Masala by Mallika Basu

Author:Mallika Basu
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781408886878
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2018-10-10T16:00:00+00:00

Bharwan Kumbh

Cheesy Stuffed Mushrooms

PAV BHAJI

BOMBAY VEGETABLE CURRY WITH BREAD ROLLS

Pav Bhaji is a tangy, spicy vegetable curry with lashings of butter mopped up with buttered white bread rolls. Mumbai (Bombay), a city infamous for its eye-watering property prices and high cost of living, is also well known for its diverse street food. One of my abiding memories of the city is seeing people from all walks of life standing on street corners as they tuck into delicious snacks.

I wouldn’t dream of messing with this sacred recipe, but I do prefer to bake the potatoes instead of boiling them to keep their goodness intact. While ready-made pav bhaji masala is available, making your own means there is no half-used pack left over. Normally you would serve this topped with raw onion, but as this can understandably be unpopular at parties, I have left it out. At any rate, party food doesn’t get better than this: you can make it a day in advance, it’s filling, packed full of flavour, easy to assemble on the day and any leftovers can be stashed away for a hangover breakfast.

SERVES 4–6

FOR THE PAV BHAJI MASALA

2 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp whole black peppercorns

1 whole dried red chilli

FOR THE CURRY

300g baking potatoes

1cm fresh root ginger

2 garlic cloves

3 medium tomatoes (about 300g), quartered

3 tbsp oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 medium green pepper, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder or paprika

125ml (½ cup) hot water

1 tsp garam masala

Generous sprinkle of mango powder

Salt

TO SERVE

Butter

4–6 white bread rolls

Lemon wedges and chopped coriander leaves

Dry-roast the masala spices in a frying pan set over a medium heat for a minute or two until fragrant. Turn the heat off and leave them to cool down, then remove and discard the chilli stem.

Wash and prick the potatoes for the curry with a fork. Microwave on high for 8–10 minutes until soft, or bake in an oven pre-heated to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7 for 45 minutes–1 hour.

Use a hand blender to purée the ginger and garlic with a dash of water until smooth, then tip out into a bowl. Add the tomatoes to the blender and purée them too.

Pour the oil into a wok and place over a medium-high heat. When it’s hot, toss in the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add the green pepper and carrot. Stir the lot for 5 minutes until soft, then add the puréed ginger and garlic and cook this for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, grind the now cool masala spices into a fine powder, using a spice grinder or pestle and mortar. Stir them into the pan along with the turmeric and Kashmiri chilli powder or paprika. Add 2 tablespoons of hot water if the spices start getting stuck to the bottom of the wok.

Now, mix in the puréed tomatoes, lower the heat to a high simmer and let the mixture bubble away for 10 minutes. When oil starts to ooze through the surface, peel and mash the baked potatoes and stir them into the pan, along with the hot water to make a loose curry.

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