix. That's it. Serve with Parathas.

Enjoy!:))

63 comments:

Latha Narasimhan said...

Pav Bhaji is lakshmi's favourite! :) Lovely looking spinach curry!

Enjoy your holiday with children and don't carry your laptop while holidaying! :)
My father will be staying with me for 2 months from 1st of december as the weather in Delhi is very cold! So I really donot know how much time I will have to blog!:)

FH said...

Latha, try Spinach gravy, we loved the taste. Pav Bhaji is mouthwatering even to look at it anywhere for me!:)
I will post tomorrow at FH, Thanksgiving is on Thursday. EVERYTHING is closed here until Friday morning! So we might drive on Friday morning and come back on Sunday.
Enjoy the time with your father, blogging is always be there, don't worry about that. I will be off for first 2 weeks in Dec. too. This time strictly no commenting and posting until 12th!:))

Sagari said...

pav bhaji such a greatttttt ideaa
spinach in coconut milk very new recipe looks delecious

Raaga said...

both dishes look great :) will try the spinach very soon as it is in season here now. And pav bhaji is an all time favourite anyway

Rajitha said...

first off..the pav-bhaji looks awesome..you really got me craving some..and i have exactly the same dish in which u displayed the spinach :) it's so cute...;)

Finla said...

Love the pav baji. I have never ever made them, just ate them in places in India.
So asha where are you going for 12 days. I wish i could go for 12 days somewhere :-)
Well just have to wait.

Seema said...

Nice recipes.. Spinach curry - your style i have not tried.. it looks delicious.. will try! So going on holiday...enjoy & dont forget your blogger friends :-)

Kribha said...

Pav Bhaji.....yum ,it's been years since I made this. Looks mouthwatering. And the spinach in coconut gravy looks so rich.Adding besan is a nice tip. One question....Is besan used just to give thickness or does it impart some flavor to the dish? Loved your serving dish too.

TBC said...

I can eat pav bhaji anytime. It is so yum!:-)
Spinach in coconut milk sounds interesting.

sra said...

Asha, thanks for the entries, look good, both.
Did you hear the incident about the Indian girl in North Carolina battered and left in hospital - she's been sent back to India by her parents, it's on TV even as I speak.

Richa said...

pav bhaji, the ever fav, looks yum :) never added kasuri methi though! tastes best w/ amul butter heh!heh!
i'm definitely making spinach gravy!

Richa said...

btw, will it taste as good with frozen palak? tx

Laavanya said...

We love pav bhaji at home. The spinach gravy looks very yummy Asha.

FH said...

Try the Spinach gravy Sagari, you will love it!:)

You are lucky you get to eat Pav Bhaji there Raaga. We have to make at home to taste it which is not the same as the street cart! Enjoy the Palak!:))

FH said...

Rajitha, last weekend I went shopping and bought lot of nick knacks for the kitchen, love those those little dishes!:))

Make it F, I love MDH Pav Bhaji masala the best.
12 days break is in December, not planned yet but will see where we can go!:)
This long weekend we will be off for 4 days, may be to the mountains.Thanksgiving holiday for kids starts tomorrow!:))

FH said...

Seema, going away just for weekend this time. I will post tomorrow at FH as usual, then we will take off on Thursday, will be back to routine on Monday though!:)

Besan does make it taste like non-veg and thickens a bit too Kribha. You add a very little amount, otherwise gravy will become a great big lump!:D
Try it.

FH said...

Me too tbc, even kids love it which is a miracle!:D
Enjoy the Palak gravy.

sra, no I haven't heard that at all. CNN doesn't tell us anything about that but I have to watch local TV or get on the internet, will do. So sad to hear that,will get more info about this.
Gad you liked the gravies, Palak is really good!:))

FH said...

Richa, I don't get Amul Butter here, only Wisconsin one!:D
Kasoori Methi is just what I add, not necessary or traditional.
Yes,frozen is fine. I used frozen Spinach, tastes excellent, no problems. No need to mash the Palak at all, naturally breaks down in the gravy since it's chopped and frozen already.Try it:))

Try the Spinach gravy Laavanya, really tasty with Parathas or Poories! I guess you can serve with rice too, since it has coconut milk!:)

Bindiya said...

Asha ,will try these as soon as possible, you got me drooling badly!

FH said...

Hahaha!! Okay Bindiya, got a long weekend to try. Enjoy! Make Parathas with Palak gravy!:))

Tee said...

Fantastic entries Asha! Pav bhaaji looks sooooo good...its not a surprise that your kids thank you after such a delicious meal :)

Anonymous said...

made me laugh your - ""Thank you Mother" comes out only after eating Butter chicken etc, so it is VERY special!!" :) i wish someone would post a tried & tested pav bread recipe on their blog!!:)Strange isn't it asha, there is no recipe for homemade pavs in any cookbook! atleast i have not seen a single one in my cookbook collection!
paati

FH said...

HeHe!! Tee, it's hard to get the Thanks out of those kids, but Pav Bhaji will do the trick!:))

It's true Paati. But we can adopt any good white bread recipe to make Pavs. I will see if I can bake some and post it when I can.
Yeah, kids are very clever these days, give thanks only when they are very pleased!:D

sunita said...

Drooling over the bhaji...the spinach looks good too...no wonder the kids are pleased :-)

FH said...

Kids are very pleased with Pav Bhaji Sunita. I am glad they love it. At least they have this vegetarian dish they will remember fondly when they leave home!!:D

Siri said...

Both are such wonderful entries ashaji.. Lovely, still drooling over the bhaji..Happy Holidays to u and ur family Ashaji..:D

-Siri

Mansi said...

you have all the wonderful plates to serve your delicious food in, Asha!! I am exhausted with all the thanksgiving cooking I did...now me and my hubby will be off for the long weekend..really look forward to it!:)

Enjoy your vacation too, and happy Holidays!

FH said...

Thank you Siri. I am busy cooking the Thanksgiving lunch today and tomorrow and on Thursday, we will have a long weekend to enjoy!:)
You too have fun.

Mansi, I did a little shopping last weekend and got all the itty bitty beautiful dishes!:D
Enjoy your break, you already cooked all the Thanksgiving dinner! Hugs to you. See you on Monday!:))

Anonymous said...

Both the gravies looks delicious. Love the bhaji..for Pav always comforting..Nice entry.

Prema Sundar said...

I had planned misal pav for sra's event Asha. Pav and bhaji looks great and love the spich gravy too. happy holidays

FH said...

Thanks Madhu. Palak gravy is really tasty, hope you try!:))

Prema, looking forward to your Misal Pav, I love that. You too have a great weekend!:))

Pooja V said...

Looks gorgeous and the effforts of mincing n all is commendable.

FH said...

The things we do for getting these to events Pooja!!;D
Had to mince and pound girl but it worth the effort!:))
Happy Thanksgiving.

Red Chillies said...

Asha, the Pav Bhaji looks delicous. I don't blame your kids, with such an expert mother/cook, they ought to love evrything you make and say "tahnk you Mother" :-)

Menu Today said...

Hi Asha,
I liked the spinach curry in coconut gravy.. Very colourful dish.
Today I made bhaji for chappathi. Thanks for sharing these recipes.
Have a break and come with a bang.
For me, my sister-in-law family and My son visiting singapore.I will be busy during dec.
Have a wonderful holiday:-)

Ramya's Mane Adige said...

Ashakka, loved your spinach in coconut gravy!! looks simple too. Will def try it out this weekend! thanx :)

Raks said...

thats a great idea of sending pav for grindless event asha!!!
Like your spinach in coconut milk gravy too:))

EC said...

Pav bhaji without grinding....great entry

Anonymous said...

Both of these look so yummy Asha, I won't need any pav nor any parathas even, good as they are, because I can eat the gravies with a spoon!! :)

Will see you in the AM at FH as I am home tmo and busy cooking Thanksgiving stuff. I would like to add that pav bhaji to the mix too.

sra said...

I made a grindless gravy with coconut milk too - wanted to tell you yesterday that I think your spinach in coconut milk is quite unusual.

Suganya said...

Pav bhaji once a week. That surely is a treat. "Thank you Mother" reminds me of the Tyson chicken commercial :)

Latha Narasimhan said...

Happy thanks giving Asha! :) I really donot know the significance of this festival! You said no blogging and commenting, but I can trust inly when you say no to laptop! :D

The herb roll turned out to be a chapathi roll! :D My all knowing hubby said there is no need to keep the dough to rise for more than an hour! I too foolishly listened to him and just see the result! Not learnt even after 26 years! :D. I am trying again. I will also post the flopshow soon! :)

Lissie said...

yummy pav bhaji... its my favorite! the spinach gravy sounds great! nice entries, asha :))

Shivapriya said...

Bhaji and spinach curry looks delicious. Even my husband asks me every week.. :).

FH said...

Haha!! RC, kids are very clever these days!:)

MT, enjoy your family. I need a break anyway, have been going on forever without stopping for more than a year now!:))

FH said...

Thanks Ramya. Try it, it's delicious!:))

Thank you Raks. Enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving!:)

Rina said...

That plate of pav & bhaji looks gr8Asha ji. And always for spinach. Thanx for the feast.

FH said...

Thanks EC, don't need any grinding for Pav Bhaji, just some elbow grease!:)

Linda, I bet you are cooking away like me too today. Pav Bhaji masala is good enough to eat just like with little onion and cilantro on it!:)
See you later, I am bit late today for posting at FH!

FH said...

It is sra. I just came up with this gravy since I had frozen spinach and half can of milk!:D
I tried to look into that news (Indian girl beaten)you told me yesterday, couldn't find any info at all anywhere!!

LOL! Suganya, that is true!! These modern kids are very manipulative that way, as long as they get what they want!!

FH said...

I will post about Thanksgiving today at FH, you can read all about t.I have been cooking all morning, will post soon.
GOT to leave the dough alone until it doubles!!:D
Good luck next time and don't let others influence you this time!:)
Great for L's nightmare stories!!:D
I will not be touching the Laptop(Except moderating comments)from tomorrow!

Thanks Lissie. Hope you try the Palak gravy, it's yum!:))

FH said...

Oh good Shivapriya!! Now adults started asking for Pav Bhaji too!:D
Enjoy. I love to make it anyway.

You are welcome Rina. I can't wait for sra's round up of this event! Enjoy!:))

Pooja Na(i)rayan said...

Happy Thanksgiving. I read FH and your so thoughtful to thank everyone. yeah i also make full meal for my kids. I want them to adopt both America and India. So I try to celebrate all festivals.

FH said...

That's so great to hear Mocha! Sometimes I feel that I am the only one making the effort to adopt both traditions. Kids are growing up in such a different culture than us parents.I think it's great that they can respect both cultures and enjoy everything in equal dose!:)
Have fun, post your feast too. Have a great Thanksgiving!:))

Daily Meals said...

Hi Asha! the bhaji and pav are looking mouthwatering. Spinach with coconut milk looks delicious. Nice entries!

FH said...

Thanks Vijaya, hope you try the Spinach dish, it's really tasty. Enjoy your weekend!:))

Queenie said...

Mona told me to come over and have a look at your blog, I am so pleased she did. Great blog.

FH said...

Thanks for visiting me Queenie!:)
This blog is just for events, my main blog is Foodie's Hope.Enjoy.
Have a great weekend!:)

Chibog in Chief said...

Wow!! guess you are a real magician in the kitchen..all your dishes looks fabulous :-)

FH said...

Thanks D! I like your profile name!:D
Enjoy this blog, just a place for cooking for events. Hope you are enjoying your weekend, we surely are!:))

Chibog in Chief said...

oh my asha dear, you save my day..i bought 2 days ago lots of spinach leaves..my hubby is too tired of the normal spinach tarte i do..i think i will try your recipe :-)

FH said...

Try this palak recipe D, it really creamy and tasty. You will love it. Enjoy!:))

krystyna said...

Hi Asha!
Today I'm going to prepare Spinach and I came to your beautiful place. I found many great Spinach recipes.
THANKS!!!

Archana Doshi said...

I love this spinach dish with tamarind and coconut milk. My kids are fond of spinach, but not too fond of coconut milk, may be i will substitute with ground coconut. What do you suggest?

Archana