Pao Bhaji in Slow Cooker

I belong to Jaipur and Pao-Bhaji at roadside stalls at Pandit Pao Bhaji has always been my favorite snack all my life. I have always missed the Pandit pao bhaji and have prepared the same many times. But this particular time, as I was exploring the many benefits of my slow cooker, I thought to give a try to prepare the bhaji in the slow cooker; and trust me, I have never been able to prepare a richer, creamier and yummiest pao bhaji before on my stove top.

So here's the step by step method that I followed to achieve the yummiest ever pao bhaji!

Ingredients:

Cooking oil: 4 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 1 big
Vegetables of choice (I used cabbage, capsicum and carrots)
Boiled potatoes: 4
Salt to taste
Red chili powder: 1 tsp.
Cumin powder: 1 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1 tsp.
Mango powder: 1 tsp.
Tomatoes (roughly chopped): 2
Peas: 1 cup (I used frozen peas)
Pao Bhaji masala: 2 tbsp.
Butter to add over the bhaji

1. Add the cooking oil to the slow cooker and add the onions. Turn on the slow cooker on low and let the onions get warm for a while. 
   
2. Add the chopped and diced vegetables next: cabbage, capsicum and carrots. You can use other vegetables as well. 
   
3. Next, add the boiled and roughly chopped potatoes. 
   
4. Add the dry spices: salt, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and mango powder. 
   
5. Add the tomatoes. 
   
6. Add the peas and the pao bhaji masala. 
   
7. Try and stir all of it together. Add a cup of water. 
   
8. Cover and leave overnight. 
9. In the morning, turn off the slow cooker, remove the lid and add the dollop of butter. 
    
   
10. Serve hot with pao bread. Enjoy! 

You can prepare the same on stove top if you don't own a slow cooker using the same recipe or this Pao Bhaji recipe I use to prepare on stove top. 

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Pao-Bhaji

Ingredients:

Potatoes (boiled and mashed): 4
Onion (chopped): 1
Tomato (chopped): 1
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Cooking oil: 2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp.
Pao bhaji masala: 1 tsp.
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.
Onion (chopped): for garnish

1. Heat oil and add the onions and fry well until they become transparent. 
2. Add the tomatoes and green chilli. Mix well and sprinkle salt. Let cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
3. Add the boiled and mashed potatoes. Mix everything well and sprinkle little water: 3-4 tsp. Add red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and pao bhaji masala. Mix everything well and let cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add 2 cups of water and turn the heat to high. Let the bhaji cook until the water evaporates and the bhaji is in semi-liquid state, alternating between medium and high heat. 
5. Turn off the flame, add the lemon juice and mix well. Garnish with chopped onions and serve hot with pao bread. 

Loved this recipe? Please do leave a comment and join me on my Facebook Page and Pinterest.

Looking for more chaat recipes? Try this Dahi Vada, Mint egg salad, Papdi Chaat and Apple Walnut Salad.

Looking for more snacks recipes? Try this 3-minute microwave dhokla, 3-minute rawa dhokla, Tomato Poha, Potato Cutlets, Wheat Samosa and Wheat Kachori.

Sprouted Green Moong Chat

So, after I made the Sprouted Chana Chaat with my new sprouts maker, I was all excited to try out other things. So I sprouted green moong dal and made a chaat using the same. In India, we used to eat them raw as salad, with raw diced onions, tomatoes and green chilli in it. But I fried it a bit because I couldn't it it cold for the evening snacks in the cold season.

Ingredients:

Sprouted Moong Dal: 1 cup
Onions (finely chopped): 1
Tomato (chopped): 1
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder
Turmeric powder (optional)
Mango powder
Chaat Masala
(spices to be adjusted according to taste)
Cooking oil: 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Lemon juice: 1 tsp.

1. Heat oil on medium flame and splutter the cumin seeds.
2. Saute the onions a bit, add the tomatoes and green chilli. Don't cook for a lot of time as you want to eat this as a chaat, not a dal.
3. Add the sprouted daal and the spices. Mix quickly, turn off the heat after a minute.
4. Sprinkle lemon juice and serve.

Sprouted Chana Chaat

Visit to India this year has been wonderful for me.. Most importantly for I got some amazing friends to be with me in the kitchen.. my sprouts maker is one of those.. So now, I would get regular, ready sprouts.. the feeling itself filled me with satisfaction as I am always looking for filling and healthy snacks during the evening tea-time. So here goes this !! The first I tried was black chana.. and wooohoo !! came out simply perfect...

So happy with the perfect result, I instantly made a chaat out of it for the evening snacks, and loved it to the core.. So here's my happy recipe of a simple, happy chaat.

Ingredients:

Sprouted Chana: 1 cup
Onion (chopped): 1
Tomato (chopped finely): 1
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Cooking oil: 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1/4 tsp.
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1/4 tsp.
Mango powder: a pinch
Chaat masala/ Garam masala: 1/4 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1/4 tsp.
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.

1. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Add the onions and fry a bit, till they just are little transparent.
2. Add the tomatoes and green chilli, mix well and let cook for a minute.
3. Add the salt, red chilli, chaat masala, mango powder and coriander powder and mix well. Add the washed, sprouted chana to the pan.
4. Mix well and let cook for another minute. Turn off the heat, sprinkle lemon juice and ting! Your healthy, tasty sprouts chaat is ready to eat in less than 10 minutes. Enjoy !!

Rajma Chaat (Red kidney beans)

Much like the Black eyed beans chaat, this is another evening snack to satisfy my hunger pangs. But unlike the black eyed beans, these must be soaked in advance, at least 6-8 hours before you would like to prepare this chaat.. This chaat picture is of brown rajma, similarly red rajma can also be used with the same procedure. What I do is, whenever I prepare Punjabi Rajma Masala, I soak a handful of extra beans and keep the extra boiled beans in the refrigerator. Then I make this chaat the next day, so it turns out to be pretty easy for me.

Ingredients:

Red kidney beans (boiled): 1 cup
Onion (chopped): 1
Tomato (chopped): 1
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Salt: to taste
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Chaat masala (optional)
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Cooking oil: 2 tsp.

1. Heat oil in a pan and splutter the cumin seeds. Add onions and fry for few seconds, do not cook for long time.
2. Add the tomatoes and green chilli. Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and mix well. Let cook for a minute. Don't let the tomatoes be soft or it will not taste like chaat. 
3. Add the rajma and mix well. Add chaat masala, mix well and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and serve. 

Black Eyed beans chaat

Black eyed beans, although they sound boring; but personally speaking, if cooked in a proper way, it is really tasty to eat. To me as well, it sounds boring only, but when I cook it, it's always finished completely. Black eyed beans curry is about a fortnightly affair in our home. And this chaat is also my personal favourite because of some particular reasons:

1. It does not need to be soaked earlier before boiling just like black chana and white chhole and rajma.
2. It takes less whistles to boil; therefore reducing the cooking time.
3. It is easy to prepare without any hassles.. I complete it in 10 minutes flat.
4. It is a evening snack/breakfast which is not so heavy on the stomach like other chana and rajma etc., also it keeps me full for longer times, specially through the evening because I usually don't eat after 7 PM.
5. And of course, I love the taste.. !!

Ideally, this chaat is very dry and no water  is added to it. But I don't like it so dry so at the time of cooking, I do add a bit of water from the water in which these are boiled. But that is completely not necessary.

Black eyed beans (boiled) 1 cup Onion (chopped) 1 number Tomato (chopped) 1 number Green chilli (chopped) 1 number Salt to taste Red Chilli powder to taste Mango powder to taste Lemon juice to taste Coriander leaves (optional) Cooking oil 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon



Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Add chopped onions and fry well. Add the tomatoes and green chilli and let cook for about a minute. Don't cook for very long or the chaat taste will be gone. Add the salt and red chilli powder. Mix well and add the boiled beans. Mix and let cook for another minute. Turn off the flame and transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle mango powder and add the lemon juice. Mix and garnish with coriander leaves (optional). Serve as a chaat.

Papdi Chaat

I have to admit that I love love love this chaat of all the chaats shared before, and even those I have had in my life. This is one chaat I used to enjoy much at the street vendors in India. But this has stopped ever since I moved out of India and I have been ever since craving for this chaat (and all my others which I enjoyed eating at roadside stalls).

So I thought of making papdi chaat at home if I can't have it outside. First I thought what else can I do, but quickly realized that it's much better, safer, economical and hygienic as we have no idea what's there in the chaat made at road sides. Even so, I made the papdi at home (and that too from whole wheat flour instead of maida) so everything is from scratch and I know what am I eating. Now I feel it's much easier to have the chaat in the comfort of our own home. All you need to fry enough papdis once and store them in air tight containers. They keep over the shelf for a long time.

Ingredients:

Papdi (I use home-made papdi: Wheat papdi recipe) as required
Potatoes (boiled and peeled)
Onion (chopped finely) You can use the small white onions if the pink are too strong.
Green chili (very finely chopped)
Salt to taste
Red chili powder as required
Cumin powder
Mint powder
Mango powder
Green chutney (Mint coriander chutney recipe)
Tamarind chutney
Coriander leaves to garnish
Sev to top the chaat (Home made namkeen sev) as required
Beaten yogurt as required

1. Begin by laying the papdis on a flat tray or a serving plate. 
2. Add the peeled and finely diced boiled potatoes to the papdis. Also add finely chopped onions and green chillis. 
3. Now sprinkle the dry spices according to flavor: salt, red chili, cumin powder, mint powder and mango powder. 
4. Add the green chutney over all the papdis. Add tamarind chutney also if required (I did not use tamarind chutney). 
5. Now pour the beaten yogurt over all of this. Or you can pour a little yogurt over each papdi and leave more beaten yogurt in a big bowl while serving so everyone can pour yogurt according to their own requirement and taste.   
6. Now garnish with coriander leaves and finally sprinkle the fine (or coarse) sev over the whole chaat and serve directly. Do not make the chaat and serve later as the papdis will become soggy. 
7. If you need to serve later, prepare everything and keep aside, assemble and serve directly. I feel the best way to serve this chaat is by having beaten yogurt, green chutney, tamarind chutney and extra sev in separate bowls along with the chaat served so everyone can adjust all these flavors according to the taste. Enjoy !!

Dahi Vada

Dahi vada.. mmm pleasure !! This is one ultimate cooling snack item of India which is popular among all age groups: the kids love it, the middle-aged ones like it and the seniors love the mildly spiced taste of these soft and fluffy dumplings dunked in yogurt and topped with spices to result in a super star and out of the would pleasure with each bite you take of this Dahi Vada. This is a wonderful snack and chaat, specially to be enjoyed during summers.

My Nani Ji is an awesome cook and she loves to eat. I remember taking her to chaat corners for eating chaats and bhel puri, pani puri etc. but her favorite was always Dahi Vada. This recipe is simple and that's how my nani and mother make it. My mother is a doctor and Naturopathy professional and so she uses moong dal instead of urad dal for the vadas as it's healthier. So even I have used moong dal in this recipe.

Ingredients:

Moong dal: 2 cups
Ginger (grated): 1 inch
Green chilli (finely chopped): 1
Oil to deep fry the vadas
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder
Cumin powder
Mango powder
Mint powder
(All spices according to taste)
Whisked Yogurt: 3 cups
Mint coriander chutney
Tamarind chutney
Coriander leaves to garnish

1. Wash and soak the moong dal in water for about 6-7 hours or overnight. 
2. Drain the water and add the soaked dal to the grinder and without adding any water, grind to a smooth paste and take out in a wide bowl.
3. Add the ginger and green chillis and mix well. Now mix this batter vigorously for some time until it becomes soft and fluffy; this will take about 15 minutes. This step will help the vadas be soft so don't skip this step.
4. Now heat the oil on medium high and add spoonfuls of batter to the oil, try to make it round but not necessary. Keep a close eyes and as soon as vadas start forming the shape (that is, they will not break), turn the flame to medium low and let cook. This step is important (i.e. reducing the flame) so that the vadas get completely cooked from inside. 
5. Keep turning and when the vadas start becoming golden brown, drain the oil and remove on a kitchen paper to absorb extra oil. Repeat with all the batter and prepare vadas. 
   
6. Let the vadas cool a bit and then add all the vadas to a big water vessel. Let them soak in the water for about 15 minutes so that they become soft and fluffy and not remain hard. 
   
7. Remove the vadas from the water, one by one and squeeze the extra water from them, carefully placing the vadas between your palms and applying little pressure carefully so as not to break the vadas. 
8. Place all the vadas in a big serving bowl. 
   
9. Pour the whisked yogurt over the vadas. 
   
10. Sprinkle salt, red chilli, cumin powder, mango powder on it and add both the chutneys. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. 
    
11. Freeze for 2 hours and take out. Serve chilled. 

Loved this recipe? Please do leave a comment and join me on my Facebook Page and Pinterest.

Looking for more chaat recipes? Try this Pao Bhaji, Mint egg salad, Papdi Chaat and Apple Walnut Salad.

Looking for more snacks recipes? Try this 3-minute microwave dhokla, 3-minute rawa dhokla, Tomato Poha, Potato Cutlets, Wheat Samosa and Whet Kachori.