Recipes: The best street foods in Mumbai

Reshma Aslam lists the best street food recipes from Mumbai. You can share yours too!

Misal Pav

Ingredients

For masala

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/4 cup fine sliced onions
• 1/4 cup dry coconut grated
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 cloves
• 3 peppercorns
• 25 mm stick cinnamon
• 2 dry kashmiri red chillies
• 3 garlic cloves

For misal

• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 cup onions finely chopped
• 1 cup tomatoes finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 3 cups mixed bean sprouts
• 1 and 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tbsp coriander finely chopped
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup mixed farsan
• 1/2 cup potatoes
• 4 pavs or bread slices
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup water

Method

For masala

• Take a pan and heat the oil in it.
• Add onions and coconut and dry roast it on slow flame for 3 minutes.
• Add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, red chillies, garlic cloves and saute it for 4 minutes.
• Remove it from the flame and let it cool by keeping it aside
• Once the mixture cools down, blend it using a mixie without any water and keep it aside.

For misal

• Heat some oil in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds.
• When the seeds start to crackle, add onions and saute on a slow flame for 2 minutes.
• Add the masala which was kept aside and sauté on a medium flame for a minute.
• Add tomatoes, turmeric powder and 1 tsp water.
• Mix the contents well and cook on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Keep on stirring it continuously.
• Add the sprouts now and mix it very well.
• Add two cups of hot water and salt, mix well and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
• Allow all the steam to escape from the cooker before opening the lid.
• Add chilli powder, water and coriander.
• Mix well and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

How to serve

• Pour some misal in a serving bowl.
• Sprinkle some farsan, some chopped onions and some coriander over it.
• Serve with pav or bread.

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Poori Bhaji

Ingredients

For poori

• 2 cups wheat flour
• 1 tsp ghee or oil depending on the choice
• Salt to taste
• Little water
• Oil for deep frying

For bhaji

• 3 medium sized potatoes
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 green chilli, chopped
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp urad dal
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• A pinch of asafoetida
• 1/2 cup coriander, chopped
• 1 inch ginger, chopped
• 12-15 curry leaves
• Oil for frying
• Salt to taste
• 3/4 cup water

Method

For poori

• Seive the flour with salt. Add melted ghee or oil.
• Add little water and knead it to form dough.
• Divide the dough into small portions.
• Make it into small balls and roll out into small circles.
• Heat some oil for deep frying.
• Fry one poori at a time in the pan.
• Gently press it down using spoon in circular pattern
• When one side has cooked and turned light brown, turn over the other side and fry it till it turns golden brown.

For bhaji

• Boil and cook all the potatoes.
• Once they are warm, peel them and cut them in small pieces.
• In a pan, heat the oil. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and urad dal.
• Keep on frying till the mustard seeds start to crackle and the mixture turns brown.
• Add the chopped onion and keep on frying till it becomes transparent.
• Add ginger and green chillies and further fry for two minutes.
• Add curry leaves while stirring and fry for some more seconds
• Add turmeric powder and asafoetida.
• Let it fry for some more seconds.
• Add potatoes and half of the coriander leaves.
• Keep stirring.
• Add water and salt. Stir and cover the pan.
• Let it simmer for 5 to 6 minutes on a low flame.
• Add remaining coriander leaves.
• Serve with pooris.

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Dabeli

Ingredients

For homemade dabeli masala

• 3 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 tbsp fennel seeds
• 3 tbsp sesame seeds
• 5 to 7 dry red chilli whole
• 6 to 7 cloves
• 2 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder

For dabeli

• 4 to 5 boiled potatoes, mashed
• 2 tbsp dabeli masala
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 cup masala peanuts (optional, for garnishing)
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds (optional, for garnishing)
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves (for garnishing)
• 1/2 cup gram flour sev (optional, for garnishing)
• 2 onions chopped (for garnishing)
• 1/4 grated coconut (optional, for garnishing)
• 2 tsp butter
• Juice of a lime
• Salt as per taste
• 4 to 5 pavs or bread pieces
• 3 tsp oil
• Water

Method

For homemade dabeli masala

• Dry roast all the ingredients of the masala except kashmiri chilli powder in a microwave for one minute or on gas tawa for 5 minutes
• When cool, grind it in mixie until powder consistency is obtained
• Add the red chilli powder.
• Mix well and store in an airtight container.

For dabeli

• Heat oil in a pan and add the dabeli masala.
• Add some water, add boiled potatoes and mix well.
• Add sugar, lime juice, salt and little water. Mix thoroughly and take it off the gas.
• Take a plate and spread the potato mixture well over it
• Garnish with masala peanuts, grated coconut, sev, onions, pomegranate seeds and chopped coriander.
• Dabeli is ready.

How to serve

• Take a pav, split it in between, take some portion of the above filling and spread it properly.
• In a pan, heat some butter.
• Roast the pav on both the sides till it becomes crispy brown.
• Serve hot.

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Vada Pav

Ingredients

For vada batter

• 1 cup gram flour
• 1 tsp corn flour
• 1 and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• Pinch of soda bi-carb
• 1 cup water for batter consistency

For vada

• 5 to 6 boiled and mashed potatoes
• Few curry leaves
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic chilli paste
• 1/2 cup coriander leaves chopped
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 pav
• Green chutney or some spicy masala

Method

For vada

• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds.
• When they start to crackle, add curry leaves.
• Add ginger garlic chilli paste, sauté for a minute. Add salt, turmeric powder.
• Remove from gas and add it to mashed potatoes in a bowl.
• Add chopped coriander and mix it well.
• When it cools, form small round balls using the palm of the hands and keep aside.

For vada batter

• Take a bowl, add gram flour, corn flour, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt.
• Make a batter by using little by little water until it is smooth and of pouring consistency.
• Lastly add a pinch of soda bi-carb and keep it aside.

Method

• Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.
• Dip each ball of vada in the batter and deep fry it till it becomes golden brown.
• Remove it from the pan and keep it aside.

How to serve

• Take a pav, slit it from between and apply green chutney or any other spicy masala on either side.
• Place the vada in between and serve.

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Ragda Pattice

Ingredients

For ragda

• 1 cup white peas soaked overnight
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 4 to 5 green chillies, chopped cut fine
• Salt to taste
• Water for cooking

For pattice

• 4 to 5 boiled potatoes mashed
• 1 tbsp garlic and chilli paste
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 cup coriander leaves chopped
• Salt to taste
• 3 tbsp oil for frying

Method

For ragda

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
• Add mustard seeds and as they start to crackle, add chopped onions and chillies.
• Fry till the onions turn pink.
• Add white peas.
• Add salt and water enough for peas to cook.
• Close the lid and pressure cook till 2 to 3 whistles.
• Remove from the gas and ragda is ready and keep it aside

For pattice

• Mix all the ingredients of pattice in a mixing bowl except oil.
• Make small balls and flatten it using the palm of the hands.
• In a pan, add some oil and fry each ball till it turns nice and golden.

How to serve

• In a plate, assemble two pattice.
• Pour little quantity of ragda over it.
• Garnish wish coriander leaves, tamarind chutney, some sev and 2 to 3 crushed puris.
• Serve.

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