Quick Pav Bhaji masala

As a kid, I spent most of my summer vacations in Mumbai (then Bombay) at my grandparents’ house. I have great memories of the holidays, especially food. A trip to Mumbai would mean eating bhel puri, vada pav and pav bhaji from the roadside vendor. Much to the dislike of my grandma and her lectures on cleanliness, we would sneak around and make sure we ate them. Now, of course we make them at home. Here is my recipe for a quick and easy pav bhaji masala. It's simple as you need only two basic veggies and healthy as it is served with 7-grain bread. You can try out wheat bagels, hearth breads, all grain breads and buns - whichever you like.

Ingredients3 medium sized potatoes
2 medium onions chopped for the gravy
1 medium onion (very finely chopped for garnish)
1 cup of green peas (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup of crushed tomato
1 tsp of tomato paste
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp of coriander powder
1 tsp of cumin powder
2 tsp of pav bhaji masala (any brand)
1 tsp of red chilli powder
2 tsps of lime juice
Salt to taste
2-3 tsps of oil
A pat of butter
Fresh coriander for garnish

Method1. Boil the potatoes. I usually microwave the potatoes. To microwave, I wash them and wrap them in plastic wrap. And they come out perfect every time.
2. Once cooled peel off the skin and mash the potatoes and set aside.
3. Pour the oil and add the butter in a pan and fry the onions until transparent.
4. Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté.
5. Next add the green peas and cook till soft.
6. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, pav bhaji masala and red chilli powder and sauté till the raw smell of the tomato and masala disappears.
7. Then add the mashed potatoes and salt. Add water if you feel the masala is too thick.
8. Once it boils switch off the stove and add the lime juice.
9. Garnish with coriander.
10. Serve the finely chopped onions on the side. Before serving, add ½ tsp of red chilli powder to the onions and mix well.

Optional: Apply butter on both sides and toast the bread before you serve.

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings - 6